History

Brookfield Bowling Club was founded in 1901, thanks to the generosity of Peter Kerr, who organised and financed the original bowling green and croquet lawn, and subsequently gifted the land to the village. The green was officially opened in June 1903. A report in the Renfrewshire Gazette at the time referred to the Brookfield Bowling and Croquet Club. The croquet lawn was situated where the present west tennis court is, and was intended to provide relaxation for the wives of the bowlers. By 1909 the croquet lawn had become a tennis court and the club was known as the Brookfield Bowling & Tennis Club.

In the years up to 1910, when ownership of the green passed from Peter Kerr to a newly formed organisation called “The Brookfield Hall & Bowling Pavilion” Peter Kerr charged the club an annual rent of 75% of their surplus each year. From 1910 the new owners had to pay Peter Kerr an annual feu duty of £10 until 1944, when the feu was transferred to the Bowling & Tennis Club for £150. The ownership of the land ultimately passed to the Village Council in 1964.

During the 1914 to 1918 war years the ladies were encouraged to play bowls along with the men, and this continued after the war had ended. In fact, Brookfield Bowling green was unusual in Scottish bowling circles in that both men and ladies played joint games, except on Tuesday afternoons, which were reserved for the ladies only, and Tuesday evenings which were reserved for men only. This Tuesday “allocation” still applies today.

The original Constitution of the club was adopted on 3 March 1910, and the club was one of the healthiest organisations in the village in the years up to the start of the First World War. As such, it bore the brunt of expenditure on the upkeep and maintenance of the village hall. A Bowling Club financial statement for 1914/15 shows 66 members paying 5 different rates of subscription. In 1950 the bowling club members voted by 38 votes to 25 to allow Sunday play on the green.

The oldest bowling trophy is the Thomson Cup, which was won by Hugh Hamilton in 1903. The ladies singles trophy is the Charles H. Johnson Trophy which was first played for in 1933 and was won by Miss I. C. Craig. The Bowling & Tennis Club was disbanded in 1973, when the new hall was built, and separate clubs were formed. Membership of the club extends to all neighbouring towns and villages, and is not confined to Brookfield residents. The gentlemen and ladies of the club have enjoyed considerable success in competitions outwith the club.