Loch Sport Bowls Club
Charles Street Reserve, Loch Sport, Australia.

Loch Sport's top rated, synthetic, lawn bowling green had an auspicious beginning. In the late 1970's, a group of interested people decided to form a bowls club in the small lakeside village of Loch Sport. As there was no water supply and it is a relatively dry area, it was decided that lawn bowling (on grass) was out of the question. A trip to Ensay encouraged the group to aim for a rubber surfaced green. This was a bitumen slab covered with a mixture of shredded car tyres and coal ash, topped with a layer of shredded rubber. The Loch Sport community started fund raising, and by 1981, the local community had raised $4,000. The Rosedale Shire provided a grant, and work was started on the rinks early in 1982. In December 1982, three and a half rinks were ready for play. Every Monday morning, the men would sweep up the shredded rubber and the ladies would sift it to remove any lumps. The men would then replace it on the green and roughly level it with a heavy iron bar. It was then raked several times to evenly spread the material.

Before each day's play, the green was raked and leveled again, then the surface was smoothed out by yoking up the men like horses and dragging a heavy canvas behind. If it happened to rain, well forget it. The rubber would stick to your bowls and this was just too much for anyone to put up with.

In October 1983, the green was officially opened by the Rosedale Shire president, and it was not very long before these gluttons for work decided that they had to compete.

In September 1984, they began restructuring to upgrade the rinks to a standard acceptable for play in RVBA, and in 1985 entered the first pennant teams in both ladies' and men's divisions.

In September 1986, the site was cleared and work began on building a club house, and an official flag was presented by Mr. Tom Wallace MP. Great excitement reigned when the loch sport ladies pennant team won their first flag in "c" grade for the 1986/7 season. In February 1987, the club house was completed to the lock up stage, and our first mixed fours tournament in the ngba division was staged. This was to be held over two days.

The first day was successful, however, tragedy struck when half an hour after leaving the club after this successful first day, fire sirens sounded and our pride and joy, which so many had worked so hard to build, was in flames. Half the building was destroyed as was many pieces of furniture, crockery etc, which were borrowed from members for this important occasion.

Loathe to cancel the second day's play, the members battled on with the help of other local organisations supplying a caravan, crockery and other items necessary to complete the tournament. Once again, the little band of men and women members were hard at it, to reinstate what had been lost. Clubs in our area and in other divisions assisted us greatly, by holding special fund raising events for us.

After this eventful start, things settled down until after four years of playing on this black and grubby surface the members had had enough and, fortuitously the Frankston club replaced one of their synthetic greens.

In November 1991, they took the huge step for such a small club, of buying this, and removing the black surface, draining the area, and relaying the synthetic green on sand imported from the local tip. January 2000, this surface, however, was approaching it's use by date, and the members decided upon the even: bigger step of raising funds to provide a new synthetic green to replace the old one.

February 2002, with valuable assistance from Wellington shire council, a lot of hard work and fund raising from the members, and a grant from the department of sport and recreation Victoria, we applied for a loan from the Bendigo bank. And so, it was all go for the new green.

On the 17th of February 2002, we had our club wake. Everyone got into the spirit of things, even to the point of getting a coffin to bury part of the green and win TV arrived. We all became TV Stars for a day.

An official opening for the new surface was held on the 28th of august 2002. Among the guests and officials from the Wellington shire council, were our five surviving foundation members, Joseph Sebath, Elza Hampson, Mollie Miller and William and Vi Tempest.

Sadly Mollie Miller passed away later in the year. And so we come to 2003, we have seen a lot of members, committees and presidents come and go, and, each in their own way has had something to contribute to the way the club is today.

Loch Sport Bowls Club Inc. abn 93.628.429 Charles Street. P.O.Box 873. Loch Sport 3851. Telephone 5146 0688 . 741 Men's President: Bob Steel Home Phone No: 03 5146 0509 Club Secretary: Bob Steel 5146 0509	Program: Casual clothes allowed all games in winter and social games in summer Social Mixed Bowls every Wednesday and Sunday. 2 games with afternoon tea - single names. Commencing 12.30 pm Winter and 1pm Summer. Cost Affil. Members $4.00. Guests $5.00 Names in at club 30 minutes before game start.
	Hugely Popular! Our New Fun Game. Jackpot Bowls on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Cash Prizes. Starting at 1.00pm. 3 Games. Book in by 12.30 pm Cost $6.00. per entry. Mixed Entries - Single Names. - 3 games. Nominations 5146-0688. 12.00noon - 12.30pm.