About Us
The Oakland Lawn Bowling Club is a social and recreational club, organized to preserve and encourage the game of lawn bowling in Oakland and the greater East Bay. It is the aim of the OLBC to foster sportsmanship and good fellowship, and to offer friendly competition in playing the game of bowls.
Over the past few years, we've spent a lot of time revitalizing the club, gaining new members and introducing people from all walks of life to the game of lawn bowling. .
If you are looking for a competitive bowling league or a causal sport, we look foward to sharing our love for the game with you. g
OLBC 2023 Officers
President: Lucien Salyk
Vice President: Janee Hunt
Secretary: David Keating
Treasurer: Zarka Popovic
Board of Directors: Navi Thach, Michelle Jepsen, Ratka Mira Popovic
History of the Oakland Lawn Bowling Club
Lawn bowling was introduced in Oakland by a group of Scottish bowlers who organized the Scottish Lawn Bowling Club on April 15, 1903 with 93 members.
The first green was located at 14th Street and 22nd Avenue on leased property using well water for irrigation. Difficulties with gophers and the well caused members to persuade Mayor Frank K. Mott and the Oakland City Council to construct a bowling green in the newly acquired Lakeside Park on Lake Merritt. Green No. 1 was opened for play on June 15, 1912. There was no clubhouse, but the members raised $500 to build a small locker room. A women’s club was established in 1914. By 1916 a strong interest in Sunday bowling had developed, but the club by-laws prohibited Sunday bowling. As a result a group split and formed the Lakeside Club. The clubs increased in membership and a second green was opened for play on October 13, 1923.
The small locker room built for Green No. 1 was inadequate for the growing clubs. The Park Board and City Council approved construction of a clubhouse with the clubs contributing one-half the cost. Construction began in 1926, and the club held its first quarterly meeting in the new clubhouse on March 23, 1927. The Scottish Lawn Bowling Club voted to change its name to the Oakland Lawn Bowling Club in 1929.
Bowling continued to be popular, and a third green was needed. Green No. 3 was started as a WPA project. It was opened for play on March 23, 1935. The clubhouse was enlarged by the addition of a men’s locker room, furnace room and game room, the clubs again providing half the cost. The mat room was added in 1971. Finally in 1978, the Women’s Lawn Bowling Club and the Lakeside Club were combined to form the present Oakland Lawn Bowling Club.
On March 8, 1993 the Oakland Landmarks Advisory Board recommended the bowling greens and clubhouse as a protected feature of the Lakeside Park and Wildlife Refuge Oakland Landmark.