BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2869, 6 September 1916, Page 6

BOWLS

NEW SEASON APPROACHING NO CENTRE TOURNAMENT With August well in the wake of time, bowlers are beginning to look forward to .the opening of the greens next month. For the preservation and improvement of greens the past winter has been almost ideal. Tliore has boon, plenty of rain, but it has been well distributed, and therp has been an unusual absencc of violent weather and frosts which so seriously cheek the growth of the young grass. _ As the result of these mild, conditions an "early Spring" has .resulted, and the greens are looking very well indeed at the present time.

In view of tlio fact that tho big Do- ' minion tournament is to bo held hero early in January next, there will be no Centre Tournament this season, for which many local bowlers will be thankful. It is too much to ask bowlers to take part in two tournaments in succession, ffo matter where they be, and as players usually chooso one or other, some clubs are robbed of their best representation. The Dominion Tournament has never before been held in Wellington. The association was formed nearly four years ago, and' since then tournaments have been held in Dunedin, Auokland, and Christchurch. Now it is Wellington's turn, and it is claimed thaj, it is going to be such a tournament as has never yet been hold in New Zealand. An excellent council lias been elected, and it intends, if circumstances and the weather permit, to make tho January tournament a really notable one. Witii this big fixture in view, green committees of clubs would be acting considerately if they took steps to nurse their greens during the first half of the season. There were some most unhappy experiences in this regard in Christchurch last season, whicli it ia" not desirable to repeat here in January. Important matters concerning the coming tournament will he discuss-ed''at'-the first meeting of the new council. : KSLBURN WITHDRAWS FROM PENNANTS. _ At thei last meeting of the Wellington Bowling Centre a scheme was adopted for Pennant play which invokes each club in a certain representation according to its membership. The scheme was passed with one dissentient (Newtown Club). Since then, the Kelburn Club has officially inform: ed the secretary of the centre (Mr. J. J. Roberts) of its intention not to participate in the Pennant matches during the ooming season. This. attitude was decided upon after a meeting of the committee, when it was argued that the scheme was one that would not benefit the club, but was rather one to discourage youug players. Tho club had been asked to put four rinks into the field, whilst it only had a reliable playing membership of about thirty. That meant 16 of the best men tied up every other Saturday, leaving the others to play amongst themselves, whilst on Pennant days new players would have to be content to play, with men not selected in the Pennant teams, which was discouraging.