Braving chilly temperatures and rain which threatened to wash out the last of the day's play, a full-field of 32 bowlers came out to kick off the first of the club's 10 events scheduled for the year. The rain only managed to scare off one of the contestants (*cough* Fred Robles *cough* *cough*) but did not halt play and in the end all 4 matches were played and the event successfully completed.

Mike Ruggles has taken up the mantle of tournament director for the club's Bowler of the Year events and so far, so great. The next event is also 3-bowl pairs and is scheduled to take place on March 10th.

Huge thanks to everyone who came out to play and to Jim White who was a huge help with the score keeping.

Looking forward to a great year bowling with everyone!

(Editor's note - will add in the 2nd through 4th place team photos once they're sent in)

To call Winter League 2019 a challenge would be an understatement on a few levels. In spite of the weather, and other organizational issues, we managed to play the majority of the season and wrap up with some fun matches.

Taking 1st Place in Silver was Newport Harbor 1 - Captained by Bill Buchanan. The Silver final took place in Long Beach against the team from Holmby Park.

The Gold League played their final up in Beverly Hills with Newport 4 taking on the team from Santa Monica in a bit of a David vs. Goliath. Unfortunately, Goliath won this round and Newport 4 took home 2nd place overall.

A huge thanks to all the teams who weathered the rain-outs and to the clubs who played host throughout the season.

The deadline to renew your membership for 2019 is rapidly approaching. February 15th is the last day for 2018 members to renew their memberships at the $175.00 price.

Renewing your membership has never been more convenient with the addition of PayPal through our website! 
Simply follow the link HERE and follow the instructions on the page. You can even pre-pay your greens-fees for the entire year for only $70.00. That's $1.49/week for the remainder of the year and you get a fancy sticker on your clubhouse name tag designed and donated by Jimmer Wysopal.

Additionally, you can also still pay by check at the club as you've always done in the past should you wish to.

2019 is going to be an exciting year for our club with some new and exciting events hosted by our Social Committee, upgrades to our clubhouse and greens, and some fun changes to our monthly club tournaments.

If you have any questions please email: info@newportharborlbc.com

Hope to see you all out on the greens!

Contributed By Mike Ruggles

On the weekend of January 5 & 6 the annual general meetings for the Southwest Division were held. The women met on Saturday 1/5 at Long Beach and the men met on Sunday 1/6 at Laguna Woods. Both events were well attended with representatives from each Club as well as a plethora of volunteers, supporters and other mutually interested parties.

In addition to confirming the 2019 schedule of events and discussing a variety of topics, each group also elected a new Board of Directors to continue the vision of those who have previously served. The newly elected Boards for the men and the women are:​

MEN
President – Sean McMorris
Vice President – Mike Ruggles
Secretary – Gary Barnes
Treasurer – Tom Hargraves
Counselor – Gary Barnes
 
WOMEN
President – Kottia Spangler
Vice President – Linda Roberts
Secretary – Verna Wallace
Treasurer – Nancy Doss
Counselor – Margi Rambo


Being an elite division doesn’t happen accidentally. It seems to be the perfect blend of competitive bowlers, visionary leadership, passionate volunteers and the loyal support of every Club. Thank you for being involved! Please stay up to date on upcoming events, opportunities and news by visiting the Southwest Division website:swlawnbowls.org

Over 25 bowlers came out for the Ugly Sweater Competition and Bowls. Bill Buchanan took home first prize on the sweater competition and everyone enjoyed themselves.

It's been a great year of social activities put on by the Social Committee and we're looking forward to a terrific 2019 ahead.

​

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Sun City Center, Florida hosted the 2018 US National Championships last week and, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, Newport Harbor's representation kind of owned most everything.

Anne Nunes followed up her 2017 Women's Singles championship with an absolutely dominant partnership with Kottia Spangler. The two went undefeated and took home the Gold. Anne also was terrific in going live on Facebook to broadcast the Men's Pairs playoff finals!

Charlie Herbert also took on a competitive field and finished undefeated in the Men's Singles. Charlie has now won the US Men's Singles Championship for two years in a row. The last to accomplish that for the men was Anne Nunes' father, Bob back in 2001 & 2002. 

Mert Isaacman and Dave Stennes finished second in the Men's Pairs after a terrific 3-way tie resulted in a two round playoff which Anne broadcast on Facebook.

For those keeping score - there are 4 events and Newport bowlers finished in the top 2 on 3 of them. Certainly a testament to the talent we've cultivated at this club over the years and continue to generate as we look to the success Newport has had in recent years as well.

Congratulations to Anne, Charlie, Mert and Dave!

Left to Right: Adriana Sandoval, Joanne Hedgespeth, Lee Ang, Kottia Spangler, Charlie Herbert, Anne Nunes, Flor Wright, Dave Stennes, James Chang, Mert Isaacman, Alan Ngo, and Robert Busciglio (doing his best, "Am I in the right place?" expression)