2012’s First Tournament

After a few weeks of rain, it was a welcome relief to see the sun shining on Saturday morning. There wasn’t even that much dew, the air was crisp and I knew we would have a great day. The whole green was in use as fourteen bowlers signed up for the annual four bowl singles tournament. The green itself is in very good shape thanks to the efforts of our greenskeeper and those club members who occasionally volunteer to help with the weeding, sanding, etc.

You can’t say lawn bowling isn’t for all ages as the spread was from mid twenties to late eighties. Everyone who bowled played in the first two games which were to 15 points with a 12-end limit (for time’s sake). After the morning session, five players had won both of their morning matches so it came down to points differential to see who would bowl in the semi- final round. So after lunch, four bowlers stepped on the mat; Shawn Roney, Erwin Vista, Jim Corr, and Howard Mackey. These two games were also in the short format and the winners emerged – Erwin Vista and Howard Mackey.

Erwin is a fairly new member of the club while Howard has been around long enough to have been greenskeeper, president, janitor, etc. So it was experience vs. youth in the final game to 21 points. In the end, Howard Mackey was the winner. This ever-young 86 year-old former teacher is seen third from right in the photo below displaying one of his always present smiles. Congratulations Howard. By the way, the other players shown are Jim Corr (L), Erwin Vista, Howard, and Shawn Roney. Shawn, by the way, is a novice – he has been bowling for less than two years!

Here’s to a fantastic season. Oh, and thanks to Barbara Mackey and Geoff Chandler for serving as Markers.