FOR 40 years country bowlers have made the journey to Bendigo in March to catch up with mates, have a beer and, of course, bowl.
Bendigo Country Week Bowls, which is staged at 11 bowls clubs throughout Bendigo, is only open to bowlers who live more than 15 kilometres from Bendigo, as a way of promoting the social event to country bowlers.
For tournament directors and others at the heart of the event, one thing is for sure: Bendigo’s Country Week is not for “pot-hunters” but rather for friends to get together on the green.
Four men have stood at the helm of the historic Bendigo Bowls Club event, including The Advertiser/WIN TV Hall of Fame Member Herb Hesse, as well as Malcolm Macdonald, Reg Marslen and Geoff Briggs.
The late Hesse was among those involved in the first Country Week tournament in 1970.
For 30 of the 40 years that the tournament has been in existence, Herb was tournament director with wife Jean at his side, and was passionate about creating an event for country bowlers.
“Herb did it for 30 years, and even when he pulled out he was still on the committee, and I suppose I was his chief backstop,” Jean said.
“If Herb was in anything he wasn’t in with just his little finger, he was in with all of him. He just really loved the week and meeting up with so many country bowlers.”
When Herb called it a day in 2000, Malcolm Macdonald was left with the difficult tasks of carrying on the Hesses’ legacy to Bendigo Bowls and bringing the tournament into the 21st century.
“When Herb handed the event over to me he gave me a pile of papers with hand-written notes on how to run Country Week, obviously with 30 years experience, and I looked it and thought 'there’s got to be a better way!'” Malcolm said.
“I was reasonably computer literate so I put it all onto a spreadsheet so I could actually allocate them the greens they were going to play on.”
Although the tournament has experienced technological changes, some of its older ideals, such as participation and mateship, are certain to remain.
Reg Marslen, who assumed the tournament director role from 2005, said if you came to the event to win, you were at the wrong tournament.
“If you’re going to come here to win it, then you’re going to get some awful surprises because that’s not what this event is about,” Reg said.
“It’s all about the people you meet. I live out in Sale now, and I still have people from out that way come up to me and say 'Hey Reg' and they knew me from this event.”
Forty years may have passed since Country Week’s first event, but current director Geoff Briggs intends to keep the legacy of the event intact.
“Most people come here to experience what the week is all about, and that is what’s unique about this event. Although it is very competitive the spirit amongst the players is different to anywhere you go.
“It’s not about winning. It really is a legacy to the way Herb and Jean set it up.”
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