Thank Goodness for Valverde LBC; Different Practice Ends

Tish at Valverde LBC

Having just arrived in Vilamoura Portugal motivated by the opportunity to play lawn bowls, my wife and I learned on the second day that Vilamoura LBC is closed! The closure occurred in the middle of last October but knowing earlier would not have helped us; we had paid for our accommodation and plane tickets already.

The next closest club, Valverde LBC in Almencil, has had a sudden spike in membership bringing it past 100 members, who must all bowl on just eight rinks. This is not as bad as it might seem, because some of the membership only come in the summer months. Fortunately, because we also played at Valverde last year and since Tish has been in regular communication with their executive all during the year, we had been put on the list as regular members and so could count on a place to play. So far, in our first full week, Tish and I have bowled three times and although all the rinks were used we were still all playing the customary triples. We could accommodate sixteen more people if we went to playing fours but there does not seem to be any tradition of fours here. Similarly, I have never seen an in-club game of fours in Canada. In contrast, when the men play at Turramurra LBC in Sydney Australia it is not uncommon for more than half the rinks to be fours. 

A Warm-up Different from Practice Ends

 At Valverde, they play the first and second ends of a match with a maximum score of one for each of these two ends. This substitutes for practice ends and allows a player to scout out the 'lay of the land' going in each direction on the rink. Playing triples,this allows you to play, in each of the directions, two bowls on one hand and one bowl on the other without excessive consequences. It is important to take advantage of this opportunity. One should not struggle so hard to win these opening points that you fail to test the draw lines you are going to need throughout the match.