Highworth Bowls Club

Bowling at Highworth

Our bowling season runs from around mid-April through to mid-September, and during this time our bowlers participate in a wide range of bowls matches. Once the season gets into full swing there are bowls matches of one sort or another almost every day with opportunities to enter national and county competitions if members want to be more competitive.

HBC Green

Junior Bowling

We actively support bowling for junior members and encourage all ages to come along and try the sport. With the help of club coaches on our annual Open Day, the sport of bowls can be enjoyed by all members of the family! In recent years, our club has produced National Junior title winners and an International Junior trialist.

Friendly matches

Friendly matches are played throughout the season, normally in triples format and are usually held on weekend afternoons. For beginners, these games provide the first taste of team bowling, playing alongside more experienced bowlers within the club in a more social than competitive environment.

League Games

Highworth’s ladies’ teams compete in Swindon & District Rinks & Triples leagues. Triples matches take place in the afternoons, whilst Rinks are played in the evenings. One match of each will usually takes place each week, but days on which each is played varies but the two are scheduled not to be played on the same day of the week.

Highworth’s men’s teams compete in Swindon & District Bowls Associations’ and Bowls Wiltshire leagues and competitions. Bowls Wiltshire league matches are usually played on Wednesday evenings with the aim being to finish in a high enough position to qualify for the knockout competition that takes place once the league rounds are completed. Swindon & District matches take place om Thursdays with a second match occasionally taking place on Tuesdays. There are also men’s teams participating n the Monday afternoon Triples league.

Club Competitions

Highworth bowlers compete against each other for club honours in both club knockout and internal league competitions, The knockout competitions are played throughout the season and culminate in our finals weekend early September. There are competitions in singles, pairs, and triples formats for both ladies and men; mixed singles and mixed pairs competitions; as well as a singles competition restricted to bowlers who have not previously won a club singles competition. Trophies are awarded at our annual presentation dinner, held at the club, after the close of the season.

External Competitions

Established bowlers will probably also seek to compete in one or more Swindon & District, Wiltshire County or National competitions. Again offering singles, pairs, triples and rinks matches, these games provide the bowler with the opportunity to play competitive bowls against other teams or individuals from the local area, perhaps progressing to play against winners from other counties, with the ultimate aim of reaching the national finals at Leamington..

Special matches and gala days

Our green is regularly selected to host both ladies’ and men’s representative matches. The club also welcomes the visit of bowls tour parties. In addition, we normally hold some special club matches during the season, at which all our bowlers have an opportunity to get together for fun or for a good cause. One such match is our annual President’s Select vs. Captains’ Select match where club members are pitted against each other in a variety of short matches with novel twists. Other special matches include fund-raising games and invitational gala days.

Coaching at a club open day

Coaching

New bowlers are encouraged to receive free coaching sessions from the club’s qualified bowls coaches.  Club bowls and equipment can be used until the new bowler decides to buy his/her own equipment.