St. Petersburg Lawn Bowling Club

The St. Petersburg Lawn Bowling Club is the oldest formally organized lawn bowling organization in Florida and the tenth oldest club in the United States. Sited to the northeast and adjacent to the Mirror Lake Shuffleboard Court, it is also the only location officially recognized by the American Lawn Bowls Association for the testing of bowls. The club has habitually sponsored a variety of functions for its members. These include lectures and A.L.B.A.-recognized bowling tournaments. The first National Open Lawn Bowling Winter Tournament was hosted by the St. Petersburg Lawn Bowling Club in 1926. This tournament is still held at the club on alternate years. The tournament for the championship of the Southeast Division of the A.L.B.A. is also held at the club each year. The membership of the club grew steadily until it reached a peak of 483 in 1952-53. The St. Petersburg Lawn Bowling Club is still actively in use today, catering to seasonal winter residents and some permanent year-round residents. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.