Four bowlers from BLBC escaped winter blues in February and flew to Honolulu for the annual Aloha Barefoot Bowls tournament. The two teams from BLBC, July Hillyer and John Gardiner (dual/SFLBC) and Patricia Erwin and Janie Hillyer were joined by another PIMD bowler, Janee Hunt from Oakland LBC, and competed in a pool of 24 teams with bowlers coming from Australia, British Columbia and California, and of course Hawaii. The beautiful setting of the green overlooking the Pacific Ocean and steps from a beach greeted us as we practiced and worked on adjusting to the green.
Amigas in paradise
Bowlers were broken into 2 different groups for the fun, social tournament with fast-paced 6 end 3-bowl pairs games. On the third day the top 8 teams, which included Judy Hillyer and John Gardiner, came together for the finals. The fast-paced games continued in the finals, and when the last bowl came to rest Judy and John took 3rd place, the only team to place in the top 4 that was not from Honolulu. Well done John and Judy! The fun tournament with great food, lots of socialization and a luau was a great opportunity to meet bowlers from many different clubs and make some new bowling friends which came with invitations to join them at their greens.
The 4-3-2-1 Tournament format remains relatively new to Berkeley, this being only the second year it has been held. It may be related to “The Belgrano” devised in tribute to General Manuel Belgrano, an Argentinian military hero and Founding Father who has many sites, streets, and institutions named after him in his native country, including the Belgrano Athletic Club, home to Argentina’s first and largest lawn bowling club (situated unsurprisingly in the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires). It is speculated
that Argentina originated this variation on the more casual “Cutthroat” game of bowls involving involves three players. The 4-3-2-1, in contrast, is a Singles game, but follows Cutthroat scoring—the closest bowl to the jack, irrespective of whose it is, gets 4 points, the second-closest 3 points, the third bowl 2 points and the fourth a single point. Thus, in principle a total of 10 points is available to either player in a given end.
Consistency is the key goal of any lawn bowler and consistency pays off particularly in this format—make sure you get something out of each end and don’t give up too many 9 or 10-pointers. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself deep in the hole after only a few ends, even with first to 65 points being the decisive goal.
Standings after the preliminary games.
This year, the BLBC tournament was held on Saturday, February 28 under fine bowling conditions. Following a preliminary set of matches held over the preceding three weeks, 12 players qualified for the final day’s contest. They faced each other in a modified version of strength-to-strength play in which the stronger players after each round went up against bowlers lower in the rankings with the field tighteningafter each round.
By Round 4, only two players—Daniel Gorelick and Jim Corr—had won all three preceding match-ups: Daniel against Russell (Rolly) Coe, Cris Benton, and Mike O’Leary, while Jim had prevailed against Michael Leutzinger, Tom Birt, and Sarah Allday. The final was keenly contested. Jim built up a small but significant lead early on, playing his short jack game. But when he got an opportunity, Daniel began closing the spread with a T-to-T strategy, so that after 10-ends the gap had been closed to only 4 points, 52-48 in Jim’s favor. Over the next three ends they split the points 15 apiece resulting in a razor-thin 67- v63 victory for Jim.
Jim Corr – winner of the 2026 4-3-2-1 Tournament
Congratulations to Jim on his success in the first club tournament of the BLBC 2026 calendar, and thanks to all participants, the greenskeeping team, the hospitality folks, not to mention the always welcome markers who made the games flow smoothly.
I am sure you all have been waiting patiently to know when the most fun event held at BLBC will be scheduled! The Greenskeepers need your help with tining, plug removal and sand application/removal, among other tasks. There are also some light duty tasks in addition to those that are outlined below. For newer members, this is a great opportunity to learn more about how our green is maintained and to meet other members you may not know.In coordination with Jose, the weather and the tournament schedule, we have chosen March 15 as the day. As before, helpers are needed to come in stages through the day. We are testing out using SIgn Up Genius which is an online program that the Club has purchased as part of the plan to increase volunteerism at the Club. If you click the link below you will find the various times and chores that you can sign up for. After selecting your time slots, be sure to go the bottom of the page to confirm your choices.
The Annual General Meeting will commence with a Call to Order and verification of a quorum, followed by the President’s Welcome and Annual Update regarding club membership and operational highlights. Key financial presentations will be provided, including the Treasurer’s Report detailing the club’s fiscal standing, income, and expenses, as well as a report from the Memorial and Endowment (M&E) Fund Trustees regarding asset growth and grant disbursements. Additionally, the agenda will include a PIMD Report outlining regional goals and relevant news from the division.
Following the administrative updates, the meeting will transition to specific Committee Reports, covering Hospitality, Building, Landscape, Greens, Tournaments, and Coaching. These reports will review maintenance projects, tournament results, and volunteer acknowledgments from the prior year. The proceedings will conclude with the Election of Officers and Directors for the new term and an open floor session for member questions and the introduction of new members.
