Up for a match?

Luis Pena

East met West at the Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club on Tuesday when

the famed lawn bowler David Bryant came for a friendly match.

Club members were thrilled to be honored as a stop on the David

Bryant Bowls Tour.

Bryant is considered the greatest lawn bowler of all time. He has

won the Commonwealth singles title four times, has three world titles

and has been the English outdoor champion six times.

While not yet mainstream here, lawn bowling is a very popular

sport in England.

The game consists of throwing a softball-sized ball, called a

bowl, toward a white, golf ball-sized ball, called a jack, without

hitting it. The player to get his bowl closest to the jack gets the

point.

The game is so popular that people will go on vacations that

combine sightseeing and friendly matches with different clubs in

different countries such as South Africa and New Zealand, said

Carolyn Tansey of the David Bryant Bowls Tour.

This is the first time the tour has taken a group of bowlers to

America, however. It will be visiting California during its 21-day

trip, with a small detour in Las Vegas, Tansey said.

“Its gives the English bowlers a chance to meet local people,

really, and that’s the main part,” Tansey said

The club is very fortunate to have been invited to participate by

the tour, said Jim Altobelli, president of the Newport Harbor Lawn

Bowling Club. The club also enjoys having new people come to play

with or against them especially players of high caliber such as the

tour group’s participants.

But lawn bowling isn’t just about throwing a bowl at the jack and

leaving after the match is over. It’s also about socializing with its

participants, he said.

“This is probably one of the more social groups,” Altobelli said.

“We have a lot of fun after we get through bowling -- some of the

nicest people I’ve met. And its not designed for old people, which is

unfortunately the stigma it has been given.”

After 10 years of playing, Altobelli’s love for lawn bowling

hasn’t wavered, even with two bad knees.

The game is a combination of golf and chess, Altobelli said. It’s

like chess in that a player has to anticipate what the other players’

moves will be, and similar to golf in that a player must read the

green.

Lily Cooper from Kent, England, had a great time playing with her

American counterparts, and she didn’t hold back on the competition.

“I’m very delighted to be here because I’ve never played bowls in

America,” Bryant said.

Bryant has been playing since 7. And although at 73 he no longer

plays in serious competitions, he enjoys going on the tours and

playing with fans from around the world.

Playing against Bryant was a mayor highlight for Mert Isaacman, a

member of the lawn bowling club and winner of the National Open

Singles Championship and National Open Pairs Championship.

“When you really get going, your adrenaline can pump, and when you

are playing at international level, it’s extremely competitive,”

Isaacman said.

* LUIS PENA is the news assistant and may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at luis.pena@latimes.com.