Advertisement
Doom and gloom for sure, right?
Not at your local bowling centers. Sure some of them are feeling the pinch, but for the most part, balls are still rolling down the lanes and pins are flying.
“We are within five or 10 bowlers of what we had last year (for Coulee Golf Bowl’s 22 leagues),” said Warren Johnson, who has managed Coulee Golf Bowl in Onalaska for much of the last 30 years. “We noticed it a little more with the golf business. Because of the weather, and combine that with the gas prices (this summer), and there are only so many dollars to go around.”
Bowlers, for the most part, are still spending those dollars at their local bowling center. Dennis Sweet, who owns Colonial Lanes in Sparta, said the
12 leagues that he has at his establishment are full of bowlers.
That doesn’t mean he hasn’t felt a slight pinch from tougher times.
“We are down about
2 percent overall,” said Sweet, who, along with his son, Sam, built Colonial Lanes in 1997. “With the weather getting colder, we’ll pick up on our open bowling side. Still, it (economy) is going to hurt everybody.
“People just don’t have the money to spend. Unfortunately, our bills go on.”
Sweet has been through an economic downturn before, and has survived the tough times.
“I owned the bowling center in Reedsburg when bowling really bottomed out in the late 1980s and early 1990s,” Sweet said. “You couldn’t get people to come in at that time. I am hoping it never gets that way again.”
Dick Zierke, who purchased Pla-Mor Lanes in La Crosse nine years ago, said he is working harder — and smarter — than ever before to keep things going. So far, so good, Zierke said.
“The economy has affected it (business) some, but not a tremendous amount,” Zierke said. “You are going to see people cut back. In the time we have been here (at Pla-Mor), we have to work harder and keep coming up with new stuff.”
Zierke said he has 23 leagues — men’s, women’s and youth — which is the same as last year. Youth and high school-age leagues, he believes, are a key to the future.
“Nationwide, bowling business in the ‘70s and most of the 80s, houses were full,” Zierke said. “Then people found other alternatives to spend their time. The bowling market didn’t go after people like youth soccer, or hockey or other youth sports did.
“They went after these kids and we didn’t. We were losing numbers. We didn’t do what they were doing.”
The bowling industry has since awakened to some degree, Zierke said, and understands it must promote and market itself like never before.
“We still have to go out and promote this and show that it is a good, fun entertainment for families and individuals,” Zierke said. “The economy is tough on everybody. You don’t know how people are going to react.”
SPEAKING OF HIGH SCHOOL BOWLING: The first bowling tournament of the season for high school club teams is Sunday at Colonial Lanes in Sparta. Zierke said nearly every school in the area will be represented at the tournament.
