Detroit Bowling Alleys

**Danny** · July-29-09, 12:15 PM

Bowling alleys that I go to:

Five Star Lanes on 16 Mile Rd. near Dequindre, execellent Brunswick synthetic lanes. Uses house oil; medium on 10 to 10 boards light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues; light to dry oil pattern for youth leagues.

Bowl One Lanes on 14 Mile Rd. near Dequindre, brand New AMF Qubica synthetic lanes. Uses house oil for fun leagues. 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues; light to dry oil pattern for youth leagues.

Universal Lanes on 12 Mile Rd and Dequindre. execellent Bruinswick synthetic lanes. Uses house oil for fun leagues. 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues. Light to dry oil pattern for youth leagues.

Fairlanes Bowl on Stevenson HWY. near 12 Mile Rd. and I-75, Uses Old AMF wooden lanes. Heavy oil from 12 to 12 boards medium 10 to 10 and light 10 and out.

Astro Bowl on John R Rd. near 14 Mile Rd, excellent AMF wooden lanes Uses house oil for fun leagues. 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out.

Plum Hollow Lanes on 9 Mile Rd. are Lahser execellent Bruinswick synthetic lanes. Uses house oil for fun leagues. 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues; light to dry oil pattern for youth leagues.

Oxford Lanes on Telegraph Rd. south of Michigan Ave. execellent Bruinswick synthetic lanes. Uses house oil for fun leagues. 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues; medium to light oil pattern for Oxford Doubles; light to dry oil pattern for youth leagues.

Taylor Lanes on Eureka Road west of Telegraph Ave. execellent Bruinswick synthetic lanes. Uses house oil for fun leagues. 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues. May have to adjuct your your approach because the old floor has AMF approach dots. That is the bowling alley that will be hosting the PBA tours coming soon.

Thunderbowl Lanes on Allen Rd. near Outer Drive; brand new Bruinswick synthetic lanes. Uses house oil for fun leagues. 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues; light to dry for special leagus and youth leagues.

Bananza Lanes on Hoover Rd. near 10 Mile Rd. execellent Bruinswick synthetic lanes. Uses house oil for fun leagues. 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues. Light to dry oil pattern for youth leagues.

Pampas Lanes on Van Dyke Rd near 14 Mile Rd. execellent Bruinswick synthetic lanes. Uses heavy house oil for fun leagues. 12 to 12 boards, medium 10 and 10 boards: light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues; medium to light oil pattern for youuth leagues.

Van Dyke Bowl on Van Dyke Rd. near 20 Mile Rd. uses old AMF Brunswick wooden lanes. heavy house oil pattern; 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out

Renaissance Lanes on Woodward Ave. near State Fair St. brand new execellent Bruinswick synthetic lanes. Uses house oil for fun leagues. 10 to 10 boards, light 8 and out. Special Scorpion and Shark oil patterns for special pro bowler leagues. Light to dry oil pattern for youth leagues. House oil is limited to league bowlers so you might to deal with light to dry oil pattern.

**CASSTECH1981** · July-29-09, 11:48 AM

Looks like maybe the bowling alley at Outerdrive and Vandyke ?

**GPCharles** · July-29-09, 12:07 PM

It was big and beautiful until Home Depot with their greedy selves bought the area, torn down the bowling lanes and built their big box store destined to shut down 10 years.

And the owner of Satellite Bowl went home with a boat load of money...

**kc1detroit** · January-13-10, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

And the owner of Satellite Bowl went home with a boat load of money...

Actually the owner of Satellite now owns Community Bowling Centers which operates 16 centers in the metro Detroit area.

**superbowler297** · July-11-10, 09:43 PM

I had bowled at Mt Elliott, Falcon, Klees, Fantasy, Ramona, Van Dyke Bowl, State Fair, Pladium to name a few when I was growing up as a kid. Does anybody remember these?

**Fury13** · July-29-09, 12:07 PM

Outer Drive and Van Dyke was the Falcon bowling alley and nightclub, was it not?

**12468_laing** · July-30-09, 12:31 PM

I used to spend my time in the ones on the Eastside - Chandler, Fantasy, East Warren, Maple, Shorecrest, and Denby. Aren't they all either gone or out of business now?

**EastsideAl** · July-30-09, 03:26 PM

I learned to bowl [[well, as much as I ever learned to bowl) in a Detroit Public School program at the vast Great Lakes Bowling Center that once stood at the corner of Woodward and Baltimore. I also used to go with my cousins to Jefferson Recreation [[where they had human pinsetters much longer than anyplace else I remember) that was over near the Cinderella Theater, and with my Dad to the still-extant Garden Bowl as well as another corridor/midtown area lanes whose name and location I no longer recall.

**IrishSpartan** · December-02-23, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I learned to bowl [[well, as much as I ever learned to bowl) in a Detroit Public School program at the vast Great Lakes Bowling Center that once stood at the corner of Woodward and Baltimore. I also used to go with my cousins to Jefferson Recreation [[where they had human pinsetters much longer than anyplace else I remember) that was over near the Cinderella Theater, and with my Dad to the still-extant Garden Bowl as well as another corridor/midtown area lanes whose name and location I no longer recall.

