If you think bowling is a game for young children trying to avoid gutter balls or old men wearing bowling shirts emblazoned with their league logos, you haven’t visited one of the country’s new state-of-the-art bowling centers.
The sport has become hot for all ages, and sometimes into the wee hours of the morning, centers rock with karaoke music, neon lights and busy casino tables. Lucite and psychedelic balls have become chic for the most devoted fans.
“It’s a way for friends to get together, be active, eat and communicate, all at the same time,” says Michael Ducat, president of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America in Dallas. “Many young people don’t date and prefer group activities. When you go to a movie, you can’t talk. When you golf, your partner may be 300 yards away.”
More than 52 million Americans bowled last year (including close to 4 million league bowlers) at one of the country’s 5,600 bowling centers.
Recent interest has also been fueled by TV shows such as “Ed” and “King of Queens” where bowling takes center stage, Verizon TV ads promoting its phones in a bowling setting, clothing companies such as Prada that create accessories inspired by the sport, and movies like “The Big Lebowski,” starring bowling-leaguers Jeff Bridges and John Goodman.
Bowling has a long history. Bowling toys were discovered in the tombs of Egyptian children who lived thousands of years ago, and in the late 1600s, the Dutch brought a nine-pins version to New York. And sports announcers like Jack Buck, Joe Garagiola and Jim McKay got their starts through bowling competitions. Bowling’s golden years were after World War II when lanes were constructed in burgeoning suburbs to meet growing demand for leisure activities.
Although bowling is not an Olympic sport, it has its own museum, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, in St. Louis.
GREAT LANES
The cost of a new lane is about $100,000 (more than $3 million for a 32-lane alley) so fewer new centers are being built. Instead, AMF and Brunswick, the Coke and Pepsi of bowling vendors, spend millions buying old lanes and converting them into state-of-the-art facilities. A few mom-and-pops still exist.
Largest: Miami Bowl Lounge & Grill, 5023 S. Archer Ave., with 80 lanes (26 fewer than the Castaway in Las Vegas, the record holder).
24/7 lanes: Waveland Bowl, 3700 N. Western Ave., is open all the time.
Newest (well, newly renovated, anyway): Marina City Lanes, 330 N. State St., which reopened two years ago, about the same time brunswick zone, 558 E. North Ave., Glendale Heights, had its makeover.
Glow-in-the-dark (a.k.a. Cosmic, Xtreme): Loud music, dimmed house lights, fluorescent pins and balls–disco invades bowling. Brunswick has added its name to several renovated suburban centers that host Cosmic bowling; AMF is doing the same under the Xtreme banner, including Marina City Lanes.
Karaoke: For relaxation, bowlers can repair to the karaoke lounge at Marigold Bowl, 828 W. Grace St., and Burr Oak Bowl, 3030 Burr Oak Ave., Blue Island.
Manual lanes: Southport Lanes and Billiards, 3325 N. Southport Ave., is Chicago’s last handpin bowl (pins are still set up by pinboys in the back).
Not your father’s music: Deejays at Diversey-River Bowl, 2211 W. Diversey Ave., spin rock, Latin and alternative pop to a crowd that often goes into a bidding war over requests.
Hippest bar: Lucky Strike, 2747 N. Lincoln Ave., exudes a knowing hipness embraced by the 20-something set. In addition to the bowling lanes, its TV monitors, video games and pool tables complete its enticement as an entertainment arcade.
— Ted Shen
AT THE GRILL
Diversey-River Bowl
2211 W. Diversey Ave., 773-227-5800
Typical grilled and fried fare–burgers, dogs, brats and pizza puffs–that somehow tastes a wee bit better than you’ll find at your nearby greasy spoon. Thick, juicy burgers find their perfect complement in a basket of hot, crisp, salty fries, which are darn near addictive.
Southport Lanes and Billiards
3325 N. Southport Ave., 773-472-6600
Like the manual lanes, the menu is a nod to the past, such as the Better Than Your Mom’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich. And the French BLT is what you’d expect–and more: Bacon, lettuce, tomato are joined by a sliced red onion on a toasted French roll with garlic mayo.
Morgan’s Bar and Grill
18700 S. Old LaGrange Rd., Mokena, 708-478-8560
Housed in the same building as the Thunder Bowl, this gourmet restaurant features crab cakes, grilled fish, steak, pasta and creme brulee (according to a Tribune review) while being near enough to the alley to let you keep checking if your lane is ready.
Lucky Strike
2747 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-549-2695
With condo developments going up nearby, Lucky Strike could become even more popular. If not for the bowling and billiards, then for the food: Hot ‘N Spicy Turkey Sandwich (gotta love that melted chihuahua cheese) and the Honeymooner–smoked turkey, mozzarella cheese and crisp bacon, grilled on slabs of egg bread. It has a wide selection of martinis and beers.
–Eric Gwinn and Monica Eng
NOW AND THEN (1960S)
Price Now: Average $3 a person per game.
Then: 30 cents.
Amenities Now: Rock music or Muzak, TV sets in the lounge.
Then: No other audiovisual stimulants.
Scoring Now: Computerized, shown on an overhead monitor.
Then: Hand-calculated with No. 2 pencils on specially gridded sheets.
Lanes Now: Synthetic.
Then: Maple wood.
Balls Now: Urethane and coated with resin.
Then: Rubber core and plastic shell.
Shoes Now: Adjustable soles and heels being introduced.
Then: Heavy-duty type still being rented.
Pins Now: Plastic, coated with resin.
Then: Wood.
–Ted Shen
Anchor: The best member of a team, always the last to roll. Burger: The slot in the middle, reserved for the weakest bowler. Turkey: Three strikes in a row.
Mother-in-law: The 7-pin, the pin that remains standing after what seems like a strike hit. Floater: A ball that has little or no lift. Six-pack: Six strikes in a row.
Dime store: The 5-10 split. Greek church: A split with three pins on one side of the lane and two on the other. Bar maid: A pin that’s hidden behind another pin.
Bench jockeying: Gibes designed to unsettle opponents. Bedpost: The 7-10 split in the aftermath of the first roll of the ball. Foundation: A strike in the ninth frame.
