St Martins Bowling Club sits at 15 Clouston Street in the Christchurch suburb of St Martins, on a green that occupies the bend — or loop — of the Heathcote River. That riverside setting is celebrated in the club's horseshoe-shaped badge, which also nods to good luck and to the horses once grazed here in the suburb's early days. It is a club with a clear sense of place and a warm, social heart.
Bowls is at the centre of club life, and the club describes it as a game for all ages — relaxed fun days sit alongside serious competition. Recently, members Aaron and Mike finished runners-up in the Canterbury Pairs Champion of Championships, and the club's women progressed to the playoffs in their Interclub sections. Greenkeeper Jamie Ferris is credited with results on the green and in players' confidence alike, with sponsor support helping keep the playing surface in top condition.
The clubrooms are available for hire for social functions of every kind, from a casual game of bowls to a birthday party, backed by a fully licensed bar and kitchen. Each season opens with a welcome to new members and the club's famous Pot Luck Dinner — the 2025–26 season begins on Saturday 20 September from 12pm onwards. Phone the club on 03 332 7216, or contact Garry Frost on 021 334 910 for hire details.
Follow the Heathcote River as it loops through the Christchurch suburb of St Martins and you'll find a green sitting right in the river's bend. This is the home of St Martins Bowling Club at 15 Clouston Street, where lawn bowls, a licensed bar and a busy social calendar come together. Whether you're a seasoned bowler chasing interclub honours or a complete newcomer curious about the game, the club's invitation is simple: come along, see what the club has to offer, and join in the fun.
Few clubs can explain their emblem in three neat points, but St Martins can. The club badge takes the shape of a horseshoe for three reasons: the horseshoe is a good luck emblem; the green is situated in the bend, or loop, of the Heathcote River; and horses were grazed on this land in the early days of St Martins. It's a charming piece of local history, and once you know it, the setting makes perfect sense — the river quite literally wraps around this corner of the suburb.
The club describes bowls as a game for all ages, and its fun days back that up. It's one of those rare sports where generations genuinely mix: newcomers can pick up the basics quickly, while experienced players compete at a high level. New members are expressly welcomed, and opening day doubles as an open invitation to come along, meet members and give the game a try.
There is a serious side too. Greenkeeper Jamie Ferris — whom the club credits with results not only on the green but also in the players' confidence — has helped the club's competitive hopes flourish. Aaron and Mike made it all the way to the Canterbury Pairs Champion of Championships, finishing as runners-up, while the club's women went through to the playoffs in their Interclub sections. Success at that level reflects the quality of the playing surface as much as the skill of the players, and the club is candid that sponsors help keep it that way: TAB Gaming Trust supports the cost of chemicals and fertilisers, Pub Charity Ltd helped fund a solar power installation, and Air Rescue and Community Services contributes towards the greenkeeping contract.
You don't need to be a bowler to enjoy the club. Its facilities are available for social functions of all kinds — anything, as the club puts it, from a casual game of bowls to a birthday party. A fully licensed bar and kitchen means hosts can cater a gathering without outside help, and the clubrooms carry a relaxed, community feel that generic venues struggle to match. For hire details, contact Garry Frost on 021 334 910.
The 2025–26 season gets under way on Saturday 20 September from 12pm onwards, and the club is rolling out the welcome mat for new members. The day's social centrepiece is the club's famous Pot Luck Dinner — a shared feast with everyone invited to stay, mix and mingle. If you've been thinking about trying bowls, opening day is the natural moment to meet members, see the green and get a feel for club life in a single afternoon.
St Martins Bowling Club is at 15 Clouston Street, St Martins, Christchurch, and can be reached on 03 332 7216. Because bowls follows a summer season, with opening day in late September marking the traditional start of play, it pays to phone ahead if you're visiting outside the main season. Updates are posted on the club's Facebook page, St Martins Bowling Club, and general enquiries can go through the club's officers: President Don Brown, Graeme Nottage for social functions, and secretary Pauline Pullan.
Whether you come for a roll-up on the green, a function in the clubrooms, or simply a lucky horseshoe of riverside calm, St Martins Bowling Club offers a genuinely warm slice of Christchurch community life.