Club Members, Tournaments

Meat Axe 2026

Berkeley Retains Meat Axe for the Third Consecutive Year

The 2026 Meat Axe Tournament, a contest between the Palo Alto and Berkeley lawn bowling clubs, was held on Saturday, August 15th at the Palo Alto Lawn Bowling Club (PALBC) . Like the legendary trophy carried off by the winners of the Cal-Stanford “Big Game” — a lumberjack’s axe–a smaller butcher’s cleaver is shared between these longstanding bowling rivals.

This year, Berkeley retained their hold on the Meat Axe by the narrowest of margins, thanks to an unusual feature of the Conditions of Play (CoP).

Both clubs fielded six Triples teams, competing over 12 ends. When lunchtime arrived, Berkeley was in the lead, with 4 wins and 2 losses. But Palo Alto wasn’t going to let that stand, and after a fighting afternoon comeback, had leveled the score on the day to 6 matches apiece.

Now, normally, with a tie on wins/losses, one would either count up the differential of points gained to points conceded, or, perhaps play a best of three ends bowl-off. But Palo Alto had provided in the CoP (which, as hosts, they had written) that–in the event of a tie on game wins/losses–the trophy would be retained by its current holder. Thus, Berkeley will be keeping its hands on the Meat Axe for (at least) another year!

Congratulations and thank you to the Berkeley bowlers who participated in this year’s event, and a big round of appreciation to Palo Alto for their competitive spirit, outmatched only by their gracious hospitality.

We know they’ll be headed north next year with keen intent. We’ll be ready.

Club Members

Who Doesn’t Like Pizza?

It may be a rhetorical question, but the answer still explains a lot: nearly everyone loves pizza. That simple truth may be one reason Tuesday Evening Bowls has remained a favorite part of BLBC’s summer schedule for almost a decade.

Longtime club member Erwin Vista is credited with starting Tuesday Evening Bowls. In its earliest days, the gathering featured casual draw games followed by frozen pizza that Erwin heated and served.
Several years later, Leslie Engler and her spouse took the reins, renamed the event Tuesday Evening Bowls ’n Pizza, and elevated the menu with fresh pizza from a favorite local spot. Last year, under Rolly Coe’s stewardship, the food improved once again. Gourmet pizza is now joined by a generous potluck spread that often includes fresh salads, fruit, desserts, and plenty of fine wine to share.

The evening begins with a draw, usually producing a mix of pairs, triples, and the occasional cutthroat game, depending on how many people turn out. On a good night, attendance can top 20. But the games are never just about the final score—they are about good-natured banter, easy laughter, and enjoying a summer evening together. If you haven’t joined in yet, don’t be shy. Tuesday Evening Bowls ’n Pizza is delicious, nutritious, and best of all, wonderfully convivial.

Club Members, New Bowlers, Tournaments

BLBC Vet-Novice 2026

Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club Vet-Novice Tournament Recap

Last Saturday, the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club held its annual Vet-Novice Tournament, drawing three novices and three veterans. While turnout was modest — many members were away for summer travel — the smaller field made for a tightly contested, high-quality day of bowls.

Teams were set that morning via a random draw, pairing veterans with novices: Christina Bailey and Cris Benton formed one team, Charlie King and Hugo Deaux another, and Ben Steinberg and Bernadette Chan rounded out the third.

Game One: Ben and Bernie vs. Hugo and Charlie

Charlie and Ben
Ben delivers under Bernie’s direction

The opening match pitted Ben and Bernie against Hugo and Charlie, and it was a tight, well-played contest. Ben and Bernie built momentum through the middle ends, surging to a 9-6 lead. But Hugo and Charlie answered convincingly, scoring a four late in the game to flip the lead to 10-9. From there, they held their nerve and their advantage, closing out the game for the win.

Game Two: Hugo and Charlie vs. Cris and Christina

Charlie and Christina
Game two underway

Riding the momentum of their first-game victory, Hugo and Charlie came out sharp in the second match against Cris and Christina. The pair jumped out to a commanding start — winning the first six ends and building a 10-point lead. Cris and Christina refused to fold, clawing back six points in a spirited comeback, but the deficit proved too large to overcome. Hugo and Charlie closed out the game — and with it, the tournament title.

Congratulations to Hugo and Charlie for games well played.

Final Result:

Hugo Deaux and Charlie King went undefeated on the day, winning both of their matches to claim the Novice Tournament championship.

