In his first year of bowls, Trevor Payne has swept the Te Anau Bowling Club competition, receiving four significant awards for his performance.

Despite still being considered a junior player, he received six awards, including junior and senior mens singles, mens pairs, mixed fours, champ of champs and most improved.

After moving back home from Australia after 29 years, he wanted to try his hand at a sport.

“I originally wanted to play tennis but I went over there and they looked a bit strong for me, I kept poking my head over the fence and thought I might have a go at lawn bowls.”

He was “pretty fortunate” to have received those awards, and how well you bowled depended on the day, he said.

“Some days you have good days and some days you have bad days and I struck it at the right time.”

His previous experience with bowls was limited to indoor bowls “years and years ago”.

“It was only in little halls and only on the little roll-out mats — this was all sort of new for me.”

Te Anau Bowling Club president Allan Hamilton said Mr Payne receiving those awards made sense.

“Come to the end of the year and we had to pick a ‘most improved’, it was pretty simple.” he said.

“Just goes to show at his age he’s still improving.”

Mr Hamilton, who had been involved with the club for six years and the president for two, said they had a very strong group of bowlers.

“Our season started in September but with our artificial green, now it’s all year round … a lot of our club members are doing well, we’ve got two women heading to the champion of champs in the pairs.”

Along with the success of the other bowlers, having someone like Mr Payne performing so well at the club was a good look, he said.

“It’s been really good for the club, an ambassador like him, he’s got to keep it up for this year.”

He estimated they had about 50 active members, including people from Invercargill who had holiday homes in Te Anau and a 96-year-old from Scotland.

“People come up here to retire and started bowling to meet people … it’s a way to socialise. Bowls is Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays, so you can play bowls every day of the week if you want to.”

Through travelling to play bowls, he had been able to reconnect with people he used to play rugby with, Mr Hamilton said.

“When you’re too old to play rugby, you come down to bowls.”

tayler.mutton@alliedmedia.co.nz