Timeless Greens: The Redlands LBC Story

For more than a century, the Redlands Lawn Bowling Club has been more than a place to play. It has been a living partnership between city, sport, and community; a rare blend of tradition, teamwork, and tenacity that continues to thrive in the heart of the Inland Empire.

Founded officially in 1923, and now the second oldest club in Southern California, RLBC, the club grew from the vision of Melvin L. Hooper, who brought his love of lawn bowls from Winnipeg, Canada, and his friend Dr. Frank H. Folkins. Together, they lobbied the city for a bowling green in Sylvan Park, across from the University of Redlands, where the club still plays today. This partnership between the club and the city has endured for more than one hundred years, during which time the club has lovingly maintained its greens and clubhouse, while the city has supported major improvements; a model of collaboration that has kept the greens immaculate and the sport alive.

Redlands Founder Chaired 1932 World Tourney

From its earliest days, Redlands became known not only for its fine playing surface but for its people. The founders and their families helped launch other Southern California clubs, hosted international tournaments, and shaped the early structure of competitive lawn bowling in the United States. Hooper himself chaired the 1932 World Tournament in Los Angeles, held alongside the Olympics, bringing global attention to the sport. Dr. Folkins’s sons, Richard (Dick) and Hugh, both rose to become U.S. Lawn Bowls Hall of Fame members. Dick won more national and world titles than any American of his era, while Hugh — after surviving polio and learning to bowl again using a metal cup attached to his shoe — became an inspiration to bowlers everywhere.

Top Prospects for a Generation

The Redlands club has also been home to Betty Ewen, one of the United States’ earliest internationally recognized female bowlers, and Leland Bain won multiple titles, including the 1993 Open Singles Championship, Canadian Commonwealth Northern All-Star Singles, and the Pacific-Intermountain Division A.L.B.A. State Triples Championship, as well as representing our country in Hong Kong in 1989.

Today, under the guidance of coach Mauricio Cadavid, the club continues its winning ways, claiming top finishes in the Citrus League and continuing participation in the Southwest Division. Beyond the trophies, however, the club remains true to its roots; a place where families, couples, and friends gather to learn, play, and share in a timeless game that still echoes across the greens of Sylvan Park.