Torquay Bowls Club named Australia’s best

LAWN bowlers across the nation will be green with envy after the Torquay Bowls Club was named as the nation’s best.

The club on The Esplanade was honoured with the Stockland Retirement Living Club of the Year award, presented at the 2017 Bowls Australia Hall of Fame and Awards Night last week.

Torquay Bowls Club was a finalist in the same award in 2016.

Judges said years of innovation in response to social changes within Torquay and the club’s wider environment had “completely reshaped” the club.

“From a club in decline, separated from its local community by tradition and its status as an enclave for the aged, the club has now reinvented itself by looking hard at its decaying situation and acting in contrast to the increasing number of clubs subsiding into oblivion.”

Membership numbers have risen from 170 to more than 880; nearly half of these affiliated bowlers.

Torquay Bowls Club chair Mac Smith said the award was an enormous achievement and honour, and recognised the club’s excellent governance and administration as well as its highly successful Twilight Bowls program.

“We put 240 members on the green on a Wednesday and Thursday night every week, and we’ve now got teams on the waitlist, which is quite a feat.

“A lot of the community groups use us, we’ve got terrific sponsorship from local business and we’ve got great volunteers.”

He said Twilight Bowls had become a feeder for the club’s senior Pennant teams, with 50 players making the step up to serious bowling.

“It’s all about inclusiveness here; the Pennant bowlers and Twilight bowlers all interact and all have fun together.”

Judges also highlighted the club’s decision in July to use its two Jr. Jack Attack kits in an eight-week school program that saw more than 100 students participate.

“Through these measures, the club has prospered, with more than 30,000 visitors using the club annually, and more than 5,000 barefoot bowlers introduced each year.”

Mr Smith said Torquay Bowls Club was trying to be “a community club for the community”.

“Anybody’s welcome, anyone can come down and join in – you don’t have to play bowls, either.”