From The Mat – Febuary 15, 2018

THE Twilighters are putting the finishing touches on what has been another amazing season of not-so-serious bowls.

But while the focus is on the fun factor, the bowlers are reaching scary levels of competence, with more and more entering the serious pennant competitions and advancing to the closing rounds of the club’s open championships.

As an example of how far the Twilighters have advanced, the club Minor Singles grand final this year features two players who have come through the Twilight ranks, Wally Weiner and Peter Forbes.

It also is the serious end of Twilight team competitions and championships. On February 28 and March 1 they stage their own finals and lightning premierships for both the Wednesday and Thursday competitions.

This phenomenal success has had such an impact that clubs from around Victoria are copying our template, and it has been a key factor in Torquay being named at Bowls Australia’s Club of the Year.

And there seems to be no tapering of interest as teams are already nominating for positions in next season’s competition, which doesn’t start until early October.

On the pennant front, the final home-and-away rounds are being played and there is growing tension over which divisions will make it through to the play-offs.

In MidWeek after 16 rounds we have the Division 1 side sitting in third spot, Division 2 sixth, Division 5 in fifth and Division 6 eighth.

In the Saturday comp we have Division 1 in second spot, Division 2 10th, Division 4 third, Division 6 fifth, Division 8 fifth, Division 9 sixth and Division 11 fourth.

Members and visitors are also reminded that normal club opening hours have resumed which means the bar and bistro are closed on Mondays, with the exception of Easter Monday when full service will be offered to cater an influx of visitors to town for the holiday and the Rip Curl Pro surfing at Bells Beach.