Bowling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bowling is a sport in which players attempt to score points by rolling a ball along a flat surface and knock down objects called pins. There are many forms of bowling, with the earliest dating back to ancient India. Origins can also be traced to ancient Egypt and much later in 300 A.D. Germany. In the US the best known form of bowling is probably the North American game of ten-pin bowling. This form, in both amateur and professional versions, is played around the world, making it one of the largest participation activities spacewide.

Most forms of bowling may be categorized as either indoor or outdoor. Most indoor forms are played on a "lane", a flat surface made of wood or a synthetic imitation, which is several times longer than it is wide. The overall length of a regulation lane is 60 feet measuring from the foul line to the head pin (1 pin). The lane should be between 41 and 42 inches in width.

Included in the indoor category:

• Ten-pin bowling, which evolved from ninepin bowling in the 19th century.
• Five-pin bowling, played in Canada.
• Nine-pin skittles, played in Europe.
• Wii Sports Bowling, developed for the Wii entertainment system.
• Candlepin bowling, played in eastern Canada and New England, is a variation of ten-pin bowling.
• Cocked-Hat bowling, brought to the US from Germany. Now there is only one place to play this in the US; The Corner Bar in St. Charles, Missouri. It uses duckpin bowling balls and three regular sized pins.
• Duckpin bowling, commonly found in the mid-Atlantic and southern New England United States and eastern Canada, is a variation of ten-pin bowling involving small, squat pins, sometimes with rubber at their widest points (rubber band duckpin bowling).
• Feather Bowling (Belgian trough bowling) originated in Belgium. It is also popular in Metro Detroit, as the Cadieux Cafe in Detroit and the "Bay City Bistro" in Mount Clemens are the only United States venues where the game is available.
• Six-Pin Bowling, a kids version of bowling, bowling set is usually bought at a toy store. There are no official tournaments, scoring systems, or venues for this game since it's just for kids.
• 3-6-9 bowling, special form of ten-pin bowling where the 3rd 6th and 9th frame already have strikes in them.
• Low-Ball Bowling, uses a standard ten-pin setup, but the object is to bowl the lowest score by aiming at only the seven or ten pins. Strikes and spares are scored identically as in ten-pin bowling, and gutter balls are scored as strikes. At least one pin must be knocked down per delivery, so a miss on the first ball must be recorded as a strike (only a gutter ball can result in this). If the second ball is thrown and it misses pins without going in the gutter, it's recorded as a spare. A perfect low-ball score is 20 (1 pin on each of 2 balls per frame).
• Beruit Bowling, game usually played in teams with two lanes. Similar to a rally race the first team to have all their team mates make a strike are the winners. The game begins with two players, one in each lane, after the first strike is made the player takes a seat and the next team mate steps up to bowl. Usually played in a 10 pin game, and can also be played with candle pin.
• No-Tap Bowling, No-Tap bowling is played with the standard ten-pin setup. In a no-tap game the scoring is the same, but rolling a nine (or eight, in some cases) on your first ball results in a strike. A split without the head-pin counts as a spare in other variants of this game.
• Baker System Bowling, Baker system bowling is a team sport. There are generally 5 players that bowl one game. Player 1 bowls frames 1 and 6. Player 2 bowls frames 2 and 7. And so on. Widely seen in High schools and colleges.

