Sun City, Arizona

The lawn bowling greens of Sun City are widely considered to be the finest in North America.  They attract many bowlers from all over the continent including a number from Vancouver Island clubs.

An important part of the bowling scene here is its social component.  In a place where the climate permits shorts and short sleeves all winter, bowlers enjoy numerous social get-togethers.  These include drinks and snacks following an ongoing Sunday morning pairs tournament played on Sun City’s only carpet green.  The post game gathering of friends provides an opportunity to discuss what went wrong with our game and how we might improve.  Theories abound and become more accepted as the refreshments flow.

The accompanying photos show the carpet green adjacent to the Fairway Recreation Center, a fast playing green with a reported speed of 14.7 seconds.  The other photo shows a recent social gathering hosted by David & Janet Gardner of Gordon Head LBC.  From left to right are Jeff Machan (note the shield is not a bowls award but represents his Scottish heritage),  John & Pat Purvis of Victoria West LBC, Margaret Machan, Janet & Dave Gardner, and Henriette Ballinger.

Submitted by Eric Ballinger