Bowling in Hawke’s Bay: Ten-Pin and Lawn Bowls in Napier and Hastings

In Hawke’s Bay the word “bowling” points to two completely different games. One is ten-pin bowling, played indoors by rolling a drilled ball down a polished wooden or synthetic lane to knock over ten pins. The other is lawn bowls, played outdoors (or under cover) by rolling weighted, lopsided bowls across a flat green towards a small target ball called the jack. This guide covers both codes across Napier, Hastings, Havelock North, Taradale and Bay View, so you can find the right venue whether you want a casual night out with friends or a club to join.

Ten-pin bowling vs lawn bowls: what’s the difference?

The two sports share a name and the general idea of rolling something towards a target, but almost everything else is different. Knowing which one you mean avoids confusion when you search for a venue, because a “bowling club” in Hawke’s Bay almost always means lawn bowls, not ten-pin.

• Ten-pin bowling is indoor, year-round, and pay-as-you-play. You hire a lane, roll a ball at ten pins, and a machine resets them. It suits one-off visits, birthdays and rainy-day outings. The full frame-by-frame scoring is explained in our guide to ten-pin bowling rules.
• Lawn bowls is an outdoor green sport organised through member clubs. You roll biased (curved-path) bowls towards the jack over a series of “ends”. It suits people who want regular, social, competitive play and who may want to join a club. Beginners can start with our step-by-step guide on how to play lawn bowls.

Hawke’s Bay is unusual in that it has only one dedicated ten-pin venue but many lawn bowls clubs, so the two codes are covered separately below.

Ten-pin bowling in Hawke’s Bay

There is one dedicated ten-pin bowling alley in Hawke’s Bay: Superstrike Hastings, on Omahu Road in Hastings. No standalone ten-pin centre currently operates in Napier, so Hastings is the destination for the whole region if you want pins and lanes rather than a green.

Where to go ten-pin bowling

Superstrike Hastings sits at 608 Omahu Road, on the western side of Hastings. The venue has offered ten-pin bowling to Hawke’s Bay for more than 30 years. Because it is the only alley in the region, it draws players from Napier, Havelock North and the smaller surrounding towns as well as Hastings itself. Lanes are indoors, so weather is never a factor.

Prices, hours and glow bowling

Ten-pin bowling at Superstrike is charged per game, and shoe hire is included in the game price — a useful point, because many alleys charge for shoes separately. The rates below come from the venue’s public visitor listing and are a guide only; confirm the current prices and opening hours with the alley before you travel, as these change.

• Adults: around $14 for one game, with cheaper rates for two or three games in a session.
• Children (up to 13): around $11 for one game.
• Seniors (55+): a reduced single-game rate.
• Spectators: free entry if you are only watching.

The alley opens from mid-morning most days and stays open later on Friday and Saturday nights. Glow bowling — bowling under neon and glow-in-the-dark lighting — runs on Friday and Saturday evenings from around 5pm, which is the busiest and most popular time, so booking a lane ahead is wise for groups.

What you need to bring

Very little. Ten-pin alleys supply the balls and the pins, and at Superstrike the flat-soled hire shoes are built into the price. You cannot bowl in street shoes, because outdoor soles damage the approach and are unsafe on it — this is standard at every alley, and we explain the reasoning in our guide to whether you need your own bowling shoes. Wear comfortable clothing you can swing an arm freely in. Only regular visitors or league players tend to buy their own ball and shoes.

Lawn bowls in Hawke’s Bay

Lawn bowls is the far larger bowling code in Hawke’s Bay, with clubs spread across Napier, Taradale, Hastings, Havelock North and the wider region. Unlike ten-pin, lawn bowls is organised through membership clubs, though almost all of them welcome casual visitors and run come-and-try or social sessions during the season.

Bowls Hawke’s Bay: the regional centre

Bowls Hawke’s Bay is the regional “centre” that affiliates the local clubs to Bowls New Zealand, the national body. The centre has existed in its modern form since 1933, when the area was reorganised into its own bowling centre. If you are deciding where to play, the centre and the Bowls New Zealand club finder are the best places to confirm which clubs are currently active, their contact details and their open days, because individual clubs’ hours and membership change from season to season.

Lawn bowls clubs in Napier and Taradale

Napier and neighbouring Taradale have several clubs, each with its own character:

• Bowls Napier — based at 35 Herrick Street in the Art Deco suburb of Marewa. It was formed in 1999 from the merger of the Napier and Marewa bowling clubs and offers natural and artificial greens, a Tuesday twilight league, coaching and a youth (rangatahi) programme. The clubhouse is generally open daily from the late afternoon.
• Bluff Hill — on Lighthouse Road above the port, this club dates to the 1890s and is well known for one of the best sea views of any bowling green in New Zealand. It plays on a single grass green.
• Bowls Omarunui — at Lee Road in central Taradale, with a natural green and an artificial (carpet) green. Club days typically run on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, open to members and visitors.
• Bay View — founded in 1978 and based at the Petane War Memorial Domain north of Napier, serving the Bay View community.

