Lawn Bowls Clubs in Melbourne - The Ultimate Guide
Lawn bowls is one of Melbourne's most accessible and sociable sports, offering something for everyone, from serious competitive bowlers to families and groups of friends looking for a relaxed afternoon of barefoot bowls.
Melbourne has a huge range of lawn bowls clubs, from historic clubs established more than a century ago to modern sporting and community centres with synthetic greens, floodlit facilities, restaurants and function spaces.
Whether you're a complete beginner, an experienced bowler, a junior looking to take up the sport or simply searching for somewhere to enjoy barefoot bowls with friends, this guide will help you find a lawn bowls club in Melbourne.
Our comprehensive A-Z guide covers lawn bowls clubs across metropolitan Melbourne, including the Mornington Peninsula. Each club links to its Melbourne Playgrounds listing, where you can find additional information about facilities, activities and contact details.
Who Can Play Lawn Bowls?
Lawn bowls is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of different ages, abilities and fitness levels.
Most clubs welcome a variety of participants, including:
- Beginners who have never played lawn bowls
- Experienced bowlers interested in competitive pennant bowls
- Men and women of all ages
- Junior bowlers and young people
- Seniors looking for an enjoyable social and sporting activity
- Families and groups of friends
- People interested in barefoot bowls
- Corporate and community groups looking for team-building activities
Types of Lawn Bowls
Pennant Bowls - Competitive lawn bowls played between clubs, generally in organised divisions. Pennant competitions cater for different playing standards, from beginners developing their skills to highly experienced bowlers.
Social Bowls - Relaxed games and friendly competitions organised by clubs. These are ideal for people who enjoy playing regularly without necessarily participating in pennant competitions.
Barefoot Bowls - A casual and entertaining introduction to lawn bowls. Barefoot bowls is especially popular for birthdays, Christmas parties, corporate functions, family gatherings and groups of friends.
Junior Bowls - Some clubs provide junior coaching, development programs and opportunities for young bowlers to participate in competitions.
Indoor Bowls - Selected clubs offer indoor carpet bowls, particularly during winter, providing another way to enjoy the sport when outdoor conditions are unsuitable.
When Is the Lawn Bowls Season in Melbourne?
Lawn bowls can be played throughout the year, although competitive pennant bowls is primarily a spring and summer activity.
The main metropolitan pennant season generally runs from October through to March or April, with competitions commonly scheduled on weekdays and weekends.
Many clubs also run winter social bowls, special tournaments and other activities outside the main pennant season.
Clubs with synthetic greens are often able to offer more consistent year-round playing opportunities, although weather conditions and green availability can still affect play.
Types of Bowling Greens
Melbourne lawn bowls clubs have a variety of playing surfaces:
- Natural grass greens - Traditional bowling surfaces that require regular maintenance
- Synthetic greens - Artificial playing surfaces that generally allow more consistent use throughout the year
- Undercover greens - Bowling facilities protected from the weather, allowing play in a wider range of conditions
- Floodlit greens - Facilities that allow evening and night bowls
Lawn Bowls Associations in Melbourne
Bowls Victoria is the governing body for lawn bowls in Victoria, overseeing metropolitan pennant competitions, player development and other aspects of the sport.
Melbourne clubs are also associated with regional bowls organisations, including:
- Eastern Ranges Bowls Region
- Metro West Bowls Region
- Northern Gateway Bowls Region
- Sandbelt Bowls Region
- Yarra Bowls Region
- Mornington Peninsula Bowls Division
How to Find a Lawn Bowls Club in Melbourne
The best club for you will depend on your location, experience and the type of bowls you want to play.
If you're interested in competitive bowls, look for a club with pennant teams suited to your playing standard. Beginners may prefer a club offering coaching and introductory sessions, while families and social groups may be more interested in barefoot bowls and function facilities.
Before visiting, it's worth checking:
- Whether the club welcomes beginners and visitors
- Availability of social bowls and barefoot bowls
- Membership options and playing fees
- Bowling green surfaces and facilities
- Coaching and junior programs
- Opening hours and competition schedules
- Whether advance bookings are required
For those looking to try lawn bowls without joining a club, Packer Park Public Lawn Bowls in Carnegie offers a free-to-use synthetic bowling green. Equipment can be arranged through Glen Eira City Council, subject to availability and booking conditions.
