Size of house you're bowling in

[foreverincamo]

I saw an advert for a tournament about 3 hours from my house that had a pic of the inside of the center. It only had 12 lanes. I can't believe a center that size could still exist. I thought where I bowl, a 16 lane house, was the absolutely smallest that could survive, and it's teetering on the edge of extinction.
Anyone here bowl in a small house?

[bowl1820]

I haven't bowled there in awhile, but we have a 12 lane house near here thats still open. It's where I learned bowl.

[Tony]

The house I bowl at has 42 lanes but there is a house not far from me that I've been to for demo days that's still running with updated lanes and equipment and has only 8 lanes.

[JasonNJ]

I spent a week down by the Jersey shore last summer and found a 12 lane house down there to practice some. Place was called Mousetrap Lanes, the lanes and equipment seemed fairly new and the place was really well maintained. I figured with only 12 lanes it was easier to keep up with the maintenance. Definitely a place I would go back to if I'm ever staying in the area again.

http://mousetrapbowlingalley.com.

[taxexpert2]

Don't bowl in a small house. Just want to comment on the number of bowling houses in my area. Within a 30 min drive there are four or five houses with 20-30 lanes. When did ppl stop calling them "houses". When did people stop calling a game of bowling a "line". Times have changed.

[jab5325]

The place I bowl primarily has 24 old lanes. Another house in a town over has 36.

There is a 12 lane house kind of near here that survives. I also believe Harvest Moon Lanes near Williamsport, PA (where a 900 was recently bowled) is quite small too.

My "first house" was a 12-lane place that went belly up due to failed management in the bar/restaurant. Owner got into a ton of debt by taking out loans to add on a bar/restaurant when he couldn't even manage the bowling alley properly.

[AlexNC]

Smallest house in my area is 24 lanes. It's adjacent to a college campus and that's who the newer owners cater to. There are no sanctioned leagues and the lanes are in terrible condition - but it is still cool to walk into- looks like nothing has changed since the early 70's.

[Timmyb]

I bowl at a 16 lane house. Remember though, we also have the Holler House here, which has two!

[Blomer]

My house has 24 lanes. But there is one not too far that only has 8 lanes.

[NewToBowling]

Locally around here where most are AMF/Brunswick majority are 32 with a few 48 lane centers sprinkled in there. 32 does seem to be the magic number

Anything 12 and under unless you're in a small town or a retro old place you just aren't going to survive.

[got_a_300]

Our center only has 14 lanes now we used to have 24 wooden lanes
then they shut down the upstairs which had 16 lanes making it into
office space only leaving 8 lanes in the basement for about 4 or 5
years.

Then around 13 or so years ago they added 6 more lanes bringing up
the total to 14 lanes and put down a synthetic overlay on all of the
lanes.

[epiepenburg]

I bowl 2-3 times a week in a 12 wood lane house. We have a lot of small houses here in Wisconsin. There's quite a few restaurants/supper clubs that have their own lanes as well. There is a 8 lane place with a bar/restaurant for sale about 5 minutes from where I live. They are only asking $170k for the place.

[Jaescrub]

My house is 60 lanes in the shape of a T the house my PSO is at I think might be about 30ish.

[fordman1]

Bowled at Taylor lanes for year (where the Pro Tour stopped) but it was ran into the ground by the owners. Now at Ford Lanes 24 new Brunswick lanes, New Oil machine and brand new carpet installed last night. Privately owned they also own a large center in Ann Arbor Mi.

[SAbowler]

of the two houses I bowl in, one has 44 lanes and the other has 30. Most of the bowling centers in San Antonio have at least 24 lanes. Although, just within the last year they opened a 12 lane house about 7 miles away from my house. I've never been there, but I'm not sure how they can stay in business with so few lanes. Oh, and there is also a Bowl & Barrel that opened up here last year that has something stupid like 9 or 13 lanes (yes, an odd number), which is supposed to be for "boutique bowling".

