JOHN Champion has ensured that the Dorset Golf and Country Club is on the national bowls map even before a wood has been delivered at the new three-rink club in Bere Regis, near Poole.

The sporting entrepreneur from Exeter and joint owner of the luxury resort has sealed a corporate partnership agreement with Bowls England and is to sponsor the ladies’ fours in the national championships at Royal Leamington Spa this summer.

Tony Allcock has already had a taste of the Bere Regis facilities as guest of honour when the Dorset County Women’s BA held their annual luncheon at the resort in November – and the Bowls England chief executive has been invited to the official opening of the bowls hall in the autumn.

Champion hopes other personalities will attend including bowls legend David Bryant and England star Ian Bond who is synonymous with his own county Devon.

The Dorset ladies gave the resort a rousing thumbs up. Their 2008 president Jenny Andrews and fellow bowlers were so impressed with the level of cuisine at the 200-seater restaurant that new president Joan Collier has already booked for this season’s presentations.

Many bowlers have found the sport having previously been regular golfers and Champion is one of that band. An avid five-handicap player he was forced to give up golf through illness for three years and during that time he turned to bowls and has been hooked ever since – even though he has resumed playing on the fairways.

Champion says that if the indoor complex is a success he would expand the resort’s bowls involvement by adding an outdoor green.