Melbourne Lawn Bowls Clubs
Browse our alphabetical list of lawn bowls clubs across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Click on a club name to view its Melbourne Playgrounds listing for more information.
Jump to Lawn Bowls Clubs
Find a club quickly by selecting the first letter of its name.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Aberfeldie Bowls Club (Essendon)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Aberfeldie Community Bowls Club (Aberfeldie)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Albert Park Bowls Club (Albert Park)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Alphington Bowls Club (Alphington)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Altona Bowling Club (Altona)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1)
Altona North Bowls Club (Altona North)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Altona Sports Bowls Club (Altona)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Armadale Bowls Club (Caulfield South)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1); both floodlit
Ashburton Bowls Club (Ashburton)
Greens: Natural grass (2); one floodlit
Auburn Bowls Club (Hawthorn East)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
B
Balnarring Bowls Club (Balnarring)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Bayswater Bowls Club (Bayswater)
Greens: Synthetic (2); floodlit
Beaumaris Bowls Club (Beaumaris)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Belvedere Bowls Club (Seaford)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic/carpet (1)
Bennettswood Bowling Club (Burwood)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Bentleigh Bowling Club (Bentleigh)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1)
Berwick Bowling Club (Berwick)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (2); one synthetic green undercover
Black Rock Sports Club (Black Rock)
Greens: Natural grass (1)
Blackburn Bowls Club (Blackburn)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1)
Blackburn North Bowling Club (Blackburn North)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Boronia Bowls Club (Boronia)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Box Hill RSL Bowls Club (Box Hill)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Brighton Beach Bowls Club (Brighton)
Greens: Synthetic (1); floodlit
Broadmeadows Bowls Club (Jacana)
Greens: Natural grass (1) - Tifdwarf
Brunswick Bowling Club (Brunswick East)
Greens: Natural grass (2); floodlit
Buckley Park Bowls Club (Essendon)
Greens: Natural grass (3); two floodlit
Bundoora Bowling Club (Bundoora)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1)
Burden Park Bowling Club (Springvale South)
Greens: Natural grass (2); one floodlit
Burwood District Bowls Club (Burwood)
Greens: Natural grass (1)
C
Camberwell Central Bowls Club (Camberwell)
Greens: Natural grass (2); floodlighting available
Carrum Bowling Club (Carrum)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Caulfield Park Alma Bowls Club (Caulfield North)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1) - synthetic green covered by an all-weather PVC dome
Chadstone Bowls Club (Malvern East)
Greens: Undercover synthetic (1)
Chelsea Bowling Club (Chelsea)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Cheltenham Bowls Club (Cheltenham)
Greens: Natural grass (2); floodlit
Chirnside Park Country Club (Chirnside Park)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
City of Heidelberg Bowling Club (Heidelberg)
Greens: Synthetic (2); floodlit
City of Melbourne Bowls Club (West Melbourne)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic/carpet (1)
Clayton Sports Club (Clayton South)
Greens: Natural grass (2), undercover synthetic (1)
Club Bayside (Brighton East)
Greens: Indoor carpet (2); 12 rinks in total
Coatesville Bowling Club (Bentleigh East)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Coburg Moreland Bowls Club (Coburg)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Cockatoo & District Bowls Club (Cockatoo)
Greens: Natural grass (1)
Cranbourne Bowling Club (Cranbourne)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1); synthetic green floodlit
Cranbourne RSL Bowls Club (Cranbourne)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1)
Craigieburn Bowling Club (Craigieburn)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Croydon Bowling Club (Croydon)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
D
Dandenong Club Bowls Club (Dandenong)
Greens: Natural grass (2) - one green covered by an all-weather roof
Deer Park Bowls Club (Deer Park)
Greens: Synthetic (2) - both undercover, with 8-rink and 4-rink greens
