Thwarted by a "traveling league"...

**Monte** · 12-20-2014, 06:58 PM

So my wife wanted to see the new "Hobbit" movie, so I dropped her off. I was going to take my son and we were going to go bowling for a bit.

So I get to the bowling center around noon, and the parking lot is unusually full. So I manage to find a place to park, go inside, and the guy at there says "We won't have any lanes available until probably 5 or 6. It's a traveling league."

The bowling center has 24 lanes. 20 of them were being used. I don't know what the other 4 were being "reserved" for, but they weren't being used.

So what the heck are traveling leagues anyway?? Is this something new, or have these been around for a while??

**RobLV1** · 12-20-2014, 07:11 PM

Traveling Leagues have been around for a long, long time in areas where there are multiple bowling centers within a relatively small area. The league sets up a rotation among different centers based on availability at the beginning of the year, and then "travels" from one center to another. This way bowlers get to experience different lane conditions. The other four lanes (two pairs) were not being used because centers do not normally put open play next to league bowling, and they have to reserve one or two pairs in case of breakdown of league pairs.

**vdubtx** · 12-20-2014, 07:41 PM

In our area, it is typical to have one pair buffer between league and open bowling. Travel leagues are actually quite fun if you have the time to do it. In the Dallas area it is pretty normal to have to drive an hour to get to the hosting center since the metroplex is so large. When I did travel league, would spend entire Saturday between travel time and bowling 2 sets(6 games). I feel it can make you a better bowler as you bowl on different conditions at different centers on bowl on fresh and burned up lanes.

**Aslan** · 12-21-2014, 01:37 AM

1) Why the **** wouldn't you want to see the new Hobbit movie? The fact that your wife wanted to see it makes me want to date her. Send me a pic.
2) That makes me want to join a traveling league.
3) Those 4 lanes are a buffer of two lanes and 2 lanes in case there is a technical problem.
4) What fricken bowling center only has 20 lanes!!?
5) Where is it because I want to join a traveling league and bowl in a center that actually respects league players.

**J Anderson** · 12-21-2014, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by Aslan

1) Why the **** wouldn't you want to see the new Hobbit movie?
4) What fricken bowling center only has 20 lanes!!?

1. Because it's ridiculous to take a book that's some what shorter than most of the books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and make three movies out of it.

2. Deer Park Lanes in L.I. is only 16 lanes.

**dnhoffman** · 12-21-2014, 09:08 AM

My center does this as well.

It's perfectly normal friend.

Be happy, they're supporting serious bowlers and helping proliferate the sport.

**Aslan** · 12-21-2014, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by J Anderson

1. Because it's ridiculous to take a book that's some what shorter than most of the books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and make three movies out of it.

2. Deer Park Lanes in L.I. is only 16 lanes.

1) I don't care if the movie was based on doodles on a napkin…the fact is they managed to make a trilogy that isn't horribly bad…which is RARE in the movie world.

2) I can't imagine a center with less than 30 lanes.

Actually, I take that back. I think Temecula lanes is either 20 or 24 lanes. I would think finding open bowling in a center like that would be difficult. I run into problems finding open lanes at 30-60 lane centers.

**Bradski9** · 12-21-2014, 02:45 PM

Well when you live in a town of around 12-14k population 20 lanes is all you need. There closest bowling alley to me that has more than 20 lanes is an hour and 30 minutes away. The 4 centers near me all have 20 lanes or less