What the Heck Is LAWN BOWLING?

Lawn Bowling or Bowling on the Green is a fascinating competition – outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine on fine green grass.

It is a challenging game with mild exercise in the good company of both women and men. It is played by the young, the old and even mildly handicapped. It provides a healthful and stimulating afternoon game that eases the tensions of the modern work week. You can learn to enjoy this game in an hour or two of instruction and spend 20 years learning to play well.

​LAKESIDE LAWN BOWLING CLUB

The club is located near the Museum of Science and Industry in Jackson Park at Science Drive and South Lake Shore Drive, the first stoplight south of 57th St and north of 63rd St.

The club welcomes everyone. Play starts at 1:00 PM on Saturdays. Tuesday night play can be reinstated, if there is enough interest. Other days are available, but need to be arranged in advance.

Even if you drop in and some planned activity is underway, there are people around who would be happy to teach you about the game they love.

There is never a charge for individual lessons or use of the club bowls while learning on your first day. Only flat soled shoes are required and comfortable clothing. A nominal fee may apply to groups visiting the green.

Club membership is surprisingly inexpensive. The charge for the season is about what you would pay for a round of golf. This is a public facility, maintained by the Chicago Park District. Following British tradition, play stops at 3:00 PM for afternoon tea.

1927

2025

​BACKGROUND

The game can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt, but it really became popular in Roman times. The Roman legions spread it all over the then known world. Local variations turned it into Bocce in Italy, La Boules and Petanque in France, and Bochas in Spain, nine Pins in the Low Countries. Lawn Bowling as we know it developed in England and became popular in the 17th Century.

Some familiar names who played the game include Robert Burns, Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, Sir Francis Drake and most British monarchs including Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.

Today it is still popular in most Commonwealth countries. Britain today has some 4000 clubs and over 200,000 bowlers. In the USA there are about 350 clubs with 20,000 bowlers and growing – mostly in the South and West where it can be played year round.

The game was first played in colonial Jamestown. Many early American cities had bowling greens. Before the Revolutionary War it was popular and even George Washington had a green at Mt. Vernon. But, it was considered to be a Royalist activity and quickly died out or was outlawed. Seven states have cities or towns named Bowling Green.

Famous Americans who played were George Washington, Thomas Paine, George Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, William Jennings Bryan and more recently, Walt Disney.

THE GAME

Neither the bowl nor the game should be confused with indoor lane bowling. The game is played on a “rink” that is about 14 feet wide and 120 feet long, one of the finest close-cut grass that is as level as a table. The Lawn Bowl is only 5 inches in diameter and weighs only 3 pounds. No pins are used. The target is a small white ball that looks like a billiard and is called the “Jack”. The object of the game is to roll the bowl smoothly on the grass from one end of the rink so that it will stop as close as possible to the Jack which has been centered at the far end of the rink.

The bowl is made of plastic and is formed so that it will not roll in a straight line. It has a natural curve that is from 3 to 10 feet. It is referred to as the “draw.”

It is not necessary to hit the jack – just come close. As many of your bowls or your team’s bowls that are closer to the Jack than your opponent’s closest bowl are the ones that count; each scoring a point.
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The game may be played as singles (one against one), pairs (two against two), or triples (three against three). Teams may be men, women or mixed. In singles and pairs each player rolls four bowls. In triples, each player rolls three bowls in turn.
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The game lasts two hours and requires a mile of walking. A game consists of a predetermined number of “Ends” that is the delivery of all bowls from one end of the rink to the other by all players. After the score is taken and recorded, the bowls are gathered and a new end starts.

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