Terry Youngman's probably played more than 7200 games at the Papamoa Sports Indoor Bowls Club. That's a lot of roll-ups.

Four games every Tuesday night for nine months of the year – and for 50 years.

The 50-year founding member: Papamoa indoor bowler Terry Youngman. Photo by Bruce Barnard.

Terry Youngman, 79, was a farmer in Bells Road when a couple of locals, Roy Halcrow and Gordon Flay, talked him into trying indoor bowls. He did, he liked it and became one of the club's founding members.

The club started in the old Papamoa Hall on the main Tauranga to Te Puke highway before moving to the Gordon Spratt Reserve. They begged and borrowed mats and bowls until the club was sufficiently financial to buy its own.

And this year the founding member Terry and patron of 27 years will help the Papamoa Sports Indoor Bowls Club celebrate its 50^th anniversary. On Sunday, September 6, the club will hold a luncheon for past and present members.

'Indoor bowls is a bit like golf – it gets into your soul, gets into your blood,” says Terry. 'It also looks a simple game, but it takes some skill.”

And he's done okay at indoor bowls. He's just checked the honours board and has won a few championships over the 50 years. Fifty-seven, in fact, including one national title, the New Zealand mixed fours in 1978.

That was with Jim Pratt and his wife, and his own wife Shirley. She doesn't play anymore. 'She reckons we got too competitive. Well there's no point playing a game to come second.”

He was also runner-up at the invitation masters singles one year – 'But no-one remembers a runner-up.”

The Papamoa club has a consistent membership of about 60 when many other clubs are struggling. 'But not many younger ones,” says Terry. 'They have too many other things to do.”

However he's optimistic about the future. He understands the annual AIMS Games for intermediate-aged kids has about 200 entries for the indoor bowls.

If you wish to register for the Papamoa Bowls 50^th anniversary in September, please email Dave on dandvhagan@kinect.co.nz or phone 021 995 208.