The sun is shining on a sleepy Tuesday morning and a couple of volunteers are quietly readying the greens at the Orange City Bowling Club.
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The calm scene will be a lot different next week when the club holds one of Australia's most renowned lawn bowls tournaments, the City of Orange Golden Eagle Pairs from February 27 - March 1.
Players from more than 30 clubs across the country will descend on the Colour City including Australian representative Ben Twist going up against the local contingent led by City club champion and past winner Bernie Diduszko.
Orange City chairperson Ray Wilson said in an era where bowls was going through some big changes, events like the Golden Eagle helped keep it growing.
"I think it's important for events like this [to be held]," he said.
"Bowls over the years [has changed] due to people's different work environments and family commitments with grandparents looking after kids at sport on weekends.
"So numbers have dropped in the bowling fraternity for a number of years now and we think that by keeping this kind of an event going it keeps up the profile of the sport.
"It's a low impact sport, anybody can play it and we even have some wheelchair players coming to events.
"So it's open to young and old and to people of all levels of experience."
A unique trophy
The Golden Eagle trophy is instantly recognisable and is the handiwork of Fred and Bill Bennett who spent hours researching and creating a mould from which the trophy was born.
So impressive was the design the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles tried to buy the mould but Bill instead destroyed it to ensure the Golden Eagle trophy would be one of a kind.
More than half a century later the event is still the biggest event in the club's calendar.
"It is one of the biggest in the state, my word," Mr Wilson said.
"It's highly regarded, which is why we get so many top level players and last year we were really fortunate because we had a lot of international players here in Australia.
"They all came to the event because it has such a high profile state and Australia wide."
There will be $20,000 worth of prize money on offer with first place taking home $5000.
February 28 will also see a sportsman's night held at the club featuring Manly legend Mark "Spud" Carroll, tickets can be purchased at club reception.
If you would like to find out more about the Golden Eagle you can contact Mr Wilson at 0417 681 394.
The club would like to thank Clear Water Tanks and Orange City Council for their continued support.
