America's bowling alleys are vanishing

[circlecity]

I guess I need to move to South Dakota!!

http://money.msn.com/investing/post--americas-bowling-alleys-are-vanishing

[rv driver]

It's really too bad that bowling is in such decline, because it's a great sport that the whole family can do, it's relatively cheap, and it's great group entertainment. Plus I really love it.

[Aslan]

One thing I noticed is, when bowling was huge…you'd have to call the center ahead of time to make sure they had open bowling because on may weeknights they'd be full with leagues.

And I think Shannon (Bowlmor) is an idiot. He looks at the numbers and sees bowling in decline…with every indicator pointing towards the decline of league/sport bowling as the biggest contributory factor…but claims his model is designed to improve the food and drinks and atmosphere to make it more like a night club. I don't see how you can honestly look at the data and derive ANYTHING other than the need to spur more league interest and more sport bowling interest…which will revitalize the sport and bring in the valuable, consistent, dependable dollar.

[rv driver]

One thing I noticed is, when bowling was huge…you'd have to call the center ahead of time to make sure they had open bowling because on may weeknights they'd be full with leagues.

And I think Shannon (Bowlmor) is an idiot. He looks at the numbers and sees bowling in decline…with every indicator pointing towards the decline of league/sport bowling as the biggest contributory factor…but claims his model is designed to improve the food and drinks and atmosphere to make it more like a night club. I don't see how you can honestly look at the data and derive ANYTHING other than the need to spur more league interest and more sport bowling interest…which will revitalize the sport and bring in the valuable, consistent, dependable dollar.
Yeah, we already have places that serve gourmet food and expensive drinks. They're called "restaurants" and "pubs." Bowling centers have one thing to offer that no other business can offer: Bowling!

[Hobbit]

Rv, it's an absolute tragedy that bowling isn't doing well..

I think my generation ( 40yr old age group) may well be the last generation of league bowlers out there to keep the leagues topped up. Can't see the kids coming into bowling, apart from glow in the dark, duff duff music bowling, once every month or two..

There are simply way too many other options (as well as change in working hours and whatnot), other than committing every week for the 18-35 age demographic.

Read somewhere that the average age for a league bowler is 51.. My center has less than 50 junior bowlers, and about 600 adult bowlers..In another 20yrs, there will be lucky to be a couple hundred left.. Makes me rather sad :(

Improved food and beverage won't be the answer. It make help to a small extent, but it's the bowling, first and foremost that will get people in.

I use to compare some of bowling's failures against golf, in terms of membership, pro shops, coaching, global appeal, but by all accounts, golf isn't going that well either!! Heard cycling is the "new" golf to middle aged men. Golf clubs are having troubles getting people into the sport. Bowling needs a huge makeover.. I don't know how!!

[rv driver]

Rv, it's an absolute tragedy that bowling isn't doing well..

I think my generation ( 40yr old age group) may well be the last generation of league bowlers out there to keep the leagues topped up. Can't see the kids coming into bowling, apart from glow in the dark, duff duff music bowling, once every month or two..

There are simply way too many other options (as well as change in working hours and whatnot), other than committing every week for the 18-35 age demographic.

Read somewhere that the average age for a league bowler is 51.. My center has less than 50 junior bowlers, and about 600 adult bowlers..In another 20yrs, there will be lucky to be a couple hundred left.. Makes me rather sad :(

Improved food and beverage won't be the answer. It make help to a small extent, but it's the bowling, first and foremost that will get people in.

I use to compare some of bowling's failures against golf, in terms of membership, pro shops, coaching, global appeal, but by all accounts, golf isn't going that well either!! Heard cycling is the "new" golf to middle aged men. Golf clubs are having troubles getting people into the sport. Bowling needs a huge makeover.. I don't know how!!
That's nothing new, though. Most of the guys in the leagues I knew in the '70s were older. Golf and boating clubs, as well as aviation are too expensive, and are seen as activities for the rich -- not only in terms of cost, but also in terms of the social identity (even thigh aviation is more highly-specialized, and doesn't necessarily put out that "rich socialite" vibe, like yachting or golf). Most activities, like tennis and cycling, are outdoor activities, and that's what people are looking for. The states where bowling is biggest are in the upper Midwest, where it's cold outside for 7-8 months out of the year. And bowling is the only really indoor sport.

I think if we put Starbucks in and serve gourmet food, it will keep away the "common" folk, who will begin to see it as a "rich thing." Unfortunately, putting the "serious sport" spin on bowling (which most of us here would welcome) only makes it more intimidating and less welcoming to the "average joe, casual bowler, because the serious, sport bowlers always seem to gravitate into elitist cliques. It makes the casual bowlers feel unwelcome and "second-class." And that's certainly borne out here, where we tend to disparage the casual bowlers who bother us on the lanes.

BUT, if bowling isn't put forth as a serious thing, no one will take it seriously. I think the trick is in helping folks make the transition from "casual" bowler to "serious" bowler.

[circlecity]

One thing I noticed is, when bowling was huge…you'd have to call the center ahead of time to make sure they had open bowling because on may weeknights they'd be full with leagues.

And I think Shannon (Bowlmor) is an idiot. He looks at the numbers and sees bowling in decline…with every indicator pointing towards the decline of league/sport bowling as the biggest contributory factor…but claims his model is designed to improve the food and drinks and atmosphere to make it more like a night club. I don't see how you can honestly look at the data and derive ANYTHING other than the need to spur more league interest and more sport bowling interest…which will revitalize the sport and bring in the valuable, consistent, dependable dollar.

I think the bowling alleys lost focus a while back and started to push the glow bowling etc. and forgot about the youth and adult leagues. So now, all those youth are grown up and don't care to bowl in leagues.

This can all cycle back around, it just takes bowling alleys to put in the time and push the leagues.

[rv driver]

I think the bowling alleys lost focus a while back and started to push the glow bowling etc. and forgot about the youth and adult leagues. So now, all those youth are grown up and don't care to bowl in leagues.

This can all cycle back around, it just takes bowling alleys to put in the time and push the leagues.
It would help -- especially in more metropolitan areas -- if the centers could get the schools involved in sponsoring some intramural league teams.

[mike_thomas93]

This is becoming monotonous and mindbottling. First Brunswick giving up their centers, and now this? Speechless, just speechless

[Amyers]

The real problem here is the people who bowl are the average people it's never been a game for the uber rich in the lat 75 years. Who keeps getting squeezed the hardest the people in the middle. Unfortunately prices need to go up but people have to have the money to afford it. Until we fix that the problems are only going to get worse for bowling. Rent, equipment and wages aren't getting cheaper.

[rv driver]

The real problem here is the people who bowl are the average people it's never been a game for the uber rich in the lat 75 years. Who keeps getting squeezed the hardest the people in the middle. Unfortunately prices need to go up but people have to have the money to afford it. Until we fix that the problems are only going to get worse for bowling. Rent, equipment and wages aren't getting cheaper.
I was a manager for two music stores, and we always used to talk about how, when the economy's in a pinch, entertainment is the first thing to go. bowling was big in the '50s and '60s, because the economy was rolling along, everything was cheap and wages were doing better than prices. Not so anymore. I'm just thankful that I can bowl a game for less than $3.