The Basic Costs of Lawn Bowling

While it’s true that you can invest as much as you would like to into this lawn bowling hobby of yours, there really are just a few basic costs that all bowlers will have to pay, at least if you plan on playing on a regular basis. Here are some of the most basic costs you can expect to pay when playing the sport of lawn bowling:

Bowls: You can get a good, used set between £40 – £100. A new set will set you back about £250.

Membership Dues: Generally around £40 annually.

Green fees: Generally around £75 per year.

Shoes: These do not need to be special lawn bowling shoes but they must be flat-soled and are usually preferred to be white. A good pair will probably cost anywhere between £40 – £100.

Measure: This is so that you can tell the difference in length between different bowls to the jack and determines the winner of the match. They generally cost about £30.

Bowling Bag: A necessity not only for your bowls but also your shoes, sunscreen, etc. They can be found in the price range of £50 – £100.

Chalk: This is so you can mark the bowls that have touched the jack. Chalk generally costs less than £1 but spray chalk, which comes in a tube, costs about £6.95.

Should you Buy your Own Bowls?

When people take up a new hobby, one of the first things they consider is how much it is going to cost them, initially and in the future. The same is true for lawn bowling and while you won’t need much more than flat-bottomed shoes to start, the time will come when you will consider buying your own bowls and there are a few things to consider first.

When you first begin the sport, use the club’s bowls so that you will be able to try out different sizes and weights. This will allow you to determine which you feel the most comfortable with so that if the time ever does come for you to purchase your own, you will know what you like the best. Using the club’s bowls will also allow you to decide if you like the hobby enough to continue doing so on a regular basis. If this ends up being the case, and especially if you join a league, you will want to purchase your own bowls.

You can buy a new set of bowls for approximately £120 – £180, depending on the manufacturer, the color, and any specific emblem you would like placed on them. This may seem like an investment but consider that one set, which contains 4 bowls, will last you over a decade and it well seems worth it. However, because they are so durable and long-lasting, purchasing a used set is also a perfectly reasonable thing to do, especially for your first set. A used set of bowls will cost you approximately £20 – £50. In the end, how much you play and how much you love the game will really determine whether or not you should purchase your own set of bowls!