Over 100 Auckland retirement home residents celebrate new bowls turf with tournament

July 15, 2020

Fairview Lifestyle Village yesterday held a tournament with other rest homes in the city to celebrate the country's biggest green in a rest home.

Rest home residents from across Auckland braved the wet weather yesterday to test their bowling techniques on Fairview Lifestyle Village's new bowling green.

The $250,000 green is the biggest green in a New Zealand rest home, and the same size to the biggest green in the country.

"This is our big opening tournament and this is our big carpet green which is very much appreciated," Fairview resident Bill Yates said.

The 88-year-old said he's been in the rest home for 18 years and set up the first green made of sand and Astroturf.

"It's a great thing to see this new, modern green here and it's really improved our bowls, no doubt," he said.

"We've got a lovely surface to play on and it's going well."

About 120 residents from sister village Settlers Lifestyle Village, as well as North Shore retirement villages, Mayfair and Knightsbridge, turned out for a tournament to celebrate the new green.

"It's great to see that the rinks are all full, that's great because most of the time when we have a club roll up here at the village we only have about three rinks to be played on but to see all eight rinks full is magic."

Mr Yates has been playing bowls for 25 years and says he loves it.

"Bowls is a bit like riding a bike, you never forget it," he said.

"The new green has rejuvenated the village and there’s a level of excitement in the village that wasn’t there before," Fairview’s village manager Lancia Hicks said.

"Our Fairview bowlers are quite happy to show off our new bowling green, especially when others don’t have such a good one. It’s a huge talking point and other villages are envious."

Covid-19 put a delay on getting the new green laid down, but it didn't take away from the excitement of players yesterday.

Mayfair Village resident Heather Wilson said the tournament was a good opportunity to meet up with old friends.

"Great, fabulous, and to be with everyone too which is always great," she remarked.

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