The NSW Central Coast has welcomed back their local bowling club after a five-year journey.
Five years after a fire destroyed The Greens, The Entrance, the Central Coast-based club has officially reopened its doors with a brand new $21 million clubhouse and undercover bowling greens.
The redevelopment, led by Graphite Architects and Collaborative Construction Solutions, was officially opened by the Minister for the Central Coast and Gaming and Racing David Harris, alongside Mingara Leisure Group chair Phil Walker and outgoing CEO Paul Barnett.
“The rebuilding of the new club house and the state-of-the-art undercover bowling greens demonstrates why clubs are important to their local community, particularly this one, which has been the locals club for over 80 years,” Barnett said.
“Neighbourhood clubs create spaces for locals with common interests for recreation, social connection and community contribution and this makes a significant contribution to the community of The Entrance.”
Since 2019 when the club amalgamated with Mingara Leisure Group, the team has worked tirelessly to rebuild the club from the ground up, navigating not only the aftermath of the fire but also extended Covid lockdowns.
“We are grateful to club members for staying with us over the last few years, as we navigated some pretty difficult times, including extended Covid lockdowns,” Barnett said.
“We committed to the members the new club with undercover bowling greens would be built and we have delivered on this promise. The feedback from our members has been very humbling, with many telling us they’re ‘happy to be back home’.
“It’s sentiments like these that reinforce the importance of our vision ‘to make a significant contribution to the quality of community life’. The Greens, The Entrance will forever be the locals club.”
Located near The Entrance and Blue Bay, The Greens now features competition-standard bowling facilities, barefoot and glow bowls, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, and full TAB facilities. Plus, a bar stocked with a large selection of classic and craft beers, and a new dining venue called Theo’s, named after the club’s first greenkeeper, Theo Callaghan, offering a menu of old favourites and Mediterranean-inspired dishes.