The legend - If you, one summer's day in 1588 had been in Plymouth Hoe, near Land's End in England, you might have watched Sir Francis Drake and some of his captains deeply engrossed in a game of lawn bowls. You might have witnessed the dramatic moment in history when a courier rushed up to notify him that the awesome Spanish Armada invasion bound, had been sighted in the English Channel.
Today, residents of Plymouth Hoe will point out their bowling green, still in use, explaining that Sir Francis insisted on finishing the game before setting out to defeat the enemy. He did both.
Lawn bowling today presents a real challlenge to the player. One must master controlling the curve, as the bowls are biased on one side.