Season: May 1 to November 7 Hours: 8:00am to dusk Requirements: Permits Needed Fee: $30 Where: Permits can be obtained in Room 1
(basement) at the Arsenal. Office hours are
9:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday,
and Saturday 9:00am to 12pm
(Saturday hours are valid for April, May
and June only) (212) 360-8133
Standing just north of the Central Park Sheep
Meadow are two impeccably maintained green
lawns that are utilized solely for the civilized old British
sports of lawn bowling in one field and croquet
in the other. These lush green 15,000 sq.ft.
fields of trimmed grass reside on a slight incline
enclosed by a fence.
When the New York Lawn Bowling Club was
founded in 1926, these greens were built to
house the sport. During the warmer months,
men and women can be found all dressed from
head to toe in white as they quietly take their
aim. Lawn bowlers can be seen rolling their
black balls, actually called bowls across the
grass, while croquet players use their mallets
to strike balls through wickets.
People interested in lawn bowling can join either
the New York Lawn Bowling Club
(212) 787-1335 or the Metropolitan Lawn
Bowling Club of New York (212) 799-5151.
If croquet suits your fancy, contact the
New York Croquet Club at (212) 369-2945.