Tuesday, June 08, 2010

No place for old men

Two days in a row, and I can't find a decent place to bowl. My usuals have had their lanes booked out by schools which have somehow cottoned on to the idea that bowling is a great activity to introduce their kids to. Considering the miserable weather, I'm not surprised they're bringing their kids indoors. But it's deep into the summer hols; why can't they just leave their kids alone and not organize them so much?

I did, however, scrape a lane from Orchid Bowl. No little kids bringing the roof down with their din, no little kids swinging from the chandeliers, no little kids at all. Bliss. But Orchid Bowl is showing its age. Clunky bowler input interface; basic overhead score display sans exciter graphics; bumpy potentially ball-damaging retrieval system. Everything looks and feels in need of updating, nothing to bring the little kids running here. Maybe I've found the right place to bowl after all.

Saw some national team players training here too. The lanes are slightly longer so they're good for training accuracy; the pins are slightly heavier and don't bounce around much, so it's more challenging to bowl strikes. That's what makes this place a good training ground.

Scored 159 for a four game average. Out of practice. : P

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