Membership
Our fees are :
Full Membership $180 per year
Social Playing membership – $60
Social Non-Playing member -$10
Junior Bowlers – Free
Welcome to City Oval Bowling Club.
On behalf of the Board, Bowls Committee and members of the club we hope that not only do you enjoy what the club has to offer but also build great friendships and a passion for the game and the club.
The club is nearly 100 years young and we continue to have a strong presence in the Ballarat bowling community.
Bowls is a great sport and we encourage you to participate in pennant and the various club and social games held at the club. During the year we also run various social activities such as trivia nights and a Melbourne Cup Luncheon. Check the notice board or the website for upcoming events. After pennant games we mix with our team and opponents for drinks. All the best shots seem to be played at this time. From 5.00 pm onwards on Friday nights members gather socially for club news and the Friday night raffles.
City Oval is also a community. We survive as a club by working and playing together. We encourage members to not only be the best bowler they can be but to be part of the community by assisting in the running of the club. Not only can you participate in a great sport but use your life skills, experience and passion to enhance the club.
A full list of office bearers is available on the club web page and in the Club Diary
Phone Number 5331 1595
Email: cityovalbc@gmail.com
Your Club Diary and the BDBD Season Handbook list key events over the year.
You can find the latest on the club website www.cityoval.bowls.com.au. for both bowls and social activities.
Listed below are some of the key activities
| Event | Date | Contact |
| Saturday pennant 1:00pm start but be at the venue by 12:30pm | Oct-Mar | Selectors |
| Tuesday pennant. 10:00am start but be at venue by 9:30am | Oct-Mar | Selectors |
| Thursday Social (various start times) | Year round | Match Committee |
| Friday Night Drinks and catch up from 5pm with club news and members draw at 6pm | Year round |
Our club fees are set annually at the Annual General Meeting. To participate in pennant, competitions and tournaments you need to be a registered member and part of your membership fee is forwarded to Bowls Victoria and Bowls Australia with the remainder retained by the club to maintain facilities etc.
Fees /subscriptions Note: each year you will be sent an Invoice by email for your membership renewal.
Annual membership $180 Due in July annually.
Social playing ( Non Pennant) $60 Must be a member of another club under Bowls Australia.
Weekly pennant $10 There is no additional charge for afternoon tea.
Full and half day tournaments $8.00 May vary depending on event.
Club events $5.00 Known as a mat fee.
Corporate bowls $21.00 Per team
Social member Non Player $10.00
Junior No charge.
You can do a direct deposit to the following account
Bendigo Bank.
Account Name: City Oval Bowling Club,
BSB: 633-108.
Account No: 13381079
For full members playing in pennant or tournaments, you will need to wear a club uniform – not the style in the picture – and attach a set of club stickers on your bowls. Whilst we do keep a limited stock on hand you may have to order the uniform. See our website for details on the uniform or see the uniform coordinator, Jeff Clack (or a member of the club and they will point you in the right direction).
For Social Bowls and roll ups you can dress casually but must wear bowls shoes.
The club also has a range of club merchandise ranging from caps, stickers and other items like bowls polish available for sale. These are usually available from the bar.
Lawn bowls is a year round sport ….weather permitting!!! Whilst a few members head north for winter we do endeavour to play social bowls on Thursdays and Saturdays. Put your name on the list ( the chalk board outside the front door), wrap up warm and put down some bowls. Note, it is not always possible to play even if it is a dry day as the greens may still be deemed not playable due to previous rain.
All is not lost as every Saturday we play indoor bowls…no wind, no rain, its warm and great fun. If you do have the need to bowl you can join the Indoor Bias Bowls competitions. (Men play Tuesday nights and women on Wednesdays during the day where it is a game of fours played over 18 ends followed by afternoon tea.)
Once Spring starts, usually around the footy finals, action on the green starts to rev up as pennant will start the week following the AFL grand final. Thursday and Saturday social bowls continue but with a few more players and some with a sun tan as they return from the north.
Most afternoons will see groups of players having a roll up i.e. no official scoring and for as many ends as they want. Ideally you will have a few ends with members of your pennant team. The club selectors will have selected teams although these will change based on players availability and general performance. Some rinks may be reserved for specific skills practice and coaching. This is for both skilled and new bowlers. The coaches can watch you and advise on how you can improve and what to practice. (As we age we do get some aches that just do not seem to go away and we may need to change our delivery. The coaches can help you adjust to get your delivery just right without added pain).
Club coaches are also available for individual/small group teaching, just arrange a suitable time.
Our coaches are: Wayne Roberts and Janine Roberts.
At least one green should be available every day for practice usually from 11am. This will be indicated on the signs to the left of the front entrance or by placement of signs on the green.