The BLBC Board announced the following slate for the 2026 election which will be held at the AGM on December 13. As a full member, you must be present to vote so put it on your calendar. Dual members are also invited to attend. There will be a short meeting followed by a delicious potluck lunch and bowling.
President Ethan Bortman VP Ben Corson Secretary Patricia Erwin Treasurer Ben Steinberg
The Pacific Inter-Mountain Division (PIMD) bowling season reached a spectacular conclusion on November 22, 2025, as the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club hosted the annual Champion of Champions Tournament. Under beautiful skies, the event brought together the division’s elite—competitors who had already proven themselves by winning their respective club singles tournaments. A total of twelve club champions from across the Bay Area, including representatives from Santa Cruz, Oakland, San Jose, San Francisco, Rossmoor, Santa Clara, and Palo Alto, gathered on the Berkeley greens for this prestigious season finale.
Janie Hillyer has become a formidable competitor within the PIMD and beyond
The women’s competition proved to be a nail-biter, featuring a relentless round-robin format that came down to the wire. The field was incredibly evenly matched, ending with a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard: Rachel Marcuson (Santa Cruz), Reggie Banares (San Jose), and local favorite Janie Hillyer (Berkeley) all finished with impressive 4-1 records. The title was ultimately decided by “plus points,” with Rachel Marcuson edging out Janie Hillyer by a slim margin of just two points (+27 to +25) to secure the overall victory. Congratulations to Rachel Marcuson for emerging as the 2025 Women’s Champion of Champions.
Daniel’s bowls as seen in a final game head – it kind of says it all.
On the men’s side, the field was split into two flights, with stellar performances leading to a clash of undefeated bowlers. Ian Cameron (San Jose) and Daniel Gorelick (Berkeley) dominated their respective groups, both posting perfect 3-0 records to advance to the final. In the championship game, Berkeley’s own Daniel Gorelick defeated Ian Cameron to claim the title, keeping the Men’s trophy at home. Congratulations to Daniel on his victory, and to all the competitors for a wonderful end to the season. (Action photos provided courtesy of Dave Seivert) .
The victors: Rachel Marcuson and Daniel Gorelick
Umpire Annie Brillhart, a maven of marking, ran a tight ship of volunteer markers.
For the past several months, the BLBC Greens Committee has been working to develop a collaborative approach to maintaining our green, one that requires more volunteers than the small greenkeeping teams of previous years. This effort has now morphed into a broader initiative: how to encourage more volunteerism in our club, not only to maintain the green, but to perform the myriad tasks required for our club to operate successfully. Like many volunteer organizations, we have established a pattern where a small percentage of BLBC members have been doing a high percentage of the work. Our volunteerism coordination project intends to move the needle a bit.
Our club is fortunate to have active volunteers. Volunteer efforts are essential to keeping the club running.
Currently we have an ad hoc committee of 15 BLBC members examining different aspects of volunteerism at the club – inventorying tasks, developing a survey, evaluating coordination software, and more. You may be hearing from them over the next several weeks. If you have any questions, concerns, or helpful suggestions, please address them to Cris Benton and Ethan Bortman who are currently heading the effort.
As the 2025 lawn bowling tournament season wraps up, it was time for the annual BLBC Novice Tournament. This year, the field was small but packed with talent. We had Mike O’Leary and Ben Corson, who took first and second in the PIMD Novice Tournament just a week ago in San Francisco. Joining them was Mark Baker, who also did well in the PIMD Tournament, and Stephanie Upp, a less frequent bowler with a natural athletic flair.
Contestants Ben Corson, Stephanie Upp, Mark Baker, and Mike O’Leary.
It was a lovely fall day for bowling, with perfect temperatures and no wind under a sunny sky. The hospitality committee put together a delicious spread, and the tournament drew an appreciative group of spectators and markers. The tournament followed a round-robin format with three rounds of games. Winners were determined by the first to reach 15 points. After two rounds, Mike was leading with a 2–0 record, Ben and Mark were each 1–1, and Stephanie was 0–2. This set the stage for an exciting finish. Mike would win outright with a third victory, while Ben and Mark were in striking distance if that didn’t happen.
Mark Baker showing fine form
Mike O’Leary delivers before a rapt audience in the final game
Ben played Stephanie in the final game and won, bringing his record to 2–1. In the next rink, Mark faced off against Mike in a closely watched game. This one was intensely played, with Mark establishing an early lead and maintaining a small margin as the game went on. The heads were impressively tight, with both bowlers well dialed in. As Mark approached the required 15 points, Mike had some really nice bowls that came within an inch of claiming the head. But, in a stroke of misfortune they bounced the wrong way, and the game went to Mark.
Mike and Mark approach the final and deciding head . Mike’s two bowls came close to displacing Mark’s nice shots.
At the end of the day, Mark, Mike, and Ben each ended up with a 2–1 record. The winner was then determined by differential points. Mark had the highest differential total, making him the 2025 BLBC Novice Champion.
Mark Baker, 2025 BLBC Novice Champion and Leslie Engler, BLBC President.
