Five Barefoot Bowls in and around Melbourne worth the drive

The art of lawn bowls has undergone a resurgence in recent years. We’re talking barefoot bowls, where guests shed their shoes, learn the tricks then have a bowl. Hearty meals and a traditional pot of Carlton Draught at club prices usually follow. Most Victorian towns have a lawn bowls club so if you feel like a day out, give these a go.

This beachside bowls club is proof positive of how the sport has evolved to be inclusive to all comers. Lorne Bowls Club has been doing barefoot bowling for years and on a warm day it’s a fine thing to get your toes in the grass, send down some balls, then retire to the cute-as weatherboard clubhouse veranda for a drink. But wait, there’s more. Little Picket restaurant within the club is one of Lorne’s best, using local produce and lots of love it has been awarded a hat in the Good Food Guide.

Everyone loves the Mount Martha bowlo, given its proximity to Mornington Peninsula beaches and wineries, plus it actively welcomes all comers with barefoot bowling, quick-paced ‘Jack Attack’ tournaments and now petanque is also a thing. The French version of the game – you kind of chuck the steel balls on a gravel pitch – is quite different, and with 24 courts and a bar well-stocked with rosé it’s a taste of Provence on the Peninsula.

If you’re heading for the Peninsula and feel like a stopover, duck into the Carrum Bowling Club. The location is picturesque with water views over Port Phillip Bay and the new clubhouse pavilion is an architectural marvel. Just five bucks gets you a barefoot bowling experience (make sure you book ahead though) and the Club Room’s bar and outdoor seating makes a good spectator point.

It’s about a four hour drive east of Melbourne to Metung and the Gippsland Lakes so chances are you’ll be staying a few days and looking for something to do. Try the bowls club nicely located just behind the yacht club on the lake. Book your barefoot bowls session in advance and someone at the club will give you all the equipment you need, tuition and even open the bar. And if you somehow sprain an arm or leg in one of your bowling manoeuvres, book in for a restorative session at the newly opened Metung Hot Springs.

Denizens of Melbourne’s Eastern suburbs may well find a trip over the Westgate Bridge an adventure and if it’s friendly locals you’re after, look no further than the Yarraville Footscray Bowling Club. Barefoot bowlers are welcome to show their bias and, as this is a BIG club with a roomy pavilion, plenty of shady umbrellas on the veranda, a kids’ zone, lively bistro and even live music on Sundays, there’s plenty to do. You can even grab a barbecue pack (meat or vego) and fire up a barby for lunch.

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