Price/Game

[shadd]

The "Access to Bowling" thread got me wondering what everyone pays per game.

Non-league charges around here are $5-7/game (non rock and bowl or late night rates) and $5 for shoe rentals. Its pretty pricey for my family of 4 to bowl a couple games these days. I get $1/game where my league is, I just need to find more time to take advantage of that price!

[NewToBowling]

If you don't have access to league rate it does get expensive. Here non prime games (weekday during the day) are around $3.80/game. Prime time games around $5.80/game. Shoes probably $4. At those rates I'd bowl once and never come back especially as a family outing. They used to have 2-hour rates ranging from $10 to $15 depending on prime vs non-prime. That was more reasonable.

League rates are $2.30/game

[Tony]

The normal rates vary from 3.50 to 4.25 plus 3 for shoes, the rate if you're a league bowler at any of the 6 centers one family owns is 2.00 a game and they run some specials like 7.00 for 2 hours or 8.00 for as long as you want to bowl on certain days/ times.
They also run a family bowling coupon you get different deals, one is a free game for up to 5 people.

[billf]

Our center has a ton of coupons but normal rates are $4 game, $2 shoe rental. League bowlers are $2.50 a game and $2 shoe rental. Yes we have league bowlers who rent shoes.

[Jessiewoodard57]

Yes we have league bowlers who rent shoes.

wow one league season of shoe rental would pay for an inexpensive pair of shoes

[NewToBowling]

Yes, I have 4 pairs of shoes just as backup. Priced from $3 up to $25. One old school one, a Ricky, and two Dexter Turbos. All picked up on the cheap. Can never have enough bowling shoes.

[Tony]

wow one league season of shoe rental would pay for an inexpensive pair of shoes

I bowled with a guy that rented shoes, rented them the first week of the season, put them in his locker , returned them the last week....a season of rental for 3.00 of course he was the same guy who had a rental locker for 4 years but only paid for the first year, quit bowling but left his stuff in it, came down to get it and "couldn't remember his combo" (of course they had changed it ) and asked for the master key at the desk, got it and went and emptied the locker including a host of bills and late notices ...threw all that stuff away returned the master and left, having never paid the bill. We of course gave him crap about it so he said he would get some money from his wife and come down and pay it, I would be willing to bet that never happened.
Of course being a seasoned con-artist he made sure to ask just when leagues were starting so the desk people weren't paying attention and forgot to check the deadbeat list.

[Tony]

Yes, I have 4 pairs of shoes just as backup. Priced from $3 up to $25. One old school one, a Ricky, and two Dexter Turbos. All picked up on the cheap. Can never have enough bowling shoes.

Where's your sources for such shoe bargains ? The only people I've seen with 3.00 shoes are the people that rented shoes and took them home ! lol

[NewToBowling]

Where's your sources for such shoe bargains ? The only people I've seen with 3.00 shoes are the people that rented shoes and took them home ! lol

Craigslist. Shoes weren't beat up people just gave up on the sport. Bought a practically brand new Dexter Turbo pair on ebay for $20 shipped.

[foreverincamo]

I sure couldn't afford 5-7 bucks a game when taking the family. We have centers around us that charge around $1.25 a game or cheaper. One place offers 3 hours of bowling plus breakfast that's bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee for $9. That's the total price. I'll bowl the three hours and get them to cook my meal afterwards and use it as lunch.

[Amyers]

You never really know what the going rate is around here because depending on who is running the register and how well they know me (most of them pretty well) seems to determine the price. LOL. Generally league rates run form $1-2.25 non league rates run $3.25-5.00. Usually some kind of special going on too. I have no Idea on shoes as all my family has always had there own.

[Traleron]

I've only been bowling on Sunday and Friday lately. For Friday it has been $1.50 shoes + $1.50 per game (so $6 for 3 games). The same place does a special on Sunday afternoons where it is $5 per person for shoes and 3 games.

I did take my kids and nephew bowling on a Tuesday at a different alley about a month ago (newer alley so the bumpers go up or down depending on the specific bowler, which is nice with a mix of kids). I think I paid $30 for myself and the three kids to get shoes and 2 games each. So that worked out to $2.50 for shoes + $2.50 per game. Still a heck of a lot cheaper than going to the movies, even when buying a pitcher of pop and some snacks. For 4 of us to go to the movies it costs like $60!

For what it is worth, I'll second the comment that it partly depends on who is running the counter and how well they know you. Last weekend open bowling got pretty busy when we were there, but I think the guy at the counter has started to remember me after 5 Sundays in a row. As it got busier, he kept the lanes on either side of us empty. I might be reading too much into it, but being polite and getting to know the people really seems to pay off - at least for me at a smaller place.

[JoeInPI]

$2.30 - $4.50 per line here. Place is usually empty almost all the time.