BLAKEHURST Bowling Club is fighting two battles - one for its short-term security and another for the future of bowls altogether.
The bowling club was at risk of shutting down when its entertainment arm, Club Blakehurst, went into liquidation in September 2010.
Kogarah Council, which owns the venue, did away with poker machines and installed Zippo's restaurateur Spiro Parameritis as a temporary custodian of its bistro.
The council also agreed to pay temporarily for greens maintenance so that bowls could still be played and will soon decide whether bowling will continue at the site.
Bowling club member Laurie Richardson said the club was working with council staff on a plan of management for the greater Merriman Reserve area, which takes in the greens and former Club Blakehurst building.
The process involves consultation with residents, who will help determine whether bowls should continue.
Mr Richardson said "at the moment it sounds good" and members were trying to promote the club within the community.
"We're trying to advertise the fact that we're still around," he said. "In the past two years we've won three pennant finals, which is unbelievable as we had not won in the 52 years before that."
Mr Richardson said about a dozen students from Sydney Technical High School regularly bowled as part of their sport program.
This was bringing a much-needed new generation of bowlers to the club.
"Bowling is a dying game and we want to get new people involved," he said. "We're trying to get them included, particularly if the kids want to continue on and play in serious competition.
"That's really the guts of what we're doing."
Should bowls stay at Kyle Bay?
