Friendly clubs, sunny greens, and a warm welcome for beginners — from Bude to Torpoint, with indoor bowls year-round.
Cornwall has one of the strongest lawn bowls traditions in the country, with clubs dating back centuries and a genuinely sociable, all-ages culture. Whether you fancy a relaxed roll-up on a summer evening or want to work towards county competition, there's a green near you — and most clubs are delighted to show newcomers the ropes.
The sport's roots here run deep. There's evidence of a green at Helston as early as 1734, and bowls was already well established across the county long before the Cornwall County Bowling Association (CCBA) was formally founded in 1912 at a meeting in Redruth, bringing together the four founding clubs of Truro, Falmouth, Helston and Penzance. The County's first match against neighbouring Devon followed in 1920, and the Cornwall County Women's Bowling Association was formed in 1948. Today the CCBA has around 47 affiliated clubs spread across the Duchy, from Bude in the north to Torpoint on the Devon border — making lawn bowls one of Cornwall's most widely played traditional sports, alongside a thriving indoor scene run by the Cornwall County Indoor Bowls Association.
Cornish clubs have also hosted international touring sides over the years, including matches against South African, New Zealand, Australian and Canadian teams at greens in Newquay, Bude, Penzance and Falmouth — a reminder that this quiet, sociable game has a genuinely competitive pedigree behind the tea and biscuits.
No experience, no equipment and no commitment needed to give bowls a try.
Bowls England's annual nationwide initiative runs free taster sessions and open days at clubs right across the country from the May bank holiday through to the end of September. Play-Bowls.com is the national hub, with an interactive map to find your nearest participating club and session times.
Bowls Cornwall's volunteer County Coaching Coordinators can put beginners in touch with a qualified coach local to them, whether or not you've picked a club yet. Contact Christine Hore (chris-hore@hotmail.com) or David Parr (davidrichardparr@gmail.com) to get started.
A few Cornwall clubs are especially well set up for complete beginners:
Free tuition every Tuesday at 2pm and Friday at 6pm, no booking needed, all equipment provided.
Weekly Club Nights through the season, "Bowls Blitz" drop-in sessions every Sunday evening June–August, and a monthly Family Friday for all ages.
A fully qualified coach offers tailored help to new bowlers, with equipment supplied to get started.
Open to the public every day of the week; wood hire and two hours' practice for £6, with sea views over Looe Bay thrown in.
Bude, Wadebridge, Camelford and Launceston.
A small, welcoming club known for its hospitality, with a cosy clubhouse bar.
Active men's and ladies' sections just inland from Bude.
Bowls England "Club of the Year" 2024, with over 100 members, a strong junior programme and family sessions.
Member-built green and clubhouse, active in county knockout competitions.
North Cornwall's Launceston club, regularly reaching national finals stages.
Truro, St Austell, Newquay and the Roseland Peninsula.
One of the four founding clubs of the Cornwall County Bowling Association in 1912.
Village club with a friendly recreation ground green.
Handy for Truro and Falmouth, with an active fixtures calendar.
Small, sociable village green midway between Truro and St Austell.
Well-established club in the heart of St Austell.
Originally formed for English China Clay employees; open club today with a full men's and ladies' fixture list.
Clay country club with a busy recreation ground green.
Community club on the Stenalees recreation ground.
Recreation annexe green serving St Columb Major and the surrounding villages.
One of Newquay's two outdoor clubs, close to Trenance Gardens.
Founded 1935, Newquay's West End green with an active ladies' section since 1973.
Fishing-village club with sea-air evenings on the green.
Rare combination of indoor and outdoor greens on the Roseland Peninsula, with plenty of parking for coach parties.
Penzance, Helston, Falmouth and the far West.
One of the four founding clubs of Cornwall bowls, with a long competition pedigree.
Harbourside setting in Newlyn, a short walk from Penzance.
One of the oldest clubs in the country, with evidence of a green on this site since 1734.
Popular club close to Hayle's beaches and estuary.
Camborne's established bowls club with a full league programme.
Close to the town centre, popular with visitors as well as members.
All-weather green with views over the Falmouth countryside; welcomes beginners.
Quayside club in the historic centre of Penryn.
Creekside club between Falmouth and Truro.
Village green in one of Cornwall's largest villages, near the Helford.
Lawn bowls through spring and summer, then indoor carpet and short mat bowls over autumn and winter.
Looe, Lostwithiel, Torpoint and Saltash.
Ample free parking and a grandstand for over 70 spectators, with free tuition for newcomers on Tuesday afternoons and Friday evenings.
Coastal green with sea views over Looe Bay.
Friendly club in Cornwall's ancient former capital.
Rame Peninsula club, a short ferry hop from Plymouth.
Long-standing club that still plays in the Plymouth & District League, reflecting Saltash's cross-Tamar links.
Five purpose-built indoor greens, open all year and welcoming newcomers with full training.
Founded 1972. 4 rinks (36.6m). Colours: Blue/Gold.
Founded 1990. 4 rinks (34.2m). Colours: Red.
Founded 1988. 6 rinks, 2x3 (35.7m). Colours: White. Regularly hosts county finals weekends.
Founded 1972. 4 rinks (36m). Colours: Orange.
Founded 1987. 4 rinks (36.5m). Colours: Maroon/Gold. Sits alongside Veryan's outdoor green.
Devon, not Cornwall — but a short hop for East Cornwall visitors, with historic public greens.
Founded 1933, on the historic Plymouth Hoe overlooking the Sound.
Public green in the city's oldest formal park, shared by two clubs.
Green leased from Plymouth City Council; contact the club directly for membership and play.
Year-round indoor bowls, affiliated to the English Indoor Bowling Association.
Verified local stockist for bowls, clothing and accessories.
Indoor and outdoor bowls accessories, equipment and clothing, available in-store and online. The county's only bricks-and-mortar bowls specialist.
Club details, addresses and contact information are checked against club and association websites at the time of writing but may change. Please confirm opening times, membership terms and taster session availability directly with each club before visiting. Cornwall Online is not affiliated with any bowls club, association or supplier listed on this page.
Page last updated: August 2026