Golden Gate Park's Lawn Bowling Club Turns 125, and Lessons Are Still Free
One of Golden Gate Park's quieter traditions just turned 125. The San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club, on the greens since 1901, marked the anniversary with a free open house on Sunday, Oct. 25. Its lessons are free year-round.
By the Bay Area Brief staff · Edited by Seamus McKenna · · 3 min read
The Golden Gate Bridge at sunset under a pink and purple sky. Photo: Umer Sayyam / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped, resized and color-graded). Archive photo of the area; not a photo of the events in this story.
Walk past the Koret Children's Playground in Golden Gate Park and you may spot people in flat shoes rolling bowls across the green. That is the San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club, which calls itself a living legacy in the park and has played there since 1901.
125 years on the green
The club marked its 125th year with a free community celebration on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors could try lawn bowling, tour the historic clubhouse and its museum, and play games. A youth clinic was offered for ages 12 and up.
How to try it
The club is at 320 Bowling Green Drive. It says lessons are free and are the gateway to membership. Members get weekly social bowls, monthly socials with prizes and food, plus game days, barbecues and tournaments. The one rule for beginners: wear flat-soled shoes. The club was recently featured on SFGovTV's Get Out and Play series. For another hidden corner of the city, see our guide to Mount Sutro's forest.
Sources
This article is an original summary based on the following reporting. We encourage readers to visit the original sources for full coverage.
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