But even the most optimistic probably wouldn't have thought it would be this soon with youngsters Billie and Jack joining their parents on the greens playing for Ballarat at City Oval in Division 5 for the first time on Saturday.

For Wes, who has been playing since he was 16, it was a thrill to see his children, aged 11 and eight step out with their mum and dad. Mum Koz has been back playing for 12 months.

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"The club has been short the past couple of weeks, we've had a couple of forfeits," he said.

"The kids have always been around the bowling club for years. Every game we play they can't wait to get out the greens and have a go, so we thought, let's give them an opportunity.

"The kids can't wait to get out there and have a go."

Wez said Jack would lead off, "Jack with the Jack, it'll probably be short ends," he said.

"Billie will play second, mum will be skip and I'll be third. As long as it's on the green, that's the main thing."

Koz said lawn bowls had always been in the family and the children had grown up on the greens.

"I think it's great that we can all play together, I really can't think of another sport where parents can play withe their kids this young," she said.

"We can engage all together and we love the bowling club, it doesn't matter who or where we play, everyone knows who they are. It's a safe sport for everyone to be involved in."

Ballarat Bowls Club board member Wayne Fitzgerald said families made up about 25 per cent of the total teams at the club.

He said the club had been struggling somewhat for numbers and if it wasn't for the likes of the Lennecke's they probably would have had to forfeit some matches.

"If it wasn't for the guys out there playing today, we'd probably have to have a walkover in division five," he said. "We decided that it would be good for the kids to have a go, which means everyone else in our division five got to play as well.

"It's great for the culture of the club and helps us all out."