Bowling Clubs are really Adelaides best kept secrets. Great locations, great function space, fully…read morestocked bars (with ridiculously cheap prices) and colourful characters ready to help out, spin a yarn or just sit around and get sloshed! The Kensington Marryatville Bowling Club certainly has these attributes and more! Sharing their club rooms with the neighboring Tennis Club, the Bowling Club boasts some pretty decent greens a pool table and ample room for a dance floor should the mood take you. They host Night Owls on thursday evenings, which is the prefect opportunity to have a crack at Lawn Bowls, or is an equally good excuse to get together with a couple of mates and get on the turps. The Bowling Club itslef has seen some success of late, being promoted to the Top division in the state this season and has a couple of members who are either in the state team of pushing for selection. BTW, make sure you put your team in early for night owls as they get pretty packed!

Thought I would mention the Tennis at this club as previous reviews only mention bowls. I joined…read morethis club as a fill in about three years ago and now am a permanent player there in a Thursday Ladies Doubles comp and also a Monday night mixed comp which fairly new as lights to six courts are a recent addition. The clubrooms are excellent and a mentioned the drink prices are really good! The lawn courts are probably the best ones we play on around various locations around Adelaide. We have load's of fun and usually some pretty good tennis also! They are always looking for new members and have other various comps so check it out.

Para Hills Bowling Club is one of the handfull of Lawn Bowling Clubs that are in the Northern…read moreSuburbs. I admit, I haven't been there as much as I have many of the other clubs in Adelaide, but I have always enjoyed myself when I did. Para Hills has a very sizable club house where they host weekly Bingo and other community activities. Outside are three greens, 2 grass and one Synthetic, and although the grass tracks have been a little scratchy over the years, they are definately on the improve! Night owls is run every Wednesday Night during the season and is pretty popular, so make sure you book a team in early! They also have a restaurant, Chillo's, that run Tuesday Through to Saturday nights from 5:00pm until 9:00 pm. I haven't tried them yet, but I will be sure to write an update when I do. One thing that really impressed me about the club is the outdoor 'alfresco' area they have at the side of their clubrooms. It is a huge undercover bbq area that resembles a beer hall (and I am sure resembles one even more after some pennant games!). Make sure, if and when you head to the club, to have a chat to the greenkeeper if he is around. I have known him for many a year and he will quite happily have a brew with you and share a yarn.

Like a Phoenix, rising from the ashes, The Toorak Burnside Bowling Club has been rebuilt and is…read morebetter than ever. Around 18 months ago the bowling club was subject to an idiotic arson attack after a shoddy snatch and grab robbery. The club survived on pure spirit and the strength of its members, and as such has been rebuilt (using much of the original shell) to become what is in my opinion the best bowling club going around. The club exterior is picturesque, surrounded by some of the grandest homes in the City. At the centre of the clubs three immaculate greens is a club house that oozes old school charm while embodying a very practical and modern laundry list of features, including a bar and function facility that would put many professional venues to shame. It goes without saying that the beer prices are cheaper than you would find at a pub, and if you are lucky enough to be around for one of the clubs raffles you could find yourself walking away with enough meat to feed a slew of fatties for many a day. Night Owls is on a Thursday night and can go quite late (especially if you have sussed out a designated driver in your team). Kick off is at 7:00 (ring up if you are keen), but I would get there early for a cheaky practice and a Pint or two just to kick things off. From a sporting perspective the club is on the rise, with some of the best greens in the state and some really ambitious selectors! I highly reccomend getting down there to check it out and sample some of the culture, as the major thing that really sets this club apart is its members who all enjoy the social side of the club embodying every friendly aspect of the game and their surroundings. On a side note, word on the street is that the club coach is not only stonkingly good looking but his ass looks amazing in his Saturday Creams!.....may even be a yelper? See you on the Greens. HT

Went here for a design institute event. Green was nice and flat, beers weren't flat and were $5,…read morestaff were friendly and they played the Beatles on the stereo. They also provided a microphone for speeches. Good venue for an event. All in all a good night thanks to Millswood bowls club.

Although I am not a bowling person at all, my review of the Millswood Bowling club more closely…read morefocusing on their site as an event space after attending a 21st function a few years ago. It is not the most modern or up-to-date facility you could have for a function but it is cost effective and a large space that can hold a lot of people. Located in Goodwood, it is still close to the city if you wanted to head into the clubs after the party, but is also reasonably central to everywhere else which makes it easier for your guests to find it. We arrived the day of the party to set up and there was an afternoon bachelor party on at the time (complete with scantily dressed women) which proves it can be used as a space for lots of different kinds of functions. My friend was able to set up all the decorations unhindered and struck a good deal with the bar in regards to subsidised drinks. Having said this, when we first arrived none of the bar staff knew about the specials which was just annoying and a little stressful for the birthday girl. However, everyone fit comfortably in the space with heaps of seating both inside and outside if your feet get sore from all the stilettos. They also has a PA system rigged up so speech making was made easy.

