Below you will find essential information for how to access the bowls green, opening times, some important does and don’ts on the green and some esential information on the equipment available to new bowlers.
| Green Opening | |
|---|---|
| Green Summer Dates | The bowling green opens towards the middle or end of April, and closes on the last Saturday of September each year. The green is closed from the beginning of October to late April. The green opening date may be delayed if there has been excessive wet weather in the weeks leading up to the opening date. |
| Green Opening Times | During the bowling season, the green is open for play from 10:00 a.m. weekdays, and from 10.30 a.m. weekends. Play can take place all day until it becomes too dark in the evening. If you are bowling late into the evening please be considerate to our neighbours and refrain from making excessive noise. |
| Using the Green | |
|---|---|
| Rink Allocation | Rinks are allocated in advance for club matches, special events, and club or external competitions. These matches and events take priority over informal roll-ups or games, and are shown on the white rink allocation board in the clubhouse. The board is updated each week. Members are welcome to use any free rinks for roll-ups, practice, or informal games at any time of day within the green open hours. |
| Direction of Play | Direction of play changes each Monday – across the front of the clubhouse towards the tennis courts, or away from the clubhouse towards the wooden boundary fence. The direction is indicated by the small white figure of a bowler on top of the post outside the corner of the men’s changing room. |
| Green Equipment | All equipment for roll-ups, games, competitions and matches is stored in the shed at the far end of the green in the corner under the trees. This includes mats, jacks, measuring sticks, score boards and pushers. The only items not stored in the equipment shed are the bright yellow match jacks, kept in a cupboard in the clubhouse. The key for the equipment shed hangs on a hook on the door frame just inside the clubhouse door. Please make sure the key is replaced after use! |
| Running on the Green | Purley Bowls Club has one of the best greens in the area. We discourage any activity that could damage the green or put players at risk in any way including running. Please do not run on the green. |
| Smoking | Smoking is not permitted on the green. Smoking is permitted on the banks around the green. Please use the ashjtrays provided. |
| Wet Green Conditions | We encourage players to play on our bowls green in all weathers however every player is responsible for their own safety and for the protection of the green when the grass is wet. In wet or damp conditions, including when dew is settling on the grass, please take extra care when moving around the green especially when stepping off the bank onto the green and vice versa. Also be careful not to step too close to the edge of the ditch. Where there has been persistent rain over a number of days the surface can become more susceptible to damage especially where bowlers are "bouncing" their bowls at delivery. In wet conditions if there is a risk to the green from bouncing bowls then protection sheets must be used on the delivery line at both ends of each rink. |
| Extreme Weather | In the event of very strong winds the green may be closed by the Purley Bowls Club committee and/or by the Purley Sports Club management team. In the event of constant heavy rain over a number of days the green may be closed by the green keeper. In the event of lightning or thunder being experienced in in the Purley area all players must leave the green immediately regardless of the state of play of any match. In such an event all players are required to move to safe cover until there is no further visible evidence of lightning in the area. In the event of excessive heat the Purley Bowls Club committee may choose to cancel or shorten any organised matches and in extreme circumstances may close the green for a period. |
| Decisions on playability | Any decisions on the playability of the green including decisions on whether to close the green will be made by the Club Captains and the Green Ranger, in consultation with the Green Keeper and/or the Purley Sports Club management team. If as a result they decide to close the green then no players are permitted to step onto the green until it has been cleared for play by the Club Captains and Green Ranger. |
| Clearing your rink | At the end of a match, rollup, ballot or practise session please put all equipment on your rink away in the equipment shed. If you notice that equipment has been left on rinks that are no longer in use then please assist the club by putting that equipment away as well. If you notice that some players are persistently failing to put club equipment away on their rinks at the end of their sessions please contact one of the club captains. |
| Closing up the club at the end of the day | The last person or group on the green at the end of the day should close up the green and club house. This includes putting all equipment away in the shed, locking all doors, closing the fox fence and locking the front gate. |
| Fox Fence Rota | Purley Bowls Club has a season long rota of members (The Fox Fence Rota) who are asked to travel to the club grounds at the end of each day for a week each to ensure that the club equipment and premises have been secured. However to make this less of a burden on the fox fence volunteer all members of the club are asked to close the club up per previous item above and are then requested to contact the rota member for that day to let them know that they do not need to travel to the club. |
| Green and Club House Access | |
|---|---|
| Club Gate – Padlock Code | You can obtain the code for the gate padlock by phoning any member of the committee, or you can email us via the Contact Us page. |
| Club Gate - Magnetic Lock | You can obtain an entry fob for the magnetic gate lock from Purley Sports Club reception upon check of membership. |
| Clubhouse – Entry Code | You can obtain the code for the clubhouse doors by phoning any member of the committee, or you can email us via the Contact Us page |
| Equipment | |
|---|---|
| Clubhouse Lockers | For a clubhouse locker and key, contact John Thurley (men), Ursula Wharf (ladies). |
| Bowls Stickers | Purley Bowls Club stickers are not required for practice, roll-ups, ballots and coaching sessions. For official club matches (friendly or league) or external competitions, you need a club sticker on the side of each bowl. For club stickers please contact the Men’s and Ladies’ Captains. |
| Bowls | Bowls can be borrowed from the equipment shed or from the lockers in the men's changing room. These are club bowls and are available for practise or coaching sessions. The club bowls must not be removed from the premises and must always be returned to the place where you got them. The club bowls are provided essentially for new bowlers however we only have a few sets of bowls so, after a reasonable amount of time, all bowlers are encouraged to purchase their own bowls. |
| Marking Equipment | We encourage all players to buy their own small bowl measure, chocks and chalk. In the event that you don't have the right equipment marking equipment inlcuding Tapes, Measures, Calipers and chocks/wedges can be found in the umpire kit in the club house. Please return them immediately after use. |
| Club Dress Code | |
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| Dress Code | For casual play, roll-ups, ballots and coaching sessions only, dress may be “smart casual” – no jeans please. For external competitions the dress code is usually greys unless otherwise indicated by the team skip. As of 2025 for all club matches and competitions matches the dress code is always • Black (B) = Black Trousers/Skirt/Shorts with Club Shirt (White Shirt if Club shirt not yet owned) Shoes - as of 2024 Purley allows any flat soled shoes on the green. Please note that some clubs still require shoes made specifically for Bowls (Bowls Shoes) - Check with the match organiser, |
| Club Shirts, Gilets, Jackets & Caps | Club Shirts, Gilets, Jackets & Caps For men’s club shirts and jackets contact David Reynolds. For ladies’ club shirts and jackets contact Kara Lyford. |
