Greenwood Men's Group Enjoys Sports

Our Most Popular Sports

Bocce Ball

Pickleball

Cornhole

Other Sports We May Play

Ping Pong

We occasionally play ping pong, usually at the permanent table in Greenwood Park.

Entrance to Greenwood Park

There is also a table in the Woodland Park Lawn Bowling Club clubhouse.  If you're a ping pong afficionado and we're near a table, just ask if anyone wants to play…there will be someone to take you up on your offer.

Croquet

Some of the group members have recently developed an interest in croquet. This is real croquet, not the kind you may have played when you were a kid.

Fortunately, the Woodland Park Lawn Bowling Club has excellent grounds and all the croquet equipment you may need.  They also have highly skilled and experienced players who will show you how to play.

This is a thinking man's game with a ton of strategy involved. You must carefully weigh the odds and take your stroke carefully.  Loads of fun!

Croquet Enthusiasts at Woodland Park Lawn Bowling Club

Besides men's group croquet, the club has croquet Open Houses every Tuesday evening (May to September). The public is invited to play croquet 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at no charge. The necessary equipment is provided by the club, together with instruction in golf croquet, the simplest form of the game.

Lawn Bowling

You may have heard of lawn bowling, where Englishmen dressed in starched whites and Panama hats play a very refined game.

Lawn Bowling Has a Long History

Well, at the Woodland Park Lawn Bowling Club, it’s more relaxed than that!  The Greenwood Men's Group has played a few games of lawn bowling under the guidance of an instructor.  It's similar to bocce ball in some ways although the ball is constructed so that it doesn't go in a straight line.

Bowler Warming Up on Woodland Park Lawn Bowling Club Green

Lawn bowling has Open Houses during the summer season where the public can participate for free. Instruction and equipment are provided. Check with the Club website calendar or get onto their mailing list for the schedule.  As a side note, there are winter curling players who transition over to summer lawn bowling, just to keep in shape. 

Horseshoes

The men's group is trying to assemble enough horseshoes so that we can pitch horseshoes in Woodland Park.  The horseshoe pits are next door to the bocce ball courts that we often use. We look forward to pitching some shoes soon.  Is this something that you would like to do?  Let us know.

Men Playing Horseshoes in the Park

The Washington Horseshoe Pitching Association has tournaments at the Woodland Park pits. Association members are friendly and hoping that the men's group can participate in their activities in the future. They will be happy to teach newcomers the tricks of the trade.

Dragon Boat Racing

This could be exciting!  We are working on getting into a canoe for some dragon boat racing on Lake Union.  This is something that the men's group could do as a team.

Dragon Boats in Union Bay

Dragon boating is a boat of 20 paddlers, a drummer, and a steersperson paddling to cross the finish line faster than their competition. It's a team sport that encompasses the elements of power, speed, synchronization, and endurance.

It can accommodate a wide range of skill levels from novice to competitive.  It’s a low-impact, full-body workout for people of any experience level, not to mention that it's lots of fun!  The Seattle Flying Dragon Boat Club says they can make a paddler out of anyone - it's all about time on the water. 

If you're not in good shape, don't worry. We don't care...just do what you can…we don't have to prove anything to anyone.

Senior Games - Power Walking

Have you heard of the Washington State Senior Games? Maybe you played a sport in high school or college or as a freelancer -- but you haven't done anything recently…or you kept it up?  Either way, the games are a fun way to test your skills. 

We are hoping to form a group of members who might be interested in trying out the Games. They are held every July-August in Lacey and adjacent areas.

Events include archery, badminton, ballroom dance, basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, cowboy action shooting, cycling, disc golf, golf, pickleball, race walking, racquetball, road running, rock climbing, shuffleboard, soccer, softball, swimming, ping pong, tennis, track & field (track running, shot put, discus, javelin, hammer throw), trap shooting, and volleyball.

The games also have an event called Power Walking where you walk around the track four times. Power walking is not race walking; it's just brisk regular walking. If you can walk, even with a cane, you can do this event. 

Greenwood Men's Group Member On His Way to a Gold Medal in the 1500 Meter Power Walk at Washington State Senior Games

Another possibility is pickleball, since a large percentage of group members already play. We hope to assemble a group to go to a future Games to compete in our age brackets and skill level. Singles or doubles. There are three skill levels: recreational, intermediate and advanced. Medals are awarded for each level and for each 5-year age bracket. So essentially, it’s difficult not get a medal.

Frisbee Golf

So far we haven't had time to get around to playing frisbee golf.  But we hope to do it soon.

The nearest course is at Mineral Springs Park, located at 1500 N 105th St. in Seattle. The Mineral Springs Disc Golf Club has created an interesting course, as shown below. If you'd like to throw a frisbee around, let us know.

Mineral Springs Frisbee Golf Course

Badminton

The men's group has not yet been able to acquire a portable badminton set. It would be great to have a set that we can take to local parks. For example, badminton would be a complement to the cornhole and ping pong facility at Greenwood Park, which is very close to the Greenwood Senior Center.

Playing Badminton in the Park

What Sport Would You Like to See the Group Playing?

The Greenwood Men's Group's mission is to provide a supportive environment where men from diverse backgrounds can foster camaraderie, develop friendships, share wisdom, enrich one another's lives -- and contribute to the Seattle communities of Greenwood, Ballard, Crown Hill, Fremont, Green Lake, Greenwood, Licton Springs, Loyal Heights, Phinney Ridge, Ravenna, Sunset Hill, Wallingford, Wedgwood, Whittier Heights and beyond.