Do we have any Bowlers on the board?

[JMoses3318]

I'm interested in finding out who here bowls.

Do you bowl recreationally or in leagues, and where? My roommate does, and I'd like to have new leagues to point him to. Right now, he bowls at AMF Boulevard in Edmond on Tuesdays, and subs elsewhere as opportunities come open (in fact, he has one at Holiday tonight that I hope to accompany him to).

[Joe Kimball]

I bowl on and off recreationally. A league is something I would rather not commit to. When I'm in form on a THS, I average about 210 but that was months ago the last time I was that consistent; I golf these days.

I'm only immediately familiar with Heritage as the center in these parts, but I know Boulevard has a great reputation.

[Thomas Vu]

I bowl recreationally. Most recent place I've played at was Heritage. Before that was Sooner Lanes and Moore. Advise against Holiday, unless you're into super dry lanes.

[JMoses3318]

I bowl recreationally. Most recent place I've played at was Heritage. Before that was Sooner Lanes and Moore. Advise against Holiday, unless you're into super dry lanes.

Is there a center in Moore we've missed?

I am hearing that Holiday may be closing if new owners aren't found. I can't confirm it, but that's the rumor.

[Thomas Vu]

I think the Moore one was taken down in the tornado. It was by the Warren

[baralheia]

I think the Moore one was taken down in the tornado. It was by the Warren

This is correct; AMF Moore Lanes was destroyed by the May 20th, 2013 tornado and AMF chose not to rebuild.

[SoonerDave]

I've never been remotely good enough to play in a league, but from what I understand there are fewer and fewer of them. In addition to the pending closure of Holiday, Penn 44 closed down and is slated to be torn down. Meridian Lanes are still around, and some of the "destination" entertainment places like HeyDay have bowling, but the focus I think is away from the old style leagues and more toward "event" bowling, like part of parties or off-site business social events, things like that. I think the turning point for bowling around here was when the two "nicer" bowling centers I remember - the old Bowling Green locations - finally shuttered.

[Jim Kyle]

It started downhill before that time. I mark the tipping point being when Highlander closed (the building is now occupied by Conn's, at NW Hiway and Independence). Sunny Lanes inherited some of its aura, but not enough. Other lanes that bit the dust include Puddin', Bowlarena, and Capitol. Before that came Lincoln, which burned, and Jenks, which was on the second floor of a building near the court house.

[Joe Kimball]

Yes; that tipping point of Hilander closing coincides with the introduction of the reactive resin ball, which is bowling's place in a time when technology and new materials converged across many sports, such as golf, tennis, winter sports, and so forth. In bowling's case, the new ball (and the regulatory bodies' allowance thereof) made the game easier, to put it very briefly.

With this, combined with the information age capturing everyone's attention span, the widespread appeal of bowling diminished, despite earnest attempts to glitz it up with black lights, music, and drink specials. Lights-out bowling happened in my parent's day when they were active bowlers, but it was much more of a novelty than its current status of keeping a center alive.

EDIT: In addition to "juiced" balls, higher scoring pins, pindecks and flat gutters more conducive to pinfall, favorable oil patterns made conforming, etc.