Two Metro-Detroit bowling alleys closed for good.

**Danny** · February-06-12, 02:49 PM

After 40 years of service. Garden Lanes in Garden City Michigan has been closed since last year.

After 50 years of service Oxford Lanes in Dearborn, MI. is officially closed.

This is so pitiful! What more Metro-Detroit bowling alleys are closing?

**hhockey** · February-06-12, 03:12 PM

Oxford closed due to the Toyota dealer across the street buying them out.However you are correct in that many a bowling alley is going by the wayside.

Buy American · February-06-12, 03:21 PM

Bowling is such a big part of Detroit's history going back to the 1930's. I think the Stroh Brewing Company sponsored the first league....I may be wrong about that though.

**Jimaz** · February-06-12, 03:26 PM

Another sign of the vanishing middle class. <sigh>

Expect a variant of dwarf tossing to emerge with peasants replacing the dwarfs.

**Detroit_uke** · February-06-12, 03:35 PM

I was really sad to hear about Oxford Lanes. Bowled on leagues there. Had birthday parties for the kids there. They were generous to the community. There's a book that was published in 2000 - you have to read it. It's called Bowling alone: The Collapse and Revival of the American community - by Robert D. Putnam. I drove by Garden City Bowl yesterday...so sad...I wish i could afford to buy it...

**jolla** · February-06-12, 04:20 PM

Does anyone here patronize bowling alleys?

**Smirnoff** · February-06-12, 06:46 PM

In all honesty.....I am surprised Garden Lanes was still around, bowled there in the 70's during high school gym class & it was Not a nice bowling alley.....it was severely outdated back then!

**douglasm** · February-06-12, 06:47 PM

Good point, Jolla. 20 years ago I was in a league, but I probably haven't picked up a ball in 10 years. Where I live, we used to have 2 facilities. One was torn down for a strip mall, and I swear, in the other one, the lanes are an excuse to have a lounge and card room.

**finster** · February-06-12, 07:03 PM

I bowled at Garden City quite a few times with friends a few years back. I think they were trying to open up a sports bar inside but it musn't have worked out or helped much. Sad to see them go.

There's a bar/restaurant next door that has struggled and closed/reopened a few times under different names. I wonder if they're still making it? Kinda have my doubts as that section of Warren between Inkster and Middlebelt has seen lots of places close down in the last few years. So sad.

**Danny** · February-07-12, 03:59 PM

I used to bowled at Garden Lanes in 1986 for the youth tournments. It was exciting. The owners didn't have electronic scoreboards unitl 1987. It was just projection lamps with plastic score sheets.

I also bowled at Oxford Lanes since 2006 I won 4 house league championships and won second place in 2008. I also bowled two perfect games during practice.

**CLAUDE G** · February-07-12, 06:54 PM

I will say this, Im 32 years old and im sick and tired of all the glow bowl crap and synthetic lanes some of these alleys seems to have these days.

I liked the good old days when the lanes where made of real wood, and you needed to keep a rag with you to wipe the greese off your hands from the food served at the grill.

**Johnnny5** · February-07-12, 07:13 PM

IMO the smoking ban has a lot to do with number of lanes closing recently. I don't smoke and I rarely bowl, but from the times that I have bowled it was obvious that smoking was far more popular among regular bowlers than the general public. Bowling was losing popularity as it was, but the smoking ban really put the nail in the coffin.

**CLAUDE G** · February-07-12, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

IMO the smoking ban has a lot to do with number of lanes closing recently. I don't smoke and I rarely bowl, but from the times that I have bowled it was obvious that smoking was far more popular among regular bowlers than the general public. Bowling was losing popularity as it was, but the smoking ban really put the nail in the coffin.

I personally like the smoking ban, but your right in what you say. The smoking ban did have a big effect on bowling alleys,

SteveJ · February-07-12, 10:31 PM

Last time I went bowling was 3-4 years ago and then it was probably 2004 before that. I used to be 8-9 years ago a few times a month but just lost interest.

**Smirnoff** · February-08-12, 09:07 AM

After many years of closet bowling ball storage - recently I located a local bowling alley with $1.00/game & $1.00 drafts, pizza, fries.....so, I sold my '80's vintage bowling equipment on eBay [[didn't work on synthetic lanes & I couldn't believe somebody actually bid), bought a new ball/shoes/bag & now learning how to bowl with/on new technology!

**Carey** · February-08-12, 09:15 AM

When is the last time a bowling alley opened in metro Detroit?

**jolla** · February-08-12, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

...recently I located a local bowling alley with $1.00/game & $1.00 drafts, pizza, fries

Where? I bowl once in a while.

**Islandman** · February-08-12, 09:30 AM

There's always Rock and Bowl!

**Fury13** · February-08-12, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Another sign of the vanishing middle class. <sigh>

Not sure why you'd say this... bowling has always been more a favorite recreational activity of the working class, rather than the middle class. And even though middle-class families who had come up from a lower socioeconomic level stayed with bowling in past decades [['50s through '80s), I don't believe this has been the case for some time.

Agree that the smoking ban probably hurt the alleys [["final nail in the coffin"), because a higher percentage of bowlers smoke than in the general population.

Someone once told me that bowling alleys are noisy, smoky places that serve bad beer and awful food, and that they couldn't see the appeal. Well, times are changing.

The new, super high-tech lanes geared to families of all classes [[read: smokers have to go outside to do their thing) have displaced the old neighborhood alleys. There will be fewer places to bowl overall as time goes on, but the ones that we'll have will be huge multi-activity centers.

Personally, I like outdoor bowling -- bocce.

