A lawn bowls club rated 4.9 on Google, Maraetai Bowling Club sits on Te Pene Road in the seaside village of Maraetai, Manukau City, Auckland.
Lawn bowls is played on closely mown, level greens, and the first thing newcomers learn is that the bowls are biased — they curve, so every shot is played along an arc rather than a straight line. Most clubs run weekly roll-ups and social days where anyone can turn up, borrow a set, and have a go, with flat-soled shoes the only real requirement; coaching is usually on hand for beginners. Regulars will tell you that reading the green, judging pace and line as conditions change through the day, is what separates a tidy bowler from a good one.
On Auckland's Pohutukawa Coast, Maraetai Bowling Club looks like a welcoming place to pick up a set of bowls for the first time.