We had a game today at Cootamundra Country Club Bowling Club.
They told us the sad story of the club. Apparently they used to have three great greens. One has been left to go fallow. The other is now a croquet green. They now have only one (very ordinary) green to play on.
They said the club only has twenty members now and they aren't affiliated. They are only available for social bowls. Many players who want to play comp also join Cootamundra Ex-Services.
The Country Club house itself is pretty run-down. They've spent all their money on the golf course (and to build a top of the line new golf shed) - though it does have a very nice rose garden.
The bowlers don't get much of a look in. They said the bowls club is in its last years. :-(
Anyway, there were eight players today - Jean and seven blokes. We had two games of pairs.
Mal skipped Geoff against another Geoff and skip Scott.
(Mal and Scott skipping)
(The two Geoffs)
Jean played lead with her Dad's namesake Roy against Kerry (lead) and Frank (Scotty).
(Jean and Kerry - leads)
(Roy bowls and Scotty looks on.)
Jean's game was neck and neck until Scotty's team scored two 5's in a row. Jean stopped looking at the score after that. Jean and Roy lost the plot a little but came back well in the end. Final score was Scotty 28 to Roy 14.
Mal's side fared much better. Mal's teammate Geoff said "Whatever shot he wants to play he nails it!" Mal played brilliantly and they won 30 to 12. He said Geoff his partner used up all Mal's chalk.
Mal said "We visited the club and taught them a lesson!" Jean said "Well maybe you did - I got flogged!" Mal said "Yes but it's all about me!" (all tongue in cheek of course). In fact Jean got a blow by blow description of all Mal's great shots and how he "Played like a man 'reposessed'!"
We wish Cootamundra Country Club Bowling Club a bright future. Thanks for a fun game!
POST SCRIPT:
So we copped a bit of flak from a random person at the Country Club for what we wrote in this blog post.
What they don't seem to understand is that IT'S A BLOG! It's for entertainment. It's neither the truth nor a lie - it's just our reflections on what we've been told (which may or may not be truthful or an exaggeration) and what we observe for ourselves.
Readers of the blog can make up their own minds about how true it is.
For us, as we travel around we see way too many "parent" clubs that just let their bowling greens go. They spend all their money and effort on activities for younger people - which bring in a lot of dough. The older people (the bowlers) with their rich life experiences and interesting stories are left out in the cold.
Not the community spirit we expect from a community club.
That, we think, is just shameful! (but that's just our opinion).
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