Well done to all the bowlers for putting on such an entertaining display. Kudos as well to the Greenskeepers, Cindy Moss as Tournament Director, and the Hospitality Committee.
Once again new players from around the Bay Area have gathered for the annual PIMD novice tournament and once again the BLBC had a fine showing. This year the tournament attracted 16 novice players, all of whom had been in the game for two years or less.
The 2025 Novice Tournament participants plus the ever helpful Sebastian Sciacca.
There was a preliminary round with each novice playing three games at the San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club. From this four players emerged with a perfect 3–0 record to continue on as the final four – Renne Xie, Ben Corson, Mike O’Leary, and Mark Hanusin. The champion was determined as these folks battled it out in a round robin format.
Results from the qualifying round
Tournament Director Bud Birkenseer (a hero to us all) reported on the final four playoff: “The weather was lovely at Golden Gate Park today, and Lawn Bowling had some excellent bowling today. One of the matches went 23 ends before one of the bowlers reached the needed 18 points for a win. Mike O’Leary snuck by Ben Corson with a last end 3-Pointer: You can see Mike’s three bowls in the image below (they still are friends…I think.)”
Ben and Mike after the final and deciding end.
The final four Novices did themselves proud and the BLBC can take great pride as well in Mike’s win, Ben’s very close second place, and Mark’s third. Well done.
Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club had strong representation at the US Nationals held Oct 19-25th at the beautiful Laguna Beach Lawn Bowling Club (LBLBC). LBLBC has two zippy greens overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Between the crashing waves, seagull calls and the daily Pelican flyovers, there was always something to watch in addition to great lawn bowling. For example, on one notable occasion, a proud seagull snatched a cookie and proceeded to strut around the center of the green, stopping all play. The venue never disappointed.
The LBLBC crew did an amazing job hosting, including feeding the players, officials and many volunteers several times each day. Twice in the evenings, live music accompanied appetizers and/or dinner. Event sponsors provided even more food and drinks. This was not an event where one lacked for anything.
The PIMD Champions: Annie Brillhart, Rose Selby, Calvin Darling, Janine Andrews, Daniel Gorelick, and Rob Hoey.
For the Bowls USA, the country is represented by 7 divisions. Berkeley LBC is in the Pacific Intermountain Division (PIMD). Because of the large number of lawn bowlers in the Southwest Division, they have 2 teams in each category, which they have named “Stars” and “Stripes”. Thus, at the US Nationals, there are 8 groups of 6 players comprised of men’s singles, men’s pairs, women’s singles and women’s pairs. BLBC had an impressive showing at the event with 5/6 PIMD players being members of the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club.
Posing with the Women’s Pairs winners.Janine, Rose, and Annie
After 3.5 days of spirited play, teams from the Southwest Division swept all of the events, save the women’s pairs, which was won by the South Central team in an epic playoff. PIMD did quite well across the board Crushing most of their opponents with 5/7 wins was the women’s pairs team of Rose Selby and Annie Brillhart. Overall, they came in 3rd and can boast as the only PIMD team to beat a SW team. We are also quite proud of Rob Hoey who also came in 3rd in the men’s singles with 4/7 wins. Several of his battles were fierce and continued well after the 20th end. Janine Maddock, who was a novice when she won the playdowns, had a strong showing in the women’s singles, winning 3/7 games. Her battles were also long with the 19:21 loss to Anne Nunes (Stripes) going on for 23 ends. Finally, after several back and forth games that could have gone either way, Daniel Gorelick and Calvin Darling won 2/7 of their games.
Overall, BLBC can be proud of these fine players. Videos of several of the games can be viewed at:
At the 2025 PIMD Singles Championships held at the Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club in early October, bowlers from across the Pacific Inter-Mountain Division competed under excellent green conditions freshly rolled with the club’s new roller.
On the women’s side, Rose Selby from the Palo Alto Lawn Bowling Club emerged as the overall champion, completing an impressive undefeated run—winning all six games over the two days. In the final, she overcame a strong challenge from Berkeley’s Janie Hillyer, who took second place after carrying an early lead. Joanne Ribeiro of Rossmoor finished third, and Angie Peet from San Francisco placed fourth.
Top women’s finishers Joanne Ribeira (3rd), Rose Slebly, (1st) and Janie Hillier (2nd) (Angie Peet missing).
The men’s field was split into two groups for Sunday’s play. Berkeley’s Daniel Gorelick and Rossmoor’s Frankie Napoli both went undefeated in group play, advancing to face each other in the title match. Napoli proved dominant in the final, claiming victory in decisive fashion to complete his own unbeaten weekend performance. Gorelick took the runner-up position, with Kevin Reynolds (San Francisco) finishing third and Jim Corr (Berkeley) fourth.
Top men’s finishers Jim Corr 4th), Kevin Reynolds (3rd, ) Frankie Napoli (1st), and Daniel Gorelick (2nd)
Berkeley’s greens and organization received praise for providing ideal tournament conditions.
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