The Club started life as Hayes (Kent) Bowls Club in 1952, using the green, clubhouse and all the facilities of the Courage Sports Club which the Brewery provided for their employees in West Common Road. The concession allowed the use of the green and clubhouse on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. At that time the Club owned no property or equipment and arranged only friendly matches with local clubs.

A private purchaser Mr F. Woods acquired the property in 1990 at a time when major organisations were beginning to question the profitability of various sections within their operations and their sports clubs were among the first casualties. The original 1950's style clubhouse with its large dance floor and bars were then converted for use as a Country Club. The cricket square was removed, the grass tennis courts abandoned and two football pitches installed for hire by local clubs. The all weather tennis courts were used as a car park but thankfully the bowling green survived. The Hayes Club, together with players from the Courage Bowls Club, changed its name to Hayes Country Bowls Club and for the first time in the Club's history, ladies were accepted as playing members.

Members began to take over the maintenance of the bowling green and its immediate surrounds, acquiring the equipment previously owned by the Brewery and the Country Club. The gradual introduction of competitive bowls was commenced and play was allowed on seven days a week. Membership was increased following the demise of the Twinlock Bowls Club when a dozen or so of their members strengthened the hard-core of competition bowlers. In the mid-nineties following the winding up of the Private Banks Bowling Club, a further injection of enthusiastic and committee-orientated players gave the Club a much needed boost.

Hayes, as a Club, has always been blessed with a good playing strength and in the early days the name of Tommy Pitcairn was prominent. He played with great skill and was club champion six times, four in succession from 1967-70 and with Bill Blackhall, who later joined West Wickham, became the Club's first Kent badged players. Others followed, including Stan Millard and Ken Catling and the ladies Barbara Martin, Stella Wright and Audrey Clarke.

The owner of the Country Club eventually provided a 30' x 10' second hand Portacabin adjacent to the bowling green to which was added a further similar cabin. This provided an area of 30' x 20' enabling limited changing facilities for both men and women and a club room with a small kitchen area in one corner. Toilet facilities were still only available in the Country Club. The Bowls Club then purchased a small 20' x 10' Portacabin for use as a visitor's changing room and constructed an equipment shed to accommodate scoreboards and pushers etc.

The 'Old' Clubhouse

 

Around the beginning of the year 2000 rumours began to circulate that the site was to be sold and/or leased to either Hayes School or alternatively to be developed as a 'fitness centre'. In the event the site was finally acquired by property developer Direct Build Services Ltd. (D.B.S.) of Sevenoaks who on the 11th January 2002 offered HCBC a 25 year Lease "subject to planning approval of three substantial detached houses". Club Treasurer Stan Brushett, a well known and respected member of the locality, was actively engaged in the early negotiations which included arranging meetings with DBS and local Ward Councillors. The terms of the Lease offered included the building of a new clubhouse but the proposed restrictions on the hours of use etc. were totally unacceptable.

Further protracted negotiations continued but it was another 4 years before any real progress was on the horizon by which time sadly, due to failing health, Stan had retired. In recognition of the service which Stan had given to the Club over many years including the offices of Secretary and Treasurer he was awarded Honary Life Membership.

Subsequent negotiations were continued by a re-development     sub-committee namely Phil Jurd, Ken Parsons and Joyce Spelman. Wellers Solicitors were engaged and their senior partner Tony Summers gave considerable guidance and advice on the finer technicalities of the Lease. After much preliminary skirmishing with the Planning Department of Bromley Borough Council, D.B.S. finally obtained planning permission to construct a 10 apartment building on the footprint of the Old Country Club pavilion. With the Country Club no longer in existence it was formally agreed at an           Extra-Ordinary General Meeting on 19th April 2006 to change the name of the Club to Hayes Common Bowls Club.

Planning permission included a new 57' x 24' pavilion for the Bowls Club, constructed of timber on a brick plinth under a pitched roof of Cedar shingles. This provided modest but adequate provision of all necessary facilities including a Club Room with a Bar, and capable of seating six rinks for meals etc., served from a well equipped Kitchen. Also included were Ladies' and Gentlemens' changing rooms with toilets, a veranda providing a sheltered viewing area and a car park for 26 cars with an overspill area for many more. Construction of the Clubhouse was completed to a very high standard and on the       6th January 2009 the Club signed a 25 year Lease thus ending over 50 years of 'grace and favour' existence and securing at long last a significant measure of security of tenure. Phil Jurd, Ken Parsons and Joyce Spelman were appointed the first Trustees.

The Club was now entering whole new territory, and for the very first time having to arrange full insurance for both Buildings and Contents. In addition, the Club would now find itself having to pay for electricity and water and an annual Bar Licence fee to Bromley Borough Council. In 2009 the Club successfully applied for membership of the national Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) Scheme, which entitled the Club to a mandatory 80% allowance on Business Rates with a further 20% discretionary relief provided by Bromley Council - a welcome state of affairs for the Clubs finances!

The variable weather in 2009 resulted in a very wet spring followed by some extremely dry and hot spells in early summer. This exposed the limitations of the labour intensive overhead watering system so the Club decided to install a fully automated irrigation system. The experience gained from operating out of the new Clubhouse also revealed the limited changing accommodation for visiting teams. The Club decided to purchase a new summerhouse for such use, which would also provide storage etc. space in the closed season and come in use as additional shelter for summer social activities. It also very conveniently housed the controls for the new watering system. These improvements were achieved in the closed season 2009/2010.