Est 1943 - 2023

Beginners Guide to Lawn Bowls


Beginners Guide to Lawn Bowls: click here


Lawn bowls is a sport that fits in with your lifestyle.  It can be as competitive or as social as you want it to be and you can find a game just about any day of the week. 

You will find our clubhouse facilities comfortable and inviting and our bowlers are well known for their hospitality towards newcomers.

Once you join Browns Bay you will discover your membership becomes a passport to a friendly welcome and a warm smile at any bowls club in New Zealand.  And being an international sport, your membership means you will never be without a friend when travelling overseas.

Lawn Bowls is a target sport played on a flat surface (grass, synthetic grass or carpet). Similar in concept to the Italian game of Bocce or the French game Petanque.  Once the target known as the ‘jack’ has been rolled – each player delivers a set number of bowls depending on the format of the game. Players/ teams take turns in bowling.

A shot is scored for every bowl that rests closer to the jack than any of your opponents bowls (once all bowls have been delivered). After each ‘end’ (when all players have bowled), players then bowl back in the opposite direction. A game can be a set number of ends, or played to other various formats.


What’s the appeal?

‘Bowls is a game for people of all ages and abilities from young children to older adults. It is all embracing. It can be played on equal terms by almost anyone. It does not require special strength or athletic ability.

You’ll get the chance to be called a Junior again (in your first 5 years of bowling) – for some of you it would have been quite a while since you were called “Junior”.  When you start, you get matched up  with players of the same bowling ability and we will make sure you get some free coaching to set you on the right path.

The Summer season runs from September to May and you mainly play on natural grass greens.

Our Winter season, played on our carpet green, runs from May – September. During the winter, we also run indoor bowls once a week in our dining area.


Want to get started?

Simply visit the bowling club and ask about starting to play bowls, or give us a call on 478 6952. The club is open between 9am – 5pm most days or you can email us on brownsbaybowling@outlook.com.  Once we know you’re interested, we will get you down to the club to meet some of our members and show you around our facilities. We have a club night every Thursday and this is a great opportunity to get to know people.