Clearwater Lawn Bowls Club closes after more than 100 years
The Clearwater Lawn Bowls Club closed after more than 100 years. The city told the club earlier this year it needed to vacate the city-owned property it played at by April 1. ©Dirk Shadd Under bright sun at the end of March, players gathered at the Clearwater Lawn Bowls Club for a morning fullof competition.
They formed teams, stood on the green and took aim at a small, white ball on the far side of the rink. Cheers of “good job,” “well-played” and “what a shot” interrupted the silence. Although the mood was high, they knew that more than 100 years of lawn bowling with the Clearwater Lawn Bowls Club was about to end.
The club was housed on city-owned property in north Clearwater, tucked away on a residential street near the water. It hosted regional tournaments and was at one point the largest lawn bowls organization in the country. But membership has dwindled in recent years, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many of the club’s members were Canadian snowbirds who stopped coming to Florida. And during the 2024 hurricane season, the clubhouse flooded with 6 inches of water. The club was largely self-sufficient and maintained the grounds.
But as costs rose to fix hurricane damages, the city said it didn’t see a viable way to keep the club going. In February, the city’s director of parks and recreation alerted the club it was removing the lawn bowl courts and converting the area into a passive park. The club had to leave by April 1.
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