Club Members, PIMD, Tournaments

BLBC: Repeat Champions in Club Rinks


The PIMD’s Club Rinks Tournament was held on July 26 at Palo Alto Lawn Club. This tournament is the only PIMD tournament in which clubs compete against each other with the bowlers representing their ‘home clubs’. Berkeley fielded two teams this year, joining eight other teams from around PIMD. One team—which entered as the defending champions—was made up of Janice Bell, Jim Corr, Russ Leonard and Rob Hoey (above photo l-r), while the other consisted of Judy Hillyer, Janie Hillyer, Ethan Bortman and Patricia Erwin (below l-r).

All teams competed in four 12-end games and, after the two morning rounds, there were four lineups that stood out at the top, including the Berkeley team defenders. By the final game, two sides, San Francisco and Berkeley, were competing for the top place. Berkeley maintained its excellent bowling throughout the match and emerged with a strong win over San Francisco. In doing so, they also edged out the only other undefeated team, San Jose, on points differential to take the top spot for the second year in a row. Berkeley’s other contenders had a strong showing in the afternoon and ended the day with two wins and two losses. Congratulations to Rob, Jim, Russ, and Janice on a great repeat win on behalf of Berkeley! 

Club Members, Tournaments

Berkeley Jamboree 2026

For nearly four decades, the Howard Mackey Jamboree* has been BLBC’s premier tournament, and this year’s event once again lived up to its reputation. The Jamboree’s unique format attracts players from across PIMD with 42 bowlers from seven clubs participating.

* The Howard Mackey Jamboree is not affiliated in any way with the Country Bear Jamboree!

Discussing the head

The format gives all participants, regardless of experience or skill level, a good chance of finishing in the money. When registering, players choose their preferred position…skip, vice, or lead…to compete in three 10-end games. Teams are randomly formed by the tournament committee, and the teams are changed after each game.

Measuring for the point

Each player maintains their own score and at the end of the day there are no team awards, only the top four individuals in each category. It is the one tournament where there is an “I” in team.

The weather was perfect, the green was pristine and speedy, and the clubhouse was chock full of yummy treats, all of which made for a glorious day of lawn bowling.

There were lots of bowls out there!

Kudos to the Tournament Committee for overcoming the difficult challenge of ensuring that every bowler had different teammates and different opponents in each game.

Additional kudos to the Greens Committee and the Hospitality Committee.

And, of course, congratulations to the winners:

PlaceLeadsVicesSkips
1stMei ChanLennon HamiltonJoanne Ribeiro
2ndSue SahlmanPatricia ErwinJanice Bell
3rdGary SamonskyDave ZimbauerEthan Bortman
4thLydia ZapataCindy MossGinger Harris
Rental Events, Volunteer Work

In Praise of Coaches

Yesterday afternoon we had another great rental event at the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club for Ava Electric, who brings you your electricity. Their CEO is Howard Chang, a BLBC member. A great time was had by both bowlers and coaches. 

Thanks to all our wonderful coaches: Sarah Allday our awesome head coach, Ethan, Leslie, Annie, Cindy, Glenn, Ashok, Patricia, Janie, Judy, Ginger and Claudia. 

Rental events help the BLBC meet its annual budget. If you have friends or neighbors looking for a fun party, corporations looking for a team building event, please think of lawn bowling. We are happy to host events and love introducing new people to lawn bowling.

Club Members, Club Projects, Volunteer Work

BLBC Yard Sale

It all started when a club member was tidying up their dining room credenza. They found a bunch of things they didn’t need anymore. Offspring were asked if they wanted the goods, but they weren’t too keen. This raised the question of what to do with all that stuff? Donating to the Oakland Museum White Elephant Sale was a possibility, but then an idea formed, maybe the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club could use a fundraiser? The idea of a yard sale was suggested at the annual meeting last December, and everyone was on board.

In the spring, Claudia Benton, Janie Hillyer, and Patricia Erwin formed a small group to put together the event. They picked a date, made some initial plans, and started asking lawn bowling members to donate items to help us get everything ready. Thus began an epic effort on their part to make this event work.

Team leaders Janie, Claudia, and Patricia

It looked like there were a few hurdles to overcome, but we managed to pull it off! First off, would members be willing to donate items for sale? The answer was a resounding yes. Donations were generous and plentiful, completely filling the clubhouse by the week before the sale. Second, could all the items in the clubhouse be moved outdoors and arranged for display before the yard sale started? Again, the answer was yes. A small group of volunteers met at 7 AM and took on the almost Herculean task of setting things up for the 9 AM start of the sale.

