The photograph we could not print: Opening day at the Wexagaw County courthouse lawn bowling green
The photograph was taken at eleven-thirty on Saturday morning, just as the Wexagaw County Lawn Bowling Club opened its sixty-third season on the green behind the courthouse.
The light came through the young maple leaves overhead — the trees were planted in 1989 to replace the elms — and made soft shadows across the playing surface. The green had been rolled that morning by Don Mercier, who has served as greenkeeper since 2007. You could see the pattern of the roller in the nap, diagonal lines running northeast to southwest.
Seven members stood along the near edge of the green, all in white. The club's dress code requires white shirts and white trousers or skirts for opening day, though this rule relaxes to "mostly white" by mid-June. Margaret Ohlsson wore her mother's bowling shoes, which are cream-colored canvas with brown rubber soles. Her mother, Iris Ohlsson, was club champion in 1971, 1973, and 1976.
The First Roll
In the photograph, Walter Prisk is mid-delivery. He drew the ceremonial first roll by virtue of being the oldest active member — he turned eighty-four in February. His right arm is extended low, his hand just releasing a black bowl. His left arm is out for balance. The bowl is perhaps six inches above the green, caught in the moment before it touches down.
You can see the concentration in his posture, the way his weight has shifted onto his front foot. Behind him, the other members are watching. No one is speaking. The only motion in the frame is Walter's arm and the falling bowl.
The jack — the small white target ball — sits forty feet down the green, placed there by club secretary Donna Hewitt according to the traditional opening-day distance. It rests near the center line, though perhaps two inches to the left of true center. This placement was intentional. Donna has set the opening jack for nineteen years and believes a slight offset "gives the first bowl something to think about."
What Happened Next
Walter's bowl landed soft, rolled true, and came to rest eleven inches from the jack — a fine opening delivery that drew quiet applause from the membership. Play continued until one-fifteen, when the club adjourned to the Pell Harbor American Legion Hall for the annual opening luncheon, which featured a ham provided by the quilt raffle committee.
The green will be open for club play on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday mornings through September. The club welcomes new members, though prospective bowlers are asked to observe at least two sessions before purchasing bowls of their own. Greens fees are fifteen dollars per season, or twenty dollars for households.
The photograph captured something that happens every year and will happen again next spring: older people in white clothes, a green space behind a public building, the first bowl of the season falling toward its mark. The light was good. The focus was sharp. The moment was ordinary and careful and complete.