Pennant season starts in October. Midweek pennant is played on Tuesdays from 10:30 am and Saturday pennant starts at 1:30pm. – be at the venue at least 30 minutes earlier for the roll up. In September the selectors will be allocating players to the various teams. We enter 5 sides in Saturday pennant (80 Players) and 3 sides in Monday pennant (36 players). To play pennant, you need to be a full member or junior member.
The selectors select the pennant teams each week. If you are available you should get a game. You do need to check which team you are playing in as some changes are made each week due to player unavailability or sickness. The teams are displayed on the Pennant Board in the window to the left of the main entrance, in emails and on the club website. If you are unavailable you need to put your name on the “Unavailable Board” in the small office. Members usually share a ride to the game but if you are going direct put your name on the “Going Direct Board” which is on the small office door. If you have any queries you can speak to the selectors.
If you cannot make or are delayed for a pennant game, let your skip and selector know as soon as possible. A phone list is in your Club Diary
For social bowls make sure you record your name on the chalk board outside the front entrance or phone the club at least one hour before the schedule start time.
On the club and social bowls side, members roll up most days so you can get a few ends of practice when it suits you. Thursday alternates between nominated teams and scratch games. Many members also compete in games at other clubs…you can play bowls every day of the week!!!
As a full member you can also enter the Club Champion events played over Summer and also State Competitions (there is even a state competition for novice bowlers and those over 60. You can also enter the Vic Open or Australian Open).
The club is also available for barefoot bowls at a nominal fee so bring your friends and family for a barbeque and bowl evening. However do check the rink board as rinks may have been reserved for a function.
When playing pennant or tournaments, including those at other clubs, we wear club uniform. This can be ordered at the club or through our website. Most other social games you can wear casual clothes.
One item that is a must is a pair of bowling shoes. Bowling shoes look like “runners” but have a flat sole. These can be purchased at the Athletes Foot or from any bowling shop.” Complete Bowls” is in Curtis Street.
If you are a new or returning bowler you can either borrow a set of club bowls or talk to “Complete Bowls” where you can borrow a set. Talk with other members and maybe even have a roll with their bowls. Size and type are really a matter of comfort.
A bag to carry your bowls is a must and things like a tape measure; polish, polishing cloth, chalk etc can be acquired over time. Dropping hints to the family may solve their dilemma in what to buy you for birthday or Christmas. As most of our games are played over Summer, don’t forget the sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and a water bottle. An average pennant game lasts 3 hours.
Our members will assist you so don’t be afraid to ask and check out our website or the internet for more information on the game.
The best place to find out what is happening around the club is at Friday drinks (arrive by 5:30PM) and from the club website www.cityoval.bowls.com.au
We are a community club and do not have poker machines or a licenced restaurant. Thus we rely on assistance from members in the running of the club and in raising finances. Some areas where you can assist include:
- Assisting the green keeper
- Maintaining our gardens
- Maintenance around the club
- Club administration
- Bar assistance (RSA required)
- Arranging social activities
- Game day preparation and cleanup _ putting out mats/making sandwiches/rolls
- Barefoot/corporate/schools barefoot bowls supervision
- Function supervision
So if you can spare a few hours it would be appreciated and it’s a great way to get to know other members.
Apart from Friday night drinks and drinks after a game we do organise other social activities such as
- Season Opening Dinner
- Pie nights
- Trivia nights
- Melbourne Cup Luncheon
- Punters Club
- Footy Tipping
- Indoor Bowls (Pennant and Social during Winter)
The club also raises money by hiring out the facilities. Barefoot bowls is popular but we also have private functions for birthdays, engagements, or for group meetings. Members can also hire out the club for family functions at no cost.
As part of the lawn bowling fraternity our club is governed by Bowls Australia, Bowls Victoria and various state and federal laws. Should you ever feel you are being mistreated in any way you can approach IN CONFIDENCE any member(s) of the Board of Management, the Bowls Committee, or contact Bowls Victoria or Bowls Australia.
As a guideline:
- Be ethical, fair and honest in all their dealings with other people.
- Treat all people with respect and courtesy and have proper regard for their
Dignity and rights.
- Compliment and encourage all participants.
- Condemn unsporting behaviour and promote respect for all opponents.
- Emphasise the spirit of competition rather than the errors.
- Be a good sport yourself. Actions speak louder than words.
- Remember, you set an example. Your behaviour and comments should be positive
and supportive.
- Operate within the rules of the spirit of the sport.
- Comply with all relevant Australian laws (Federal and State), particularly any
discrimination and child protection laws.
- Be responsible and accountable for your conduct.
- Comply with Bowls Victoria’s constitution, rules and policies as described within the
Member Protection Policy.
https://www.bowlsvic.org.au/Portals/7/Documents/Bowls_Victoria_Member_Protection_Policy__2_.pdf
Again, welcome to our club. It is a great community supporting each other and the club. Join us.