I signed up for this social bowