CLEVELAND Bowls Club has changed hands again and been given a new name as management looks to attract more social members to its bistro, bar and gaming room.
Victoria Point Sharks Sporting Club bought the operational and management rights to the club in 2018 and refurbished the facility, upgrading the bar, replacing furniture and putting in a new smoking deck.
Cleveland Sharks Bowls Club bought the club back on June 21 after two meetings, both of which saw the board vote unanimously in favour of taking the reins again.
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The club has been renamed Cleveland Bayside Club as it looks to reposition itself in the market and change its image to attract more non-playing social members, including families.
It comes as the club continues to grow its bowling membership every week, with about 300 players currently on the books.
Board deputy chair Paul Flynn said the club wanted to move away from being known only as a bowls club.
"Aside from our bowling members, we have more than 700 social members," he said.
"That number is ramping up quite nicely, and they are the people we want to attract more of.
"The renaming of the club is to shift the community's perception away from being just a place for bowls, to being a club.
"It is a club in every sense of the word where we have a bistro, bar, gaming, pokies and you can play Keno.
"We are kind of relaunching the club with a new public face."
Men's president Des Hedger said live music would be a feature at the club as it enters a new era.
"With Covid, a lot of the bands couldn't play because entertainment facilities weren't open," he said.
"Bands approached the club and were looking at a place just to play.
"They were playing here on Sundays and people started coming in, so it has sort of grown from there."
The club has also been given a good wrap from Bowls Queensland for its greens and continues to host state and district finals.
"People want the best bowlers to play on the best greens," Mr Flynn said.
"We have three greens, and every one of them is among the very best you'll find in south-east Queensland."
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