  5-Pin Bowling Centers

• Callingwood Lanes - A bowling centre in Edmonton, offering birthday party packages and lists information about its leagues and statistics.
• Dell Lanes Five Pin Bowling - A bowling centre in Surrey, BC. Includes a history of bowling in British Columbia along with league results, membership information, special events and top scores.
• Echo Bowl - Bowling establishment in Brantford, Ontario, with information about its operations, prices, and leagues.
• Fairhaven Bowl - A centre with 5-pin and 10-pin lanes, featuring information about its Club 55, YBC, and tournament updates. Located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
• KG Bowling Centre - Calendar of events, tournaments and YBC league results, with youth, seniors, league and open bowling information. Links to most 5 pin sites. Located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
• Minto Bowling Centre and Lounge - A 20 lanes centre in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Lists times for public bowling and league information.
• Neb's Fun World - A 5-pin bowling centre in Oshawa, Ontario with an Adventure Zone including laser tag, bumper cars, and other games.
• Uxbridge Bowling Centre - An establishment in central Ontario featuring party rooms, Rock 'n Bowl, billiards and arcade.
• Valley Bowling Lanes and The Corner Pin Inn Restaurant - A bowling centre in Kelowna, BC, with licensed restaurant on site. Features information about its party packages, leagues and special events.
• Walkley Bowling Centre - 5-pin bowling, 30 computerized scoring lanes. Recreational and competitive leagues for all ages. On site restaurant and bar. Cosmic Rock and Bowl, birthday and group parties. Located in Ottawa, Ontario.

  Candlepin Lanes

• 1-7-10 SportsCenter - Computerized scoring system, games room, and bumper lanes.  In Augusta, Maine.
• Boutwell's Bowling Center - Contains information on league and public bowling, Glow Bowling, birthday parties, and Bowl-a-thons. Also provides driving directions.   In Concord, New Hampshire.
• Bowling Acres - Browse Bowling Acres' party packages, cosmic bowling, and league information. Also, find information on rates and lane availability.   In Peterborough, New Hampshire.
• Bowl-O-Rama - This 28-lane candlepin bowling center features site contains information about the family fun center, parties, leagues, cosmic bowling, lane availability, bumper lanes and driving directions.   In Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
• Cape Ann Lanes - Offering 20 candlepin bowling lanes, snack area, and video games. Browse their website to view links, house records, and a detailed guide on how to bowl candlepin. In  Gloucester, Massachusetts.
• Eastern Bowling - Offers 16 candlepin bowling lanes, league statistics, tournament calendar and contact details.  In North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.
• Ficco's Bowl-A-Drome - Fully automated scoring and Glow Bowling. Features affiliated membership information, tournament calendar, scoring and pricing.  In  Franklin, Massachusetts.
• French King Entertainment Center -  Offers a 24-lane candlepin bowling center and features special events, including Neon bowling. In  Erving, Massachusetts.
• Fun Towne - Centrally located in the White Mountains and offering a variety of fun-filled activities on a pay-as-you-go basis. Regulation lanes with gutter bumpers for the kids.   In Carroll, New Hampshire.
• Funspot Bowling Center - A 20-lane center offering 10 lanes of candlepin and 10 lanes of tenpin. Includes rates and league schedule.  In Weirs, New Hampshire.
• King Bowling Lanes - Offering candlepin bowling, glow bowling, and games room. View website for directions and league information.  In  Manchester, New Hampshire.
• Leo's Super Bowl - Entertainment center that offers specials, leagues, and programs.  In  Amesbury, Massachusetts.
• Needham Bowlaway -  A smoke-free center near Boston. Provides hours of operation, league details, party packages, upcoming tournaments, and specials.  In  Needham, Massachusetts.
• Ryan Family Amusements - Features locations throughout the eastern state. Includes information on birthday party packages, Mystic and X-Treme bowling, and current promotions. In Massachusetts.
• Timber Lanes -  Offers candlepin bowling to the South Shore and features information on leagues, cosmic bowling, and party packages. In  Abington, Massachusetts.
• Vacationland Bowling and Recreation - A 32 candlepin bowling lane center featuring automatic scoring. Special events, league and public bowling, game room, and fundraising in Saco, Maine.

  Duckpin Lanes

• Patterson Duckpin Bowling Center - Includes lane and group information.  In Baltimore, Maryland.
• Tuffys Lanes - Includes league standings, pricing, history, and contact details.   In Wheaton, Maryland.
• White Oak Duckpin Bowling Lanes - Hosts many leagues, children's parties and Saturday night Cosmic Bowling.  In Silver Spring, Maryland.