Yard sale signage and a big sorting effort before the sale

Third, would people come to buy things? The news was good. Efforts to publicize the sale – flyers, posters, social media posts – were effective. We estimate that we had 250 visitors attend the yard sale, some of whom participated in free lawn bowling lessons.

A tsunami of yard sale offering organized for sale.

Hurdle number four, would folks buy our yard sale goods? And indeed, our visitors bought an amazing number of donated items—stuff you thought would sell, stuff you could not imagine selling, and everything in between. This led to the final challenge of the exercise: how do we clean up at the end of the yard sale so that the PIMD Playdowns Tournament, scheduled for the next morning, would run smoothly? Again, the miracle on Acton Street continued as many helping hands sorted the unsold items into categories for prompt dispersal and neatly routed the leftovers to alternate ends. Within an hour and a half, the clubhouse was clean.

They came, they shopped, everyone was happy

None of this could have happened without the dedicated volunteer effort of BLBC members. The club thanks everyone who donated items. We had a great turnout with 35 members (a full third of our membership) volunteering help with pre-sale, day of sale, and cleanup efforts.

In the end, the great yard sale of 2026 was a grand success. Members got an opportunity to declutter their homes, items found a continued useful life in new hands, and the club raised a tidy sum of money. Our thanks to all who helped!

Club Members, Tournaments

BLBC Aussie Pairs 2026

On Saturday, June 20, BLBC held its annual Aussie Pairs tournament. The event drew 28 bowlers, filling seven rinks. Fourteen teams were formed by random draw and competed in a format of four ten-end games. Matchups for the first two games were randomly assigned, after which the tournament shifted to a modified strength-versus-strength format for the final two rounds.

Annie delivers in the early rounds

Heading into the lunch break, five teams stood undefeated at 2–0. In ranked order, these were Daniel Gorelick & Gordon Beveridge; Lennon Hamilton & Ben Corson; Hugo Deaux & Lydia Zapata; Luis Zapata & Phil Grattan; and Mei Chan & Ethan Bortman. The stage was set for a highly competitive afternoon.

The third game narrowed the field further. Daniel & Gordon, Hugo & Lydia, and Mei & Ethan all advanced to 3–0 records, while Sarah Allday & Bernadette Chan led the pack of teams at 2–1. This set up an exciting final round.

In game four, Daniel & Gordon delivered a relentless display of precision bowling to defeat Sarah & Bernadette. On the adjacent rink, Hugo & Lydia matched that intensity, overcoming Mei & Ethan. The result was two teams finishing regular play undefeated at 4–0. For details see this AI compiled summary of game scores.

Daniel sends one down in the playoff

A three-end playoff followed, using the Potter’s Field format: the first team to win two ends, by any margin, would claim the tournament. With spectators closely watching, Hugo and Lydia took the first end. Daniel and Gordon responded in the second, highlighted by a beautifully executed shot from Gordon. The final end proved a nail-biter, but Daniel and Gordon ultimately prevailed, securing the title in a match decided by the slimmest of margins.

Congratulations to Gordon and Daniel on a fine day of bowling.

Several players stood out over the course of the day. Daniel was consistently steady and strategic, while Hugo demonstrated similar composure throughout. Gordon delivered a particularly strong performance, proving decisive in the playoff ends. Lydia impressed with a standout showing—earning playful recognition as the “terror of Acton Street.” Young Aika Hamilton also turned in an excellent performance alongside Michael Luetzinger, who stepped in admirably to save the day as a substitute for an 11th hour dropout..

Aika delivers
Gordon delivers
Rare shot of Lydia raking

Club Members, Tournaments

BLBC Pairs Tournament 2026

On Saturday, June 6, 2026, twelve teams descended upon the greens for the highly anticipated 2026 BLBC Pairs Tournament.  We were blessed with mostly sunny skies and quite comfortable temperatures.

Here is how the action unfolded across the rounds:

Image of a trophy The Podium Finishers

  • 1st Place: Michael O’Leary & Phyllis Yau-Chan The undisputed champions of the tournament. Michael and Phyllis went on an absolute tear, finishing with a perfect 4-0 record. What makes this victory truly remarkable is that Michael O’Leary is still technically a novice bowler! Supported by the steady and consistent Lead bowling of Phyllis Yau-Chan—joining the fray as a dual member from Rossmoor—this duo proved unstoppable.

