Just north of Sheep Meadow, bowlers roll weighted bowls down a close-cut green, curving them toward a small white jack. The Kingman Classic is a singles event, so every end is a head-to-head duel on the home green of the New York Lawn Bowling Club, in Central Park since 1926. If you are walking the park’s West Side, stop at the fence for a quiet, surprisingly tense sport most New Yorkers have never watched.
What to expect
Expect a tournament in progress: pairs of players at each rink, sending bowls down the green toward the jack, then walking to the far end to count who landed closest. The pace is calm and the lawn is quiet, with spectators watching from the edge. Club members have invited curious visitors to ask how the game works when they're free, though during matches it's best to wait for a break between ends.
Good to know
- Enter Central Park at West 69th Street and walk east about two minutes; the green is just north of Sheep Meadow.
- Nearest trains: B/C to 72nd St or the 1 to 66th St–Lincoln Center.
- Watch from off the green. Bowling surfaces are delicate, and players need flat-soled shoes on the lawn.
- This is a competition, not a clinic. Come to watch; the club's free beginner clinics are separate.
- Free to watch and an easy add-on to a Sheep Meadow picnic or a walk to Strawberry Fields.
- Keep your voice down near the rinks during play. It's a sport that needs concentration.
Going? Keep it.
The whole weekend, in one email.
Friday at 5pm, one email. Unsubscribe anytime.
Common questions
Can I just show up and watch?
Yes. The Bowling Green Lawn is in the open park north of Sheep Meadow, and you can watch from the edge of the green. Stay off the playing surface itself.
How does singles lawn bowls work?
Two players take turns rolling bowls toward a small target ball called the jack. The bowls are weighted to curve, and after each end, points go to whoever has bowls closer to the jack than the opponent's nearest one.
Where can I learn to play?
The New York Lawn Bowling Club, which plays on this green, runs a season from spring into mid-October and offers beginner clinics. Check nybowls.org for the current schedule.
