Faq’s – Welcome to the Adelaide Bowling Club | Adelaide's Best Function Venue & Premier Bowls Club

FAQ'S

Your bowling fees cover all hire fees, bowling equipment, access to the area, tables & chairs and shade.

Food, drinks, and instructors are available at additional costs.

We have an extensive range of drinks which is constantly being updated (currently around 150 lines), to summarise the main points-

Tap beers: Coopers Mild Ale, Aus Lager, Pale Ale, Stout, Superdry, Stone & Wood, Rogers and James Squire Ginger Beer prices from $8.50-15/pint

Wines are mainly supplied by Oatley, with a range that includes Pike’s Riesling and Hentley’s Villain & Vixen Shiraz.

We also have a selection of premium wines by the bottle including Deviation Road sparkling.

House range spirit pours from $12 including Tanqueray, Johnny Walker, and Sailor Jerry.

Premium spirits include a number of local gins and single malt whiskeys.

RTD spirit cans range from $15-16 and include Suntory 196, CC, and Cruisers.

Packaged beers, ciders, seltzers, etc range from $8.50-15 and include Corona, Hills Cider, and Coopers.

Soft drinks include the Coca-Cola family and Bundaberg Ginger Beer.

We offer a small range of cocktails (subject to availability), as well as Pimms by the jug or glass.

Drinks Menu

Our in-house caterers, Food Man Chew need around 10 days notice to prepare items from their menu (linked below).

As bar snacks we do have some toasties, small pizzas and other items which can be ordered on the day.

Please note outside food and drinks are not allowed.

Food Menu

Our instructors are experienced members who can help you get the most out of your session, they will teach you how it’s done and help you to get your crew organised and on the greens.

The instructor fee is $50, or for those with a serious competitive streak, you can hire a tournament director to organise and oversee a structured competition for $150.

For a demonstration of the basics, this video from Bowls Australia may be useful.

You are welcome to book an instructor for your group to have an experienced member guide you through the process and get you started.

As a quick guide, the following info is paraphrased from the Olympic Games guide to lawn bowls

The aim of lawn bowls is to roll a bowl – the bigger, coloured ball – as close as possible to the jack – the smaller white ball – to earn more points than your opponent.

Lawn bowls, as the name suggests, is generally played on a rectangular area of grass – called a bowling green – which is divided into vertical segments called rinks (lanes). Each match takes place within the boundaries of a rink.

Team sizes can vary, we’d recommend 5 people per team at the most, with each person having 2 bowls to play regardless of the team size.

2 teams play against each other on a rink by placing the mat on the centre line (the one with the rink number on it) and rolling out the jack (place it back on the centre line if it goes astray). One at a time, everyone will then try to bowl their 2 bowls each as close to the jack as possible. To aim you need to check the bias of the bowl, on the inside is a small circle and on the outside is a large circle, the bowl will curve towards the inside.

Make sure the bowls and kitty are rolled smoothly onto the turf at all times- if you drop or lob them they will damage the green.

Once all the bowls have been rolled down the other end, you can score by checking which team is closest to the jack and how many of the closest bowls they have, each one being worth 1 point.

You then roll the jack back and play in the other direction.

Game lengths vary, but a good default for casual bowls is to go up and back twice, it should take 20/30 minutes and allow you to have a few games during your session.

Yes, we have a secluded meeting room (also known as the members’ bar) which we can set up with a projector, screen and microphone for your meeting. The area can seat around 50 with tables and chairs, or 70 theatre style. Hire fees may vary depending on your needs, please get in contact to discuss your event.

To make a booking you only need a rough idea of your numbers.

We use this to allocate you enough space and figure out your deposit.

If your numbers change significantly, let us know so that we can allocate you more space. Extras can be paid for on the day of your booking.

Final numbers need to be confirmed 10 days ahead of your session.

It takes more than a little rain to stop us!

In the event of a rain forecast we will still open. Patrons are able to play through light or intermittent rain, or take shelter in the clubhouse if you choose. The greens will only be closed if they flood, which takes prolonged or very heavy rain which only happens a few times a year.

If rain is forecast and you would like to reschedule, please get in touch as early as possible, we will do our best to accommodate you.

If you come along but are unable to bowl due to the greens flooding, you can spend any prepaid green fees on the bar or receive credit to bowl on another day.

Because of our large grounds we can host around 250 people at once across all areas.

More specifically, each green can be set for up to 80 people to bowl at once, the patio area can seat around 100 people, with standing room for about another 50. The palms area can seat around 80 people with standing room for around 40 more. The casual bowls seated area can sit around 80 people.

The clubhouse is divided into 3 main areas, combined they can seat around 120 people.

The meeting room (also known as the members’ bar) can seat around 50 people, or be set up theatre style for around 80.

For daytime functions we recommend a hat, and it is advisable to wear flat soled shoes as heels are not allowed on the bowling greens *please note boots/RMs/oxford shoes etc are considered heels and not allowed on the greens* bare feet are fine.

We provide all food and drinks, bowling equipment, sunscreen and tables and chairs.

There is a council carpark adjoining the club, with access off Dequetteville Tce opposite Capper St. At busy times alternate parking can be found on nearby Rundle or Bartels Rd.

Yes, we have music playing in all areas of the club by default, if you have a private area you are able to connect to our system via bluetooth and have your own playlist playing (please be respectful of neighbours and other patrons when it comes to your selections).

No, we do not allow any outside food or drinks, but you are welcome to organise catering with Food Man Chew (menu here), and we have a fully stocked bar available for you.

Yes, we are a family friendly venue, though we do ask that children are kept supervised at all times, particularly on the bowling green. The heavy bowls can be a danger to young children, and our greens are real grass which can be damaged by dropped bowls, running, etc.