cost of bowling

[mickyd213]

It has been bandied around the forum in a few other threads about the dwindling numbers of people bowling and the reasons for this. There does seem to be a lot of criticism of the prices to bowl outside of league but the question i'm going to pose is how do we address it.

One idea... which was tried quite a few years ago was membership to bowling centres. From memory i think Greensborough was doing this shortly after they opened. In offering memberships there will be reduced game rates and whatever else the proprietors decide.
As to how successful this was or will be i dont know... just an idea.

What are your thoughts...

 

[Straight_kut]

League bowlers get reduced game rates "practice rates" when social bowling where i bowl.

 

[socko]

It has been bandied around the forum in a few other threads about the dwindling numbers of people bowling and the reasons for this. There does seem to be a lot of criticism of the prices to bowl outside of league but the question i'm going to pose is how do we address it.
One idea... which was tried quite a few years ago was membership to bowling centres. From memory i think Greensborough was doing this shortly after they opened. In offering memberships there will be reduced game rates and whatever else the proprietors decide.
As to how successful this was or will be i dont know... just an idea.
What are your thoughts...

We have recently joined a League at a small privately owned centre. The staff are all wonderfully helpful & are enjoyable to talk to/be around. The food is lovely & the centre as a whole is home to me. We pay $5 per game league practice rates however their standard rate is $8.75 1st game (after 6pm - $8.50 before 6pm) & $6 per game thereafter. (They do offer a family package deal).
We bowled elsewhere in the region & didn't like the food at all, the service was pretty poor (however one girl was polite who we payed our money to) & it just didn't have a nice "feel" to it. We payed roughly $20 for 3 games however their standard rate is $10 per game.
We are yet to bowl at the AMF, however as I understand it their standard rate is $14 per game. (Not too sure of their bundled games prices).
I believe a LOT of the problem with bowling numbers dwindling are factors like:

• Cost to the general public (I barely ever played as I believed it cost too much to enjoy more than 1 game when paying to take family or children along as well unless we went during school holidays when it is generally almost too busy)

• Centre locations (When I lived further south I had to travel at least 2 hrs for a game)

• Staff - Customer relations (I went to an AMF centre where the teenager on the counter didn't seem to care that she didn't know the answer to my questions regarding game vouchers & I left feeling confused, unadvised & basically unwanted)

• Rewards - most people like to be rewarded for their achievments & from what I read & have been told, it seems that these days the rewards are basically up to the individual. If we make others feel good about their achievments, whether they be big or small I believe more people would enjoy the game instead of taking it so seriously every step of the way. Of course their are times to be serious about what you do, but if you don't enjoy what you do, what's the use actually doing it in the first place? You will put more effort in under positive circumstances. Be it the Beginner bowler, the Intermediate or the Professional.

• Advertisement - Only during shool holidays do I see ads on tv for AMF bowling. Any other time of year it's fairly quiet in the media & I have never seen any other centre advertised come to think of it. I did not know that if I joined a League I could win prizes, earn a ball or be rewarded with badges/certificates etc. I did not even know that joining a League was available for the Beginner or social bowler. I honestly believed it was for the "better" players. Then again I had no idea until a few months ago who the "better" players were & that there was even Tournaments in Australia! I just assumed they were all international *shrug*

I am sure everyone has points to add or could argue any of the factors I have brought forward. We all seem to have different perceptions of what the issues may be. I thought I would offer the reasonings as to why I have barely ever bowled before, even though I love bowling & now am like the proverbial pig in sh!t 'cos I am bowling 2 times a week! I do regret not getting into it earlier but the points outlined above have all been the reasons it has taken me so long.
I hope I have helped & not offended any one with my thoughts

 

[jockey]

A long time ago now a small little 8 lane centre Box Hill Squash Bowl to be exact trialled an idea of membership where you got a great game rate depending on the membership amount you paid.

I think it was pay up $500 / $1 game rates or $250 / $2 game rates for 12 months please someone correct me if I am wrong. I also don't believe there was any restriction as to when the membership rate applied except that you could not use it for your league play.

I wonder if a centre these days would consider offering such a deal. Interest shown when it was proposed would more than likely determine as to whether there was any benefit in offering such a deal.

One way to improve interest for the membership packages would be to make it available to current league bowlers only. This would provide them with the means to increase league bowler numbers. It would also allow them to increase takings at traditionally quieter times as that is when members would attempt to practice. I know I would definately consider bowling league in a centre that had such a deal on offer even if it mean't going across town. Would any of the rest of the bowlers on this forum do the same?

Their is also the unknown benefit of how much extra revenue would be brought in due to people off the street or social players observing the members on the lanes practicing. Especially those members bowling a large number of games in one session as the non league players may start to look at bowling as a sport rather than as a social outing and this may encourage them to look into league play.

 

[VTRNikki]

Our local AMF ran a "game card" thing over the school holidays last year. You purchased a card for (I think it was) 20 games and then they just punched each number on the card as you used it up. It was fantastic for the kids, my son could take himself off down to the bowl and play to his hearts content while I was at work, without me having to give him cash to carry around. I'd be first in line if something like this was available for all bowlers, and could be used any time (not just holidays). They could be sold at the going league practice rates for league members, higher for non-league members but with still enough of a discount to make it attractive to social bowlers... Yeah, the idea would need some thought on how to make it work, but could be something to consider?

