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This brief history was written by Steve Narmontas in 2025

Real estate developer Ross W. Cortese pioneered the concept of age-restricted, amenity-rich retirement communities in California. In 1963 Cortese began construction of Leisure World Laguna Hills on 3,500 acres of rural land in Orange County, and the first residents moved in by the end of 1964. Amenities at Leisure World included clubhouses, swimming pools, golf courses, tennis courts, and yes, lawn bowling greens. Even before the greens were ready, a small group of early residents familiar with lawn bowling introduced their neighbors to the game at the Laguna Beach Lawn Bowling Club. Leisure World’s two bowling greens were opened to residents in September 1966, and the Laguna Hills Lawn Bowling Club was founded with around 40 members and Ellery Files as its first president. 

The club thrived and grew quickly with 228 members in 1967, just one year after the club was formed. Due to the club's popularity, there was both a morning game and an afternoon game played every day. By 1976, there were over 500 members and a third bowling green was built to meet the demand. This third green was located at Clubhouse 1, about a mile away from the original two greens at Clubhouse 2 

There was only a small shack-sized storage building when the first two greens were ready for play in 1966. Ten years later in 1976, the building was enlarged and remodeled into a respectable clubhouse. The club contributed significant funds towards furnishings, a trophy case, a kitchen, and restrooms. At the same time, a separate building was added at the other end of the greens with rooms for greens equipment, a small workshop, and storage of member’s bowls. Another clubhouse renovation was completed in 1992, creating a larger, brighter space with additional windows, sliding doors, air conditioning, and an expanded patio. This update was paid for in part by a generous bequest from a former club member. 

A weekly community newspaper called the Leisure World News featured a Lawn Bowling News column. The hundreds of columns published through the decades and preserved by the club in scrapbooks tell the story of a flourishing lawn bowling club from its founding in 1966 through the early 2000’s. The club hosted, and members competed in, many divisional and national tournaments during those years. 

Among the regular club member-only competitions was an Octogenarian tournament for those in their eighties. On the second Wednesday of every month, there was a Men’s singles tournament (Stag Day) and a Women’s singles tournament (Golden Apple Day). There were regularly scheduled singles, pairs, and triples tournaments for men, women, and mixed teams. Social events included two dinner dances each year, a White Hat luncheon to honor club volunteers, and many holiday-themed gatherings. 

Visitations, where two lawn bowling clubs arranged to play each other for a day of friendly competition, were common. The club hosted visitations with Holmby Park, Newport Harbor, and Laguna Beach as well as other clubs. A bus would be chartered by the club to transport members to away visitations. 

Through the 1980's and early 1990's the club offered training that included an orientation session followed by eight 1½ hour lessons. Those who completed the course were welcomed as new members at an inauguration ceremony. The 1992 Annual General Meeting minutes reported that the training course produced 43 new bowlers, bringing the total membership to 389. 

Oddly the club split into two clubs for a number of years. In 1978, the club was informed by the American Lawn Bowling Association (ALBA) that all male club members must pay ALBA dues. However, many club members did not want to pay the ALBA dues because they had no interest in playing in ALBA tournaments. The solution was to create a second club called Saddleback Lawn Bowling Club, with 100% ALBA membership for those interested in tournament play. Women who paid dues to the American Women’s Lawn Bowling Association (AWLBA) were also part of the newly formed Saddleback club. The local newspaper's lawn bowling columns for this period rarely mentioned there were two clubs, and it's possible the Saddleback club was not truly independent. This arrangement lasted until 1986 when the Saddleback club reunited with the Laguna Hills club which began paying ALBA dues for all its members.

The third green at Clubhouse 1 was eliminated in the early 2000s. Interest in lawn bowling was declining and Leisure World management needed the space for a modernization project which included a new recreation center. Around 2012, the two original grass greens at Clubhouse 2 were replaced with a synthetic carpet to reduce the costs of maintenance and water. However, the job was poorly done and the artificial greens were difficult to play on. The two greens were properly redone with a world-class True Draw carpet in 2018, which is still in use and enjoyed today. 

The club became the Laguna Woods Lawn Bowling Club when Leisure World was renamed to Laguna Woods Village in 2005. Today, the club's primary focus is to support the game for Village residents with only a small number of club members bowling competitively in Division tournaments. The club has grown its membership since the Covid-19 Pandemic and reached 160 members by mid-2025. 

Currently, free lessons are offered to Village residents twice a week. The club offers social games six days a week plus a more competitive game every Friday. Monthly bowl-and-lunch events typically draw over 50 members, and all 16 rinks are in play for the bi-annual Knockout tournaments. The club's popular Friday Fun Nite, offered monthly, includes a potluck and a 10- end game. The club is promoted to Village residents through flyers, a weekly Village newspaper article, and an actively maintained website at LWLBC.ORG. The club hosts several Southwest Division tournaments each year and hosts the Division's annual Holiday Ladies' Day celebration. Although membership numbers are down compared to the club’s glory days, the club continues to be a valued resource for the Laguna Woods Village community.