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The first Lawn Bowling "Clubhouse" in St Petersburg Fl. was a tent that A. J Mercer brought from Toronto Canada, together with two pairs of bowls late in 1916. Mr Mercer's room was near William's Park, where he saw roque being played. He got up early one morning and tried the bowls out on the marl roque court, when no one was about. He used a soft ball for a jack.
He then asked Mr Wm. Armstrong. A friend from Toronto, to play with him. They used an orange for a jack.
They asked Mr Taylor an Englishman, Mr Henry, a Scotsman, Geo A McCann and A. L. Rice to play. Mr. A. F. Lang, the mayor of the city of St. Petersburg and Park Commissioner and also "Sunshine Pleasure Club" the first pleasure club in St Petersburg was also a friend of Mr Taylor and was asked to play. The bowlers advertised and set a date for those interested to meet at the old bandstand in Williams Park the first week in February 1917. There the Club was organized with Mr. Frank Wood. Pres. and A. F. Lang (Mayor of St Petersburg) Honorary President. A. J Mercer sec. G. W. McCann, Vice Pres. M. A. Rice Chairman Games Committee and general Field Manager.
Mr Wall, a hardware man sent to Philadelphia for bowls. Mr Taylor was presented with $25 by the Sunshine Pleasure Club for the Bowls Club. Mayor Lang "very generously" says Mr Mercer permitted the tent to be erected in the Park for a "Clubhouse". The Park Board after a hard fight with citizens and persistent demand of the Mayor, decided to put in two marl rinks. The first event was the "Mercer Singles". The second year Mr.
Heintzman of Toronto, supplied lockers which also served as seats.
In 1918 frame buildings were erected. A women's division was started and by 1923 the club was incorporated and boasted of 450 men bowlers and 130 lady bowlers. By this time they had 19 rinks and bathroom and lockers for both. In 1928 an addition was made to the building and it was presented to the city of St Petersburg.
 In 1929-30 bowl testing equipment was created by Joe Anderson and Walter Cordelet. In 1939-40 the City of St Petersburg erected a building for the bowl testing device In 1948-49 the table was enlarged ,leveled, recovered by experts in manufacturing and repairing billiard tables. The table was now as level and smooth as a billiard table making it pass to test the draw of a bowl with absolute accuracy. The only official testing station in the United States. A very effective advertisement for the club.
In 1926, the First National Open Lawn Bowling Tournament was held in St Petersburg. A first for the United States.
 In 1947 the club according to a graph that was kept had 624 members, the largest number of members in America.
Today we are still alive and bowling.
We have members from America, Canada and Germany. We have visitors from England that bowl with us and a visitor from Africa last year. We are not tournament material as of now but we are proud of our club and the members are very friendly and inviting and are happy to have anyone visit us at our club. We are excited that in 2016 we will be celebrating 100 years of Lawn Bowling in St Petersburg.
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