History

The Malone Bowling Club was founded in 1966, as a Section of the Malone Golf Club, just after the Golf Club moved in 1962 to its present site at Ballydrain in South Belfast. 

Those prominent in the early days included :- Jim Bridges, the Golf Club Greenkeeper; Alex McLean, John Johnston, Francis Forth, Pearson Elliott, Percy Watson, (of  P.Watson Stadium fame) and Don Clarke.

The bowling green was located within the walled garden of the estate, which had previously been owned by Mr John Barbour Morrison, a director of the Ulster Spinning Company, who had bought it from the Montgomery family.  The walled garden, including a heated glasshouse, provided vegetables, fruit and flowers for the kitchen and house on the estate.   The remains of the head gardener’s house can still be seen beside the entrance gate to the bowling green. 

The Golf Club Council gave their wholehearted support to the venture of establishing a bowling green in this unique situation, so as to provide lawn bowls as an activity for some of the senior members.Entry into the Private Greens League, Junior Division, under the Presidency of Alex McLean, was a great occasion for the Club.     The Ladies’ Bowling Section was formed a year later, when Elsie McLean, following the precedent set by her husband, became the first Lady President.

As year followed year the Club gradually began to win a few matches, and finally reached the peak of playing in the semi-final of the P.G.L. Junior Cup, only to be defeated.    However the outcome of this success was promotion of the Malone Bowling Club to the Senior League, Second Division where it has stayed to this day.     In 2008, at the time of a reorganisation of the P.G. League structure, Malone avoided relegation from the Senior Division, by only half a point.

The men’s section joined the NI Veterans’ Bowling League in 1980 , and have played in the league, cups, and championships since then.
 
The Bowling Club was honoured when;
- in 1990 Harding McDonald was elected as President of the Private Greens League, 
- in 2003 Maeve Jordan was elected as Lady President of the N.I. Women’s Private Green League, and 
- in 2008 Eric Mairs was elected as President of the NI Veterans Bowling Association.