    They started strong against Daniel Gorelick & Cindy Moss (14-7), dominated Chris Davis & Annie Brillhart in Game 2 with a massive 20-6 victory, survived a tough test from Bing Burns & Phil Grattan (16-12), and clinched the tournament championship in Game 4 winning a very close and competitive nail-bitter of a match against runners up Cris Benton & Art Kotoulas (10-8). 
The Champs!
  • 2nd Place: Cris Benton & Art Kotoulas An incredible run for Cris and Art, who put on a clinic throughout the day. They took down Hugo Deaux & Sal Garcia (12-8) in Game 1, handled Lennon Hamilton & Bernadette Chan (11-8) in Game 2, and cruised past Michael Leutzinger & Leslie Engler (18-6) in Game 3. They went into the Game 4 Final with a 3-0 record but were ultimately outdone by the strong O’Leary & Yau-Chan pairing, finishing a highly commendable 3-1 for second place.

Game Summaries

Game 1: The morning session gave us a taste of the competitive field. Michael Leutzinger & Leslie Engler and Luis Zapata & Glenn Nunez both put up commanding 14-point performances to notch their first wins. Meanwhile, Bing Burns & Phil Grattan and Chris Davis & Annie Brillhart immediately locked horns in a gritty 10-10 draw.

Game 2: This round saw our eventual runners-up (Cris Benton & Art Kotoulas) and champions (Michael O’Leary & Phyllis YauChan) separate themselves from the pack. It also featured a fantastic bounce-back performance from Daniel Gorelick & Cindy Moss, who shook off a first-round loss to put up a stellar 17-9 win over Mo Shooer & Sandy Souza.

Game 3:  While the leading duos maintained their undefeated streaks, the rest of the green saw some beautifully chaotic battles. Daniel Gorelick & Cindy Moss fought Lennon Hamilton & Bernadette Chan to a dramatic 8-8 tie, while Hugo Deaux & Sal Garcia and Mo Shooer & Sandy Souza apparently couldn’t be separated either, locking in a 9-9 draw. Janine Maddock & Lydia Zapata also secured a resounding 14-7 win over Chris Davis & Annie Brillhart to shake up the middle tier.

Game 4: The Championship Showdown With the tournament on the line, the final matchup was set between the only two undefeated squads left standing: Michael O’Leary & Phyllis YauChan and Cris Benton & Art Kotoulas. It was a tactical, low-scoring chess match where every inch mattered. When the dust settled, the novice-and-Rossmoor-powerhouse connection managed to squeeze out a 10-8 victory to secure the tournament crown!

A massive thank you to everyone who stepped onto the green, helped set up the rinks, provided hospitality/snacks, and brought that classic Berkeley competitive spirit. Congratulations again to Michael and Phyllis for an incredible performance!  

If you would like to see all the game results by round they can be found on the tournament spreadsheet.

Club Members, Volunteer Work

More Than Just the Green

Even with its subtle ridges and valleys, our gorgeous, (relatively) speedy, natural turf green is the preferred venue for many PIMDers. But there is another feature that appeals to many visiting bowlers as well: our beautiful, aromatic surrounding landscape.

The Effort Behind the Beauty

By now, you all know how much work goes into maintaining our green: rolling, spot watering, weeding, controlling moss and fungus to name just a few of the required tasks. Maintaining the large area surrounding the green also requires a decent amount of sweat and heavy lifting.

The weeds didn’t stand a chance against this crew

Thursday is Workday

Every Thursday at 10 a.m., a group of a dozen or so members meet at the club. The first activity is a casual 90-minute draw game. At 11:30 a.m., Landscape Committee commander-in-chief Leslie Engler terminates the game and assigns the day’s landscaping tasks to the group. Typical activities are trimming ivy, weeding, dead heading roses, mowing the grass inside and outside the club, weed whacking, and pruning hedges. The work typically ends around 1 p.m. and is followed by whatever treats happen to appear in the clubhouse.

On this day, as the pictures show, the featured chore was digging out invasive grass and weeds on the southwest corner.

Now that’s some heavy lifting

The Crew

Kudos to the regular crew: Janie, Patricia, Judy, Sarah, Ben Steinberg, Cathy, Charles McFerran, Rolly, Phil Watson, Claudia, Winthrop, Nina, and Donna.

We promote the game of lawn bowling for the enjoyment of new and experienced players alike.