Our Bowling center reopening

[boatman37]

The only place we had to wait in line was a local home building supply store that is about the size of a typical local grocery store but much smaller than Lowes or Home Depot. They had a line outside. Other than that haven't had to wait in line anywhere. But we are on the western side of the state where population is a little lower and there are less reported cases.

BTW, my son just went to Kinzers, PA yesterday for work (near West Chester). Will probably be there a few months at least.

[chrono00]

Even when PA bowling centers "fully" reopen, they will only be permitted to allow 50% of their licensed capacity. The PA Governor has said that he will not permit 100% until there is a proven vaccine. That is really going to hurt a lot of businesses here in PA. Trying to make a living on half your normal allowed business is going to hurt (gyms, movie theaters, bowling centers, salons, barbers, etc.) Even restaurants and retail stores will be limited to 75%. I guess this is the "new normal" until the vaccine is developed and widely available.

League bowlers only during league hours.....no one wants league to shut down, no one to narc being over the “limit”

I mean cops aren’t gonna randomly stop by business and bowling alleys of all places to check capacity limit. They barely go out of the way to enforce actual crime....unless someone calls it in

[RobLV1]

I mean cops aren’t gonna randomly stop by business and bowling alleys of all places to check capacity limit. They barely go out of the way to enforce actual crime....unless someone calls it in

Don't be too sure! Here in Vegas, they are randomly checking golf courses to insure that golfers are following the social distancing rules.

[Ryster]

League bowlers only during league hours.....no one wants league to shut down, no one to narc being over the “limit”

I mean cops aren’t gonna randomly stop by business and bowling alleys of all places to check capacity limit. They barely go out of the way to enforce actual crime....unless someone calls it in

Leagues will look a whole lot different. With the centers having to skip a lane, that drops available lanes in half. Our center has 48 lanes. That leaves 24 that can be used. Our summer league typically has 30 teams, and it wasn't the only league. Other leagues take up the rest of the house.

48 teams, 24 lanes...doesn't quite work. So now the center has to figure out how to accommodate the leagues. Tell them they can only have 1/2 of all league bowlers back? First come, first serve? Draw from a hat which teams get to bowl? Extend hours of operation and push some leagues to a 2nd shift?

The USBC is allowing league bowling on a single lane to be sanctioned (as opposed to switching lanes each frame.) So you are looking at 4 bowlers on a single lane, bowling against a team on a single lane 2 lanes over. League purists are already screaming this is "unfair" because teams will be able to create a line for themselves and shoot the lights out. I couldn't care less...I just want to bowl.

There are people out there that love to narc...bowling centers wouldn't get away with breaking the rules for very long before some busybody called the local police. Plus, the parking lot would be a dead giveaway for how many people might be in the center. The last thing the bowling centers want to do is lose their business licenses.

There is also the arcade, billiards, laser tag, bar, etc. that will count towards licensed capacity. That will all take away from how many people will be able to bowl in the center at any given time.

[J Anderson]

Leagues will look a whole lot different. With the centers having to skip a lane, that drops available lanes in half. Our center has 48 lanes. That leaves 24 that can be used. Our summer league typically has 30 teams, and it wasn't the only league. Other leagues take up the rest of the house.

48 teams, 24 lanes...doesn't quite work. So now the center has to figure out how to accommodate the leagues. Tell them they can only have 1/2 of all league bowlers back? First come, first serve? Draw from a hat which teams get to bowl? Extend hours of operation and push some leagues to a 2nd shift?

The USBC is allowing league bowling on a single lane to be sanctioned (as opposed to switching lanes each frame.) So you are looking at 4 bowlers on a single lane, bowling against a team on a single lane 2 lanes over. League purists are already screaming this is "unfair" because teams will be able to create a line for themselves and shoot the lights out. I couldn't care less...I just want to bowl.

There are people out there that love to narc...bowling centers wouldn't get away with breaking the rules for very long before some busybody called the local police. Plus, the parking lot would be a dead giveaway for how many people might be in the center. The last thing the bowling centers want to do is lose their business licenses.

There is also the arcade, billiards, laser tag, bar, etc. that will count towards licensed capacity. That will all take away from how many people will be able to bowl in the center at any given time.

One of the USBC changes is that leagues that are too big to fit the downsized number of lanes will be able to assign teams to different times, even on a different day. So half the league might bowl at 6:00p.m. Monday, and the other half at 9:00. Or it might turn out half Monday at 6 and the other half Tuesday at the same time.
My guess is we will lose a significant number of bowlers because their team will be given a time that doesn’t work with their schedule. Then we also lose the bowlers with serious underlying medical issues, the ones whose wives won’t let them leave the house, and the soreheads who refuse any changes to what they’re used to. I think a lot of the bigger leagues will shrink or choose to split up. Smaller leagues will get shoved into the least desirable time slots.

[Ryster]

One of the USBC changes is that leagues that are too big to fit the downsized number of lanes will be able to assign teams to different times, even on a different day. So half the league might bowl at 6:00p.m. Monday, and the other half at 9:00. Or it might turn out half Monday at 6 and the other half Tuesday at the same time.
My guess is we will lose a significant number of bowlers because their team will be given a time that doesn’t work with their schedule. Then we also lose the bowlers with serious underlying medical issues, the ones whose wives won’t let them leave the house, and the soreheads who refuse any changes to what they’re used to. I think a lot of the bigger leagues will shrink or choose to split up. Smaller leagues will get shoved into the least desirable time slots.

Splitting the league into different days and times will work in some cases (I wouldn't mind it), but for houses that have leagues every night that will be very difficult.

[boatman37]

Yep. We have leagues about every night and even a couple mid day. 40 lanes but on Tuesday night we have 16 teams and the womens league has 6 so we would need 44 lanes. I'm sure a few will drop out so maybe we go to 14 teams or something. Wednesday night they have all 40 lanes full. Be hard to work it out at our center.

[J Anderson]

Yep. We have leagues about every night and even a couple mid day. 40 lanes but on Tuesday night we have 16 teams and the womens league has 6 so we would need 44 lanes. I'm sure a few will drop out so maybe we go to 14 teams or something. Wednesday night they have all 40 lanes full. Be hard to work it out at our center.

I talked to one of the managers at our center yesterday. It sounds like there may be a restriction on the number of bowlers per lane, the numbers mentioned being two or three.

[Ryster]

I talked to one of the managers at our center yesterday. It sounds like there may be a restriction on the number of bowlers per lane, the numbers mentioned being two or three.

It seems to vary by state. Centers in some states are permitting up to 6 per lane if they are all from the same household. Others are limiting to 3 per lane if not related. Using every other lane seems to be a universal policy at this point.

The 50% capacity rule, and the "no group sizes of more than X" seem to really be the major issue for bowling centers. Ohio was the most recent state to reopen bowling centers, and some proprietors have stated that even at 50% capacity it doesn't pay for them to reopen.

[Timmyb]

The center closest to my home is re-opening June 6th. Not sure of what the limitations will be just yet. I'm hoping I can get them to throw out a fresh house shot when I'm there. Only got 9 games in on the Phaze III before the blackout!