The Crookwell Bowling Club recently switched from New South Wales to the ACT competition, and the move has proven a resounding hit with its members.
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For most of its history the club competed in the NSW competition, but club secretary, Brad Cartwright, said the rigours of travel had become too strenuous for many of its members.
"The reason we moved from NSW to ACT was travel, we could've been playing Saturday pennants as far away Lawson," he said.
"It was six, seven hours of travel to play three hours of bowls."
The club has played two rounds of the ACT competition, and Cartwright said the Crookwell bowlers are much happier.
"We're very happy actually, with the change of venue from NSW to ACT, a lot of our better bowlers are playing again this year," he said.
We're very happy actually, with the change of venue from NSW to ACT, a lot of our better bowlers are playing again this year.
- Brad Cartwright
The road to the ACT was far from direct for the club. When the administrators applied to Bowls NSW to change competitions, they were met with significant resistance.
"We had a vote and then we had to apply to NSW to get clearance to play in ACT, it took us about 18 months," Cartwright said.
"They didn't want us to leave but we finally convinced them it was the right choice.
"They were trying to find reasons why we couldn't go, and every time they brought back a reason we had an answer for them and they finally came and had a meeting here with the board.
"We convinced them quite successfully that it'd be better for us and better for bowls."
The drudgery of administrative labour has been rewarded by an invigorated playing group.
Instead of the two teams which usually took part in the NSW competition, Crookwell now has three in the ACT, and all three have put forward strong performances in Canberra.
The grade three team - the club's top side - has won all three of its matches, while grade two has won two and lost one, and its lowest grade has won one and lost one.
Cartwright credited the decreased drive time with improving the turnout of Crookwell's players, and hopes the increased passion will continue throughout the season.
The club is also preparing for its presentation night on March 28, while the Canberra pennants competition will run until the end of April.
Crookwell will hold its annual winter competition after the ACT competition concludes.
