A sad day for bowls in Kaitaia

END OF AN ERA: The Kaitaia Combined Bowling Club greens and building, for sale by tender.

History was about to go by the board, spokesman Kevin Briscoe said last week after the Kaitaia Combined Bowling Club's property in Matthews' Avenue Kaitaia was advertised for sale by tender.

The Kaitaia Men's Bowling Club (as it was until 2000, when it opened up membership to women), was established in 1922, Mr Briscoe said, but was now unlikely to celebrate its centennial in that location, if at all.

The problem was financial, due to dwindling membership and the fact Kaitaia had three bowling clubs (the others being the RSA and the Kaitaia Church Road Club) were competing not only for members and players but also for funding.

"It's extremely difficult to get funding from anywhere these days, and we've got to the stage where we can't carry on," he said.

"Costs are going up too, and that hasn't made things any easier."

All was not necessarily lost, however. The ideal outcome of the sale would be for the new owner to allow the club to lease the property for at least some time into the future.

"We're hoping they won't be in a hurry to do anything, and that they'll let us stay and look after it. That would also mean that it won't become another white elephant like [the old] Pak'nSave," he added.

The club also had a longer-term plan to become part of the town's proposed sports hub.

"That would be ideal," Mr Briscoe said.

"A covered green would mean we could involve school children every day of the week. Not being able to play all year round means we have no income for much of the year. There aren't many grass greens left in Northland now, and an artificial surface would make a big difference for us."

The sport was working to attract younger players, including an effort by Bowls NZ to establish a competition for Year 7-13 children.

Mr Briscoe also believed covered greens could pave the way to establish a league, as was played in Australia, which could generate local income via television rights.

In the meantime it would be a sad day when the Matthews' Avenue property was sold.

"There's a lot of history in that club," Mr Briscoe said. "The top floor used to be used for dances, ballroom dancing, rock 'n roll - it was a good source of income for the club, but those days have gone.

"Now we would have to provide wheelchair access, which would be prohibitive. All these new rules and building codes are killing sports clubs. We won't be on our own as far as having to sell is concerned."

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The property is advertised by First National in Kaitaia as an iconic club that offers a commercial opportunity, including compliance with liquor licensing criteria. Tenders close on Monday next week, unless it is sold prior to that.

Mr Briscoe said he expected it would be bought with development in mind, and doubted the building would be retained.