the time November rolls around, most lawn bowlers have put their gear into mothballs and have resigned themselves to waiting for the return of the fine weather, likely sometime the following spring.
The members of Ladner Lawn Bowling Club have no such concerns now that their new all-season playing surface is up and running.
The competition-sized green was completed in June and officially opened in July. It is the only one of its kind in Delta.
Nowadays, weather permitting, you'll find members of the club enjoying a competitive game on a Wednesday or a Saturday afternoon as part of a winter league.
They have been joined by members from nearby lawn bowling clubs anxious to keep their skills sharp during the off-season. The winter league will run until April of next year.
The new green is an engineering marvel. It is designed to handle significant amounts of rainfall: up to 10 inches of precipitation in an hour, in fact.
What does this mean, in practical terms, you ask?
Well, following a recent night's heavy rain, a club member was keen to see for himself if the new green lived up to its billing. He inspected it at 8: 30 a.m. and was delighted to find the surface was playable (if a little damp) and that the bowls ran true.
A grass bowling green would have been unusable in the same circumstances.
The membership intends to make maximum use of the new surface and is already planning a Boxing Day Bowl-Out.