Diamond Creek Bowling Club (Diamond Creek)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Diggers Rest Bowls Club (Diggers Rest)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Doncaster Bowling Club (Doncaster)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Donvale Bowls Club (Donvale)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1); synthetic green floodlit
Doutta Galla Bowls Club (Essendon North)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Dromana Bowls Club (Dromana)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
E
East Ivanhoe Bowling Club (Ivanhoe East)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Edithvale Bowling Club (Edithvale)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1) - a redevelopment project will replace these with two synthetic greens, with the third green returned to public open space
The Elsternwick Club (Elsternwick)
Greens: Natural grass (2) - club continues operating at Sandham Street until mid-2027
Eltham Bowling Club (Eltham)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Elwood Bowls Club (Brighton)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Epping RSL Bowls Club (Epping)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Essendon Bowls Club (Essendon)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
F
Fairfield Bowling Club (Fairfield)
Greens: Natural grass (1)
Fawkner Bowling Club (Fawkner)
Greens: Natural grass (2); floodlit
Ferntree Gully Bowls Club (Ferntree Gully)
Greens: Synthetic (3); 18 rinks in total
Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club (Fitzroy North)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Flemington & Kensington Bowling Club (Flemington)
Greens: Synthetic (1); 11 rinks, floodlit
Flinders Golf Bowls Club (Flinders)
Greens: Natural grass (1)
Footscray Park Bowls Club (Footscray)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Frankston Bowling Club (Frankston)
Greens: Synthetic (4) - one undercover with tiered seating and electronic scoreboards, three outdoors
G
Gladstone Park Bowls Club (Gladstone Park)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Glen Eira McKinnon Bowls Club (Ormond)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Glen Waverley Bowls Club (Glen Waverley)
Greens: Natural grass (3), synthetic (1); synthetic green floodlit
Glenroy Bowls Club (Glenroy)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1)
Greensborough Bowling Club (Greensborough)
Greens: Synthetic (2); retractable shade structures
Greythorn Bowling Club (Doncaster)
Greens: Synthetic (2); one floodlit
H
Hampton Bayside Bowls Club (Hampton)
Greens: Natural grass (3)
Hampton Park Bowls Club (Hampton Park)
Greens: Synthetic (2); one floodlit
Hampton RSL Bowling Club (Hampton)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Hastings Bowling Club (Hastings)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Hawthorn Bowling Club (Hawthorn)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Healesville Bowling Club (Healesville)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Heatherdale Recreation and Bowls Club (Mitcham)
Greens: Natural grass (1) - indoor bias bowls also offered May to August
Heathmont Bowls Club (Heathmont)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1) - all-weather synthetic green
Heidelberg Golf Bowling Club (Lower Plenty)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Highett Bowls Club (Highett)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Hoppers Bowls Club (Hoppers Crossing)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Hurstbridge Bowling Club (Hurstbridge)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
I
Ivanhoe Bowling Club (Ivanhoe)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1); synthetic green has three rinks
K
Karingal Bowls Club (Frankston)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1) - synthetic green undercover in the SkyeDome
Keysborough Bowls Club (Keysborough)
Greens: Synthetic (2); eight rinks each
Kingsbury Bowls Club (Kingsbury)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (2)
Koo Wee Rup Bowls Club (Koo Wee Rup)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
L
Lalor Bowling Club (Lalor)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Lang Lang Bowls Club (Lang Lang)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Laverton Bowling Club (Laverton)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Lilydale Bowling Club (Lilydale)
Greens: Synthetic (3); 22 rinks in total, two greens floodlit
M
MCC Bowls Section - Glen Street (Hawthorn)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
MCC Bowls Section - Swinburne Avenue (Hawthorn)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Main Ridge Bowls & Petanque Club (Main Ridge)
Greens: Natural grass (1) - 7 rinks; separate pétanque playing areas
Malvern Bowls Club (Malvern)
Greens: Natural grass (1)
Melbourne Bowling Club (Windsor)
Greens: Natural grass (3)
