"MR BOWLS" was the title conferred on T. I. ("Pete") Skoglund by the Auckland Star in 1957, harking back to his first big tournamentChristchurch, 1933when he played in the winning Fours, with his father, his uncle, and his brother; and to his subsequent record of successes in bowling championships.
Pete Skoglund has been utterly dedicated to the great and gentle game since those early days, and it has taken him to greens all over New Zealand, and overseas to represent his country in Australia, Canada, and the U.S.A.
In thirty-three years of so varied and successful a bowling career "Mr Bowls" has accumulated a rich fund of good stories and a wealth of playing experience, and has evolved a philosophy of the game that puts enjoyment and sociability at the forefront of importance, with match-winning a secondary consideration.
In this book "Pete" passes hese things on to his fellow-sportsmen. He began to write it as he lay in hospital, undergoing a severe illnessand finding laughter and drama in recalling the sunlit days on many greens. He recalls boyhood days, tense moments and comical ones, overseas tours and friendly matches at home, the giants ;of the past and team-mates of later days. Throughout these pages runs the thiead of friendship, and generous acknowledgment of opposing teams skill, of team-mates loyal support.
In the closing chapters of the book this veteran passes on his views on play, on the problems that confront every skip on and off the green, on the etiquette that makes for happy relations, on the great figures of the past.
"Mr Bowls" was an apt name for
Pete Skoglund: a great bowler, and a
true gentleman of the green.