**hhockey** · February-08-12, 10:13 AM

The largest detriment to bowling has become the cost. If you bowl in a serious league or for that matter a fun league most new bowling balls cost between $150.00 to 250.00 dollars. A league bowler who buys a few beers pays his bowling fee and maybe gets into a couple of jackpots it can end up costing the guy $50.00 bucks a night. I know i bowl in a league. On the smoking issue our league has many smokers but they just go outside between games.

**Danny** · February-08-12, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by Buy American

Bowling is such a big part of Detroit's history going back to the 1930's. I think the Stroh Brewing Company sponsored the first league....I may be wrong about that though.

The famous Mike Totsky used to bowl on the Stroh's League from the 1950s to late 1970s. He will be missed, God bless is soul.

**hhockey** · February-08-12, 10:15 AM

He also owned Bowlcraft lanes on Schoolcraft and Evergreen.

**sirrealone** · February-08-12, 10:40 AM

**Danny** · February-08-12, 12:06 PM

JONNNY5 sez..." IMO the smoking ban has a lot to do with number of lanes closing recently. I don't smoke and I rarely bowl, but from the times that I have bowled it was obvious that smoking was far more popular among regular bowlers than the general public. Bowling was losing popularity as it was, but the smoking ban really put the nail in the coffin."

Technically NO! bigger and better bowling lanes, some with synthetic lanes, higher payouts in some bowling leagues, sudden growth of African American leagues in suburban areas, PBA's migration further west [[even to Hawaii and Las Vegas bowling centers), summer league tournament higher payouts, higher prices and ecomonic hardships cause the fall most bowling leagues. Smoking was fine to some people in the bowling leagues, but a major health concerns for other people. In Michigan, mostly the Republican state reps [[ fewer Democrats reps) voted the smoking ban in all public buildings. Most bars are feeling the burden, too. but most of them are still in business as along they serve beer and wine.

Most bowling houses are still going strong in Metro-Detroit with the beer and wine being served. High school bowling leagues and YABA leagues is not going to die. Lot's of young kids are getting used to high tech bowling balls and synthetic lanes. The baby boomers and echo boomers are going have to get used the sudden change or don't bowl at any league or house at all.

African Americans in most bowling leagues in Metro-Detroit are quickly growing its keeping Cloverlanes, Royal Lanes, Hazel Park Bowl, Thunderbowl Lanes, Cherry Hill Lanes, Wayne Bowl, Rennaisance Bowl, Rec Bowl, Hartfield Lanes, Mayflower Lanes and Plum Hollow Lanes open. They are in the MONEY! And they can work around they middle class work schedules and family time just to come out and bowl. They treat it as a career and not a recreation activity. They are not worried about the NO SMOKING ordinance. They just want to bowl and have a great time.

HHOCKEY sez..."The largest detriment to bowling has become the cost. If you bowl in a serious league or for that matter a fun league most new bowling balls cost between $150.00 to 250.00 dollars. A league bowler who buys a few beers pays his bowling fee and maybe gets into a couple of jackpots it can end up costing the guy $50.00 bucks a night. I know i bowl in a league. On the smoking issue our league has many smokers but they just go outside between games."

You have to get used to the rising cost in each bowling leagues in different houses. It range from $10.00 to $23.00. The average cost of a USBC sanctioned league is $13.00 depending on every other week or every week. If you have the income, time and effort and friends who love the game, then you can bowl. Get used to rising cost of brand new bowling balls. If not there always those used house balls and used bowling balls for $50.00 and up.

The jackpots is the leagues way to keep you the addictive gambling way and distract you from the game so your competitive opponent will bowl terrible! It's your decision whether to gamble or not.

As for the smokers after the ban, most of bowlers end up bowl very terrible due to that distraction. To keep the nicotine fit down, smoke first; wait until the 1st, 2nd and third game is over then take a smoke break. However that smoke break has to be 5 minutes or less. Bowlers must respect their teammates and their opponents first. We bowl, have fun and go home or out to someplace else.

CAREY sez..."When is the last time a bowling alley opened in metro Detroit?"

Just least year. Star Lanes [[owned by Emagine Theaters) located on the corner of 11 Mile Rd. and Main St in Downtown Royal Oak, MI. They have no leagues there, yet. but they might get it if they can't get more customers. This is Emagine Theaters first ever corporate owned bowling alley. If this project worked. Then more proposed bowling, bar, billards, poker rooms, movie theater entertaiment complexes will opened all over the United States.

The last real full bowling alley built was Super Bowl Lanes, built after 1985. I went there for the youth tournament in 1986. The second last bowling alley was built was Taylor Lanes, In Taylor, MI. It was built in 1974 By the Dobbins Family. Erin Dobbins is the last general manager at the house. I used to bowl with her and my team in 2011. There are other bowling alleys popped up the early to mid 1970s, but slow down when the skating rinks and the disco scene came in.

CLAUDE G sez... " I will say this, Im 32 years old and im sick and tired of all the glow bowl crap and synthetic lanes some of these alleys seems to have these days."

"I liked the good old days when the lanes where made of real wood, and you needed to keep a rag with you to wipe the greese off your hands from the food served at the grill."

Get used the pre-discoteque cosmic bowl. It's doing quite will luring the kids and hipster scene. It would grab their attention to bowl for fun and hopefully join a league.

More bowling alleys are switching to synthetic because its cheaper. Wood lanes had to be refurbished every year and chips of the wood boards have to be replace every year due to severe damage from very tough bowling balls and sudden scratches from oil surfacing machines. You just have to get used to the changes. Bowling technology is speeding like faster before your log in to any social networking sites. People will continue to bowl for all ages and one day it make the next trend since its glory days.