 

[Shoey]

my local bowl offers a system to league bowlers for practice where each league week you bowl (public holidays don't get included) you get allocated 2 games. these 2 games stay on the books for 4 weeks, thereafter they drop off. if you wish to use them you must use a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 6. the cost to have these games is $1 per game. you cannot book lanes for use of this system it is a walk up lanes available use scenario. they cannot be used in conjunction with anything else such as promo's, coaching etc. the centre keeps a folder with all league bowlers listed and they simply cross off the number of games you use against your allocation. you are also able to use them for immediate family, for example my 7 year old is our leagues roving reserve she is ineligble to get these games but can use some of mine.

 

[slayer]

this is one of the reasons i still wonder how serious i can afford to get with bowling! i love the game but everytime i go and practice it costs me $12 for 3 games! you end up paying like $50 min a week!

most other sports i have done (i have played a lot) allow you to become a member and then you have free access to the grounds for training... eg. golf...

i would much prefer where ten pin is concerned to pay a large membership and then be able to train more regularly... i guess the only issue there is the amount of time the league bowlers take up outside of normal work hours!

 

[storm53]

I remember back in 2004-2005 when strikezone used to be privately owned, they had a system whereby u payed $500 a yr or $200 a term (only for league bowlers) and were allowed to bowl 7 games each and every single day during the time period of your card as long as lanes were available(e.g social bowlers and league bowlers paying full rate got priority)

This was an excellent deal, i believed, it allowed cheap practice for anyone to improve their game. Also in the words of Andrew Frawley at the time, it allowed the bowling alley to not feel as empty during the times of poor social bowler attendance. It also i believe made the social bowlers want to get into league bowling, as many times i saw them watching bowlers hook the ball coast to coast and stare in wonder.

It's a shame they don't have this system anymore, it practically ended when strikezone became owned by amf.

 

[ShadowKnight]

i would much prefer where ten pin is concerned to pay a large membership and then be able to train more regularly

I too would be happy paying more (a lot more) to the association in return for some benefit/subsidy of the costs to actually participate in our sport. Whilst considering the cost of bowling we should look beyond the costs of a game. The costs of equipment is also a significant cost barrier.

I believe it is obvious that $12.50 is far too cheap a price to allow the TBA to achieve anything. However, I also believe that there needs to be some quantifiable benefit for all members before general acceptance of a fee rise would be accepted. Personally I think the TBA should be looking at a scheme to reward all of its members for registering and participating in the sport. In fact I have submitted a bowlers rewards scheme to the TBA for consideration that would do just that.

In essence it is a return to Chevron system, but the instead of a nice patch to throw in a drawer never to be seen again bowlers receive credits, lets call them TBA Credits, to use as a subsidy for bowling related costs. Basically as you achieve a goal in sanctioned play (ie. 50 over average) you receive an amount of TBA credits to use to cover bowling related expenses (be that practice games, tournament entry fees, or equipment) by registered industry partners.

These TBA Credits are then cashed in by the registered industry partners for the financial value of the TBA credits the bowler used in their purchase. This then allows the TBA to interface with the entire bowling industry. Obviously this idea is a skeleton only and the details needs fleshing out, industry support, and appropriate levels of funding. However, all three of these are achievable in my opinion and would achieve two things:

1. Ease the ongoing cost to actually strive for achievement and keep up with the latest developments in equipment for all TBA members. In fact it could actually see an increase in participation within tournaments/practice play and also see more equipment sales. After all a healthy industry is a healthy sport.
2. Give all bowlers some value for being a member of the TBA. Personally I think it would even attract those that are regular bowlers not sanctioned to join.

I first voiced that plan here on TotalBowling within the "Questions for the TBA @ the AGM" thread. I have subsequently sent it to the TBA directly for consideration. It was sent to the general e-mail address on the 13th without a response, no I am not surprised. I have since sent it directly to Gillian (CEO) at 11:26pm last night.

 

[socko]

I remember back in 2004-2005 when strikezone used to be privately owned, they had a system whereby u payed $500 a yr or $200 a term (only for league bowlers) and were allowed to bowl 7 games each and every single day during the time period of your card as long as lanes were available(e.g social bowlers and league bowlers paying full rate got priority)
This was an excellent deal, i believed, it allowed cheap practice for anyone to improve their game. Also in the words of Andrew Frawley at the time, it allowed the bowling alley to not feel as empty during the times of poor social bowler attendance. It also i believe made the social bowlers want to get into league bowling, as many times i saw them watching bowlers hook the ball coast to coast and stare in wonder.
It's a shame they don't have this system anymore, it practically ended when strikezone became owned by amf.

I have read about this before by a member named concerned who is a Jnr Player's parent obviously totally worried about the costs etc in her son's future, as well as the bowling community. She has mentioned it both here: http://tenpinbowling.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=82243#post82243
and here: http://tenpinbowling.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=82127#post82127

So I guess this topic has been brought up before & considering I am reading the post by storm53 basically mentioning the same scenario leads me to believe that this was definately a worthwhile venture in it's day & is a pity that it still doesn't exist. Not just in AMF centres but all centres across the board.

Perhaps it is something that the TBA can be in conjunction with alongside the membership (sanctioning). Allowing anyone holding a TBA Membership card to present it to their 'local" or "home" centre of choice (or in fact a number of centres if the participant is willing to purchase more than one) to entitle them to purchase a Players/Practice Card. It certainly will show Tenpin Bowlers Aust. wide that the TBA do in fact care about them, the players of this sport that the TBA represents & it could also encourage others to join the TBA to be entitled to such a promotion.