[foreverincamo]

Thanks for opening my eyes. I'm not surprised about the little houses in Wisconsin. I worked in Wisconsin for a year. No lack of places to bowl.

[NYMIKE]

AMF is 35 lanes odd number, another house I bowl at is 28, there are 2 48 lane houses and a 64 lane house (have not went to that one yet) in Queens. In the Bronx there is a 16 lane house.

[NYMIKE]

All the sanctioned houses in NYC are at least 45 years old, then there are 2 non sanctioned places in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Bowl uses a string pinsetter, obviously they will never be sanctioned by USBC, they charge $25 cover and feature hipster bands. I know of 2 more such places that are scheduled to open this year, they all small 10-16 lanes, most likely neither of the 2 will be sanctioned.

[foreverincamo]

String pin setters ? Only have seen those in Canada.

[NYMIKE]

String pin setters ? Only have seen those in Canada.

https://youtu.be/NNXv7E6_ktQ

[foreverincamo]

Wow. That was neat to see

[Aslan]

Old Sunday morning house...40 lanes.

Old Tuesday house....40 lanes.

Current Wednesday house....40 lanes.

Current Monday house...40 lanes.

Most lanes I've seen around here is Fountain Bowl with 60 lanes. Vegas has some centers in Casinos that I think have as many as 60 lanes...not sure. Smallest house I've bowled in...probably 8 lanes at Titan Lanes which is in the basement of the student commons building on Cal State Fullerton. But most houses seem to have 40 lanes.

[foreverincamo]

Smallest I've ever seen around me was 12. No idea if it's still around. So many have closed, became drug stores and the like. So sad

[Redheadhunter21]

Closet place and where I bowl league is 60 lanes all on one side.

[BrianG]

The house I bowl at has 40 lanes (20 on each side)

[JasonNJ]

The house I bowl at is a Brunswick Zone and is 32 lanes. Biggest one that I know of in the area is BZ Carolier they've hosted both the Men's and Women's US Open a few times and it's 82 lanes. Was just talking to some friends and he mentioned a place in Edison Lanes in Edison NJ that closed down that was 100+ lanes.

[NewToBowling]

82 lanes is pretty insane. Largest we have around here is 48 I believe. Are they all one side or split in half

[JasonNJ]

82 lanes is pretty insane. Largest we have around here is 48 I believe. Are they all one side or split in half

All on one side. I believe they were maybe 50-60+ lanes and they built a whole section to add the extra lanes. I also think they do their televised finals on the added sections.

[white_rabbitt]

40 lanes for my league house.
32 lanes for my "home" house.
and 16 for the smallest near me.

[Perrin]

There are two here in town I bowl in. 32 and 12

I've bowled in a place as small as 8 lanes.

[vdubtx]

Tuesday night house is 48 lanes and is open 48 hours. Independently owned and caters to leagues. Consistent shot week after week.

Thursday night is a 26 lane center. Independently owned and caters to the "entertainment" side of business. Shot is never consistent and typically flooded.

[Blacksox1]

Tuesday night house is 48 lanes and is open 48 hours. Independently owned and caters to leagues. Consistent shot week after week.


Open 48 hours a day. Wow, that would be fun. This center must be in the Outer Solar System, somewhere near Uranus. Okay maybe West Texas?
My apologies if this offends anyone.

The fun center has 40 lanes. The other house that I bowl has 16 lanes.

[manke]

One of the houses i bowl in has 6 wood lanes.

[foreverincamo]

6 wood lanes would feel like bowling in a closet. I'm thinking about bowling a tournament next month in an old all-wood lanes (20) that's in the basement of an old shopping center. I threw my first 300/800 there a million years ago.

[larry mc]

used to bowl in a six lane house i worked there to ,, closed a few years ago , now i bowl in a 62 lane mad house

[Grande]

20 here. Retired their wood 2 years ago.

[foreverincamo]

My house is going to have to retire their wood lanes soon. They've gotten over 50 years out of them but if they want to continue, they'll at least need veneers. Keep the wood approaches. They are great. Would love cheater markers down lane. Those are awesome.