Home of the Mighty Seagulls, and yet another on the laundry list of my old clubs. The Somerton…read moreBowling Club has been a consistent member of the top division in the state for many years now and was in fact the last all male club in the state! A lot has changed down at Gull land over the past 10 years, with not only the advent of lady members (wow), but also radical changes to the club room. Somerton BC is now more of a function centre than a Bowling Club. The central hall is very large, with a very servicable full bar at one end and catering facilities at the other. It is argued by many in the game, that the club has lost its 'club' feeling. I do tend to agree with this, but I have always maintained that a club is its members, and not just the bricks and mortar. Somerton is gifted with some of the nicest bloke in the bowls world. They also have a HUGELY successful night owls program, arguably the best in the state. They run both Tuesday and Thursday nights, and are near to full capacity for each. If you do pop in to the club don't forget to check the 2000-2001 premiership photo in the hallway.....you may see a slightly younger (and thinner) yelper floating around!

So, as my friends and I (being new to bowls) visit all the different bowling clubs to find our…read morefavourites, we hear the name Somerton Bowling Club spoken in whispers. No, not really. I'm being dramatic. But the name's certainly cropped up once or twice. We'd heard good things, learned the club had undergone lots of changes. We were keen to see what all the fuss was about. And to the club's credit, I can say it's great. The lawns are in good condition, the indoor's in even BETTER condition. As usual, you'll meet the friendliest people in the world here. But it's too busy. The Night Owl tournaments are more packed here by half than any of the other clubs I've been to. This might not be such a problem for some, but I tend to hate crowds. And I'm a self-conscious bowler. All those eyes on me inspire the nerves like nothing else.

When is a Bowling Club not a Bowling Club? When it is a Chicken shop or something else.....this has…read morenothing to do with this review, I'm just bored! Unley Park Bowling Club is actually the only Bowling Club in Adelaide who do not play competetive bowls, ie. weekly pennant comp. Many moons ago they used to be quite a strong club, but due to ailing numbers and other financial constraints they changed their focus and became a multi sports hub. The grounds also host croquet, tennis and netball clubs and concentrate on the social aspect of sport as opposed to the cut throat competitiveness. The club room itself is about as old school as you can find, and would be perfect for a themed party or function. Bar prices are most affordable as one would expect!

Is there anything better than having a couple of beers down at the beach? Hell yes there is! Why…read morenot add some bowls to the mix at Henley Bowling Bowling Club (just 3 streets off the foreshore). Henley has had some of the best greens in the state for a very long time, and although they don't have a team in the top division any more they are never far off the pack. They have had a very solid Night Owls competition for many years and have a great bar/lounge area for medium sized functions. The other great part about the clubs location, in terms of having a function, is the proximity to Henley Square. It is just a hop skip and a stumble from the Rammy....did someone say "time to kick on"?

Henley Bowling feels like Australia…read more I've only even been in the summer, and it's always really hot and really dry. But that's our country for you. I certainly can't blame the bowling club for the weather... can't I? I dunno. Wherever the justice is, I've never really enjoyed my time at Henley Bowling. I much prefer the bowling club near the airport (whose name, if not its location, I always forget). And maybe that's because it was my first. The indoor area's great, though. I love hanging out in there with a beverage. But I don't come to a bowling club to hang, I come to bowl, and I prefer doing it elsewhere (despite this location's convenience in comparison to the other one).

Live down the bay area and sick of hanging down at the beach looking at all the chickys in their…read moretiny bikinis and anal floss? Why? I mean, that is a pretty good time right there! Anyway, if you are, why not head over to Holdfast Bay Bowling Club for a bowl and a brew! One of the premier clubs in Adelaide, Holfast Bay BC has a rich tradition of success and hosting some of the biggest tournaments in the state. In 2012 they will be co-hosts for World Bowls, which is generally of no interest unless you are in to bowls, but it is nice to know that we have it anyway! Night Owls is huge at Holdfast with ringing ahead never being more important! The head coach down there is also a bit of a champ and is always more than happy to help out a new player looking for a couple of pointers!

Milady was having a birthday, and I happen to really like milady, so I was set on giving milady a…read moregood time. You might not respect my choice of croquet, but I know something about milady that you do not: she's a massive fan of 'Alice in Wonderland'. BOOM! Greatest milord ever. The croquet isn't as popular or evolved here as the bowls is, I'll admit, but to find a place offering croquet at all is a boon in my books. Suffice to say, I was terrible at it. I'm much better at the bowls (and I'm pretty terrible at that too). But if you're looking to play an ancient sport, here's the place to do it (though I'm keen to check out some place off East Terrace next chance I'm up there).