Jefferson Club Recreation...bowling alley was upstairs and it was in the block between Lakeview and Eastlawn. Chene Trombly never had automatic pinsetters because of building layout and the alley behind the building.

**EMG** · August-25-09, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by 12468_laing

I used to spend my time in the ones on the Eastside - Chandler, Fantasy, East Warren, Maple, Shorecrest, and Denby. Aren't they all either gone or out of business now?

Denby - on Whittier near Riad - was the only one I ever bowled at.

**slick** · August-25-09, 02:56 PM

used to spend my time in the ones on the Eastside - Chandler, Fantasy, East Warren, Maple, Shorecrest, and Denby. Aren't they all either gone or out of business now?

Bowled in an eastside traveling league Friday Mornings, hit most of the above mentioned lanes.

Chandler now a warehouse. building on Harper can see it from I94
Fantasy, long gone,, fire I think.
East Warren, Rite Aid?
Maple, not sure
Shorecrest, bancrupt
Denby, closed.
Ritters, old two story

**Campfire Girl** · August-26-09, 03:08 PM

There was also Ramona Lanes down 6 mile ---our High School Bowling League was there.

**Tsomyak** · August-26-09, 03:36 PM

I'm trying to remember the name of a bar on the east side that had a couple of lanes off the the side. There was an older guy who would give lessons during the day. I remember my dad took me there when I was starting to bowl. The bar was either on Mack or Warren, not far from Outer Drive. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

**zitro** · August-26-09, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by Tsomyak

I'm trying to remember the name of a bar on the east side that had a couple of lanes off the the side. There was an older guy who would give lessons during the day. I remember my dad took me there when I was starting to bowl. The bar was either on Mack or Warren, not far from Outer Drive. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

I believe that was Nottingham Bar Tsom.

**Tsomyak** · August-26-09, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by zitro

I believe that was Nottingham Bar Tsom.

Z comes through again! Yes, that's the place. Thanks!

**dguy4evr** · February-20-15, 10:06 AM

My first game I bowled at was at Chandler Lanes, they still had pinsetters back then. I then bowled in my first league at Motor City Lanes on Mack and Conner I believe, it was right around the corner from Polo's restaurant, it was there where I purchased my first bowling ball from money from a paper route it was a Colombia 300 in a blue pearl finish. After I got married I joined a mixed league and my wife and I bowled at East Warren lanes, and bowled at Ark lanes on Dequinder for a long time.
Neither of us bowl now due to health issues, I sure did have some great times and the memories that we both have.

**BowlDetroit** · August-06-09, 07:43 PM

still love the Ypsi-Arbor sign!

**reddog289** · August-06-09, 09:39 PM

Gotta love that sign too. One day I will bowl Ypsi-Arbor.

**Danny** · December-28-14, 09:10 AM

Finally Cloverlanes in Livonia, MI. now has AMF-Qubica synthetic lanes on the east end. Go try them out.

**Danny** · March-24-15, 11:25 AM

Bad news folks! After over 50 years of service. Cloverlanes in Livonia, MI. will be closing its doors in May 4. Most bowling leagues will have to find new bowling houses for their future leagues.

**mtburb** · March-24-15, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Bad news folks! After over 50 years of service. Cloverlanes in Livonia, MI. will be closing its doors in May 4. Most bowling leagues will have to find new bowling houses for their future leagues.

Did the long closure of I-96 for reconstruction last year do it in?

**Danny** · March-25-15, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by mtburb

Did the long closure of I-96 for reconstruction last year do it in?

No! the banks decided not to approve the loans for Cloverlanes so the owner decided to close the house down. All bowling leagues will have to find another bowling lanes. The house has attracted lots of black leagues. The biggest black league bowls on wednesday Nnght filling all 64 lanes. [[ I think its a conspiracy to keep African American leagues from bowling in Livonia.)

**Danny** · February-24-20, 02:16 PM

Cloverlanes CLOSED!
Hazel Park bowl CLOSED!
Apollo Lanes CLOSED!

Soon there will no decent bowling alleys left in Metro Detroit.

**BowlDetroit** · August-25-09, 01:24 AM

Anybody remember BowlARama on 7 mile & Lahser? Right near the Redford, I mean, Rogell golf course. How about North Lanes on 8 and Greenfield?

**SMRJim** · August-26-09, 04:40 PM

This was supposed to be a reply to BowlDetroit's 'How about North Lanes on 8 and Greenfield?...' Once again I forgot to use the Quote button...

I bowled at NorthLanes a handful of times. Me and a buddy of mine would sometimes walk up to Northland [[from Grand River and Greenfield area!) when we were maybe 11-12 years old, and on our way back would sometimes stop in at Northlanes. That was on the east side of Greenfield, just south of 8 mile, right? I think that was Northlanes.