MEMBERS and guests of Ludlow Castle Bowls and Tennis Club will gather at The Linney on Saturday (July 11) to mark 100 years of the club’s existence.

Centenary celebrations include plans for members and guests to try all three sports on offer at the club – crown green bowling, tennis and croquet.

With membership of bowls and tennis sections together totalling more than 200 and with a newly-formed croquet section also growing fast, the club is in a strong position on sports and social fronts.

The bowls section has one of the finest crown greens in the county for both friendly and league matches, while the tennis club this year completed a £50,000-plus project to lay two artificial clay courts to go alongside its AstroCarpet and Tarmac surfaces.

It now offers the largest variety of outdoor, all-weather playing surfaces in Shropshire and has a thriving LTA-standard coaching programme for juniors and adults.

It is a case of ‘back to the future’ on croquet, since, when the club formed 100 years ago, the sport was played at The Linney grounds. At some stage, though, croquet went missing.

However, a couple of years ago, acquisition of land adjoining the Bowls and Tennis Club for a car park and green area sparked new enthusiasm for the game of mallet and hoops, so this physically gentle but highly tactical sport is on offer once more.

With major input from Bowls and Tennis Joint Committee secretary, David Davies, a total makeover of the clubhouse has also been achieved in the centenary year, with a new bar and seating area, and new shower and toilet facilities.

Both Ludlow Castle bowls and tennis sections have decades-long pedigrees of strong performances and promotions in various Shropshire and Herefordshire leagues.

“Over the years, the club has survived fire and water. We had a serious blaze at the clubhouse in 1985 and the floods of a few years back even saw canoeists on the tennis courts,” said joint committee chairman John Nash.

“However, we’ve overcome the setbacks. We’ve made great sporting achievements in winning bowls and tennis leagues at various levels over the years, and we’re also a relaxed and welcoming social club for anyone who just wants to try our sports on a friendly basis while enjoying the fantastic backdrop of Ludlow Castle and St Laurence’s Church.”