NEW BEDFORD – It’s been said that lawn bowling originated in ancient Egypt. The game has been played in England since the 13th century.

In New Bedford it dates back to the late 1890s, brought here by English immigrants who worked in the mills and missed the sport.

The “greens” at Hazelwood Park where the game is played were first constructed in 1919-1920, and they got plenty of use over the decades.

Emile Lambalot, 94, grew up in New Bedford’s South End and played on a lawn bowling team in 1958.

Emile was in the audience Friday as city officials “cut the ribbon” on the restored greens – which include two playing surfaces – heralding their return.

The restored greens will also host croquet. The layouts are ideal for both sports.

Lawn bowling or “bowls” is similar to bocce in that players try to deliver their balls as close as possible to a target ball, called a jack. One major difference is the lawn bowling balls have a "bias" to them. That is, they’re not perfectly round, but elliptical on the sides. They curve when rolled, and the player has to adapt his or her aim.

Mayor Jon Mitchell said the restored greens were the result of “a classic public-private partnership” during the ribbon-cutting event, with private-sector funding providing the “icing on the cake.”

The project cost $583,000, with $253,000 coming through Community Preservation Act and American Rescue Plan Act funds, and $50,000 from Sen. Mark Montigny’s Children’s Equality and Empowerment Fund, he said.

The rest came through private donations spearheaded by the Friends of Hazelwood Park and founding member, Joann Tschaen.

'No room for error':How these local restaurants are navigating inflation in food prices

“This is where Joann really drove the action,” Mitchell said. The private sector money included an anonymous donation of $150,000, another $100,000 in individual donations, and $30,000 from the New Bedford Day Nursery Fund.

Mitchell said a lot of folks who grew up on the “peninsula” were excited at their return after many moribund years. The project had been in the works since 2013, and ground was broken in September 2020.

And a new generation of lawn bowlers and croquet players is anticipated. Both sports can be played by people of all ages, and children were learning some of the finer points of lawn bowling while the event unfolded nearby Friday. Senior croquet players also dotted the greens before and after the ceremony.

“This is going to be for everybody,” Mitchell said.

The greens also have the seal of approval from experts in the respective sports.

Property Transfers:Lakeville home completely remodeled and flipped for double the price

Bob Kroeger, an internationally known croquet player involved professionally in the sport since 1984, is a member of the Croquet Hall of Fame. He lives on the Cape but came to the event Friday and gave his enthusiastic thumbs up.

“I’m blown away by all this. It’s extraordinary and I can just see the potential for great success for both bowls and croquet.” He said the shared setup is exactly like that employed at the greens in New York’s Central Park – near Tavern on the Green.

Veronica Sum, president of Bowls USA, traveled from New Jersey to attend the event. She said the availability of two adjoining greens was rare in the sport's Northeast Division, which extends from Maine to Virginia. In fact, there are only three, including the greens in Central Park.

That makes them ideal for tournament play, and it’s hoped New Bedford will host a Northeast Division championship as early as next year, and an international tournament in the near future, she said.

State Rep. Tony Cabral, D-New Bedford, said he had done some lawn bowling himself in Hazelwood Park, and still has two of the bowling balls. He was among the younger players at the time as organizers were encouraging a new generation to take it up. “To me it’s incredible that this is coming back.”

He said the Friends’ work in bringing it back and the community’s support were key to the project’s success. “When community members get involved with their neighborhood, be it parks or otherwise, they make the difference.”

Ryan Pereira, Ward 6 city councilor, said, “It’s wonderful to be able to have this back in the South End, back in its original location here at Hazelwood Park. I’m looking forward to coming out here and playing.”

Emile said he wouldn’t mind getting back out there himself. He had been missing his lawn bowling balls for many years, but one was recently recovered bearing his initials – EGL – where it had been stowed away by the city, said his daughter Ann Marie Briand – just in time to break in the “new” greens.

The city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Beaches is coordinating use of the greens for club and family events, and offering clinics for anyone interested in learning the sports of lawn bowling and croquet.

Learn more at: https://www.newbedford-ma.gov/parks-recreation-beaches/

And keep this in mind, city officials noted that lawn bowling could become an Olympic sport in 2032.

That leaves plenty of time for practice in Hazelwood Park.