Lawn bowls clubs in Hastings and Havelock North

The Hastings side of the region has its own cluster of clubs:

• Bowls Hastings — at 308 Victoria Street, Hastings, with a covered artificial green that allows play all year round, plus a Wednesday twilight league, coaching and a youth programme.
• National Service — a Hastings club based on Market Street, playing on a natural grass green.
• Bowls Havelock North — one of the largest clubs in Hawke’s Bay, established in 1916 with roughly 198 members and two all-weather artificial greens that let it play through the year.

Membership counts and green numbers shift over time, so treat the figures above as a snapshot and check with the club directly before you turn up.

Trying lawn bowls as a beginner

Most Hawke’s Bay clubs run social or “barefoot” sessions where newcomers can roll a few bowls with no experience and no gear. The club lends you a set of bowls for the session, so you do not need to buy anything to start. If you decide to play regularly, our guide to the best lawn bowls for beginners explains how to choose your own set later. The one thing to get right from day one is footwear: greens require flat, smooth-soled shoes that will not mark the surface, and at social sessions bare feet are often allowed instead — our guide to the lawn bowls dress code and shoes covers exactly what is accepted.

Ten-pin or lawn bowls: which suits you?

Pick the code that matches how you want to play rather than assuming the two are interchangeable. The front-line difference is commitment: ten-pin is a drop-in activity, while lawn bowls rewards regular play through a club.

• Choose ten-pin at Superstrike Hastings if you want a casual, indoor, pay-as-you-go outing — a birthday, a group night, a rainy afternoon with the kids, or glow bowling on a Friday. No membership, no booking commitment, shoes included.
• Choose a lawn bowls club if you want an ongoing, social, outdoor sport, cheap once you are a member, with competition grades, coaching and a clubhouse community. It suits retirees and working-age players alike, and twilight leagues make it accessible after work.

Families often do both: a one-off ten-pin visit in Hastings, and a come-and-try lawn bowls session at a local club to see whether it sticks.

Costs compared

The two codes are priced in opposite ways. Ten-pin is a per-visit cost with nothing to pay in between; lawn bowls has a yearly membership but very low per-game cost after that.

• Ten-pin: roughly $14 per adult game at Superstrike Hastings, shoes included, with no ongoing fees. A family of four playing a game each is a one-off spend of well under $60.
• Lawn bowls: annual club membership fees vary by club and age group, but a casual come-and-try session is usually free or a few dollars. Buying your own bowls is optional and can wait until you are sure you want to keep playing.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few avoidable errors trip up first-timers in both codes:

• Confusing the two sports when searching. A Hawke’s Bay “bowling club” is almost always lawn bowls. If you want pins and lanes, search specifically for ten-pin or for Superstrike Hastings.
• Driving to Napier for ten-pin. There is no standalone ten-pin alley in Napier — the region’s alley is in Hastings.
• Turning up in the wrong shoes. Ten-pin needs flat hire shoes (street shoes are not allowed on the approach); lawn bowls needs flat, non-marking soles or bare feet. Wearing the wrong footwear can mean you are turned away.
• Assuming prices and hours are fixed. The figures in this guide are a starting point. Venue prices, opening times and glow-bowling schedules change, so confirm with the venue or club before you go.
• Thinking you need gear to start lawn bowls. Clubs lend bowls for social sessions. Buy your own only once you are committed.

Getting started: your first visit

For ten-pin, phone or check Superstrike Hastings’ current hours, and book a lane in advance for Friday or Saturday nights or for a group. Arrive a few minutes early to collect hire shoes and pick a ball that feels comfortable — a lighter ball is easier to control than a heavy one. Newcomers also find a quick read of bowling alley etiquette helps them fit in on the lanes.

For lawn bowls, contact a club near you — Bowls Napier, Bowls Omarunui, Bowls Hastings or Bowls Havelock North are good starting points — and ask about their next come-and-try or social session. Wear flat shoes or go barefoot, bring a hat and sunscreen for the open greens, and let the club lend you bowls for the first few games.

Vanliga frågor (FAQ)

Is there a ten-pin bowling alley in Napier?

No. Hawke’s Bay’s only dedicated ten-pin bowling alley is Superstrike Hastings, at 608 Omahu Road in Hastings. Napier residents who want ten-pin travel the short distance to Hastings, while Napier itself is well served by lawn bowls clubs.

How much does ten-pin bowling cost in Hawke’s Bay?

At Superstrike Hastings a single adult game is around $14, with cheaper rates for two or three games and reduced prices for children and seniors. Shoe hire is included in the game price, and spectators enter free. Prices change, so confirm them with the venue before visiting.

What is glow bowling?

Glow bowling is ten-pin bowling played under neon and glow-in-the-dark lighting instead of normal lights, which makes the lanes, pins and balls appear to glow. Superstrike Hastings runs glow sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings from about 5pm, and they are the busiest sessions of the week.

Do I need to join a club to play lawn bowls?

Not to try it. Most Hawke’s Bay clubs run social or barefoot sessions where anyone can roll a few bowls, borrow a set from the club and pay little or nothing. Membership only becomes worthwhile if you want to play regularly or enter competitions.

Which lawn bowls clubs are in Napier and Hastings?

Napier and Taradale clubs include Bowls Napier in Marewa, Bluff Hill, Bowls Omarunui in Taradale and Bay View. Around Hastings you will find Bowls Hastings, National Service and Bowls Havelock North. All are affiliated to the Bowls Hawke’s Bay centre, which can confirm current open days.