Melton Bowls Club (Melton)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Mentone Edge Bowling Club (Mentone)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1); synthetic green floodlit
Middle Park Bowling Club (Middle Park)
Greens: Natural grass (3)
Mitcham Bowling Club (Mitcham)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Monbulk Bowling Club (Monbulk)
Greens: Synthetic (2); seven rinks each, floodlit
Montmorency Bowling Club (Montmorency)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Moonee Ponds Bowling Club (Moonee Ponds)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Moonee Valley Bowls Club (Moonee Ponds)
Greens: Natural grass (2); seven rinks each
Moorabbin Bowls Club (Moorabbin)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1)
Mooroolbark Bowls Club (Mooroolbark)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1)
Mordialloc Bowls Club (Mordialloc)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Mornington Bowling Club (Mornington)
Greens: Synthetic (3)
Mornington Civic Bowls Club (Mornington)
Greens: Natural grass (3), synthetic (1)
Mount Eliza Bowling Club (Mount Eliza)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Mount Martha Bowls & Petanque Club (Mount Martha)
Greens: Synthetic (2); floodlit. Separate pétanque facility with 24 pistes
Mount Waverley Bowling Club (Mount Waverley)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1); floodlighting available
Murrumbeena Bowls Club (Carnegie)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Murrumbeena Park Bowls Club (Murrumbeena)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
N
Narre Warren Bowls Club (Narre Warren)
Greens: Synthetic (2); both undercover
Newport Bowls Club (Newport)
Greens: Natural grass (3)
Noble Park Bowls Club (Noble Park)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
North Balwyn Bowls Club (Balwyn North)
Greens: Synthetic (3)
O
Oakleigh Bowling Club (Oakleigh)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
P
Pakenham Bowls Club (Pakenham)
Greens: Synthetic (2); one undercover, floodlighting available
Parkdale Bowling & Social Club (Parkdale)
Greens: Synthetic (1) - 10 rinks
Port Melbourne Bowling Club (Port Melbourne)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Preston Reservoir Bowls Club (Reservoir)
Greens: Natural grass (3)
Princes Park Carlton Bowls Club (Carlton North)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
R
Richmond Union Bowling Club (Richmond)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Ringwood Bowls Club (Ringwood)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1); two greens floodlit
Rosamond Bowls Club (Maribyrnong)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Rosanna Bowling Club (Rosanna)
Greens: Natural grass (2); eight rinks each
Rosebud Beach Community Bowls Club (Rosebud)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Rosebud Country Club Bowls (Capel Sound)
Greens: Natural grass (3)
Rye Bowls Club (Rye)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
S
Sandringham Bowls Club (Sandringham)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1); synthetic green floodlit
Somerville Bowling Club (Somerville)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Sorrento Bowls Club (Sorrento)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
South Oakleigh Bowls Club (Oakleigh South)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
St Albans Bowls Club (Kings Park)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
St Kilda Sports Club (St Kilda)
Greens: Natural grass (1)
Strathmore Bowls Club (Strathmore)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Sunbury Bowling Club (Sunbury)
Greens: Natural grass (2), undercover synthetic (1)
Sunshine City Bowling Club (Albion)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Sunshine VRI Bowls Club (Braybrook)
Greens: Natural grass (1)
T
Templestowe Bowling Club (Templestowe)
Greens: Natural grass (1) - Tifdwarf
Thornbury Bowls Club (Thornbury)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Toorak Bowling Club (Toorak)
Greens: Natural grass (1)
U
Upwey-Tecoma Bowls Club (Upwey)
Greens: Synthetic (2); eight rinks each
V
Vermont South Bowling Club (Vermont South)
Greens: Synthetic (2); floodlit
W
Warburton Bowls Club (Warburton)
Greens: Synthetic (1)
Werribee Bowls Club (Werribee)
Greens: Natural grass (2), synthetic (1); seven rinks each
West Coburg Bowling Club (Coburg)
Greens: Synthetic (2)
Whittlesea Bowls Club (Whittlesea)
Greens: Natural grass (2); seven rinks each
Williamstown Bowling Club (Williamstown)
Greens: Natural grass (2)
Y
Yamala Park Bowls Club (Frankston South)
Greens: Synthetic (1) - covered/shaded
Yarra Glen Bowls Club (Yarra Glen)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Yarra Junction Bowls Club (Yarra Junction)
Greens: Natural grass (1), synthetic (1)
Yarraville-Footscray Bowling Club (Yarraville)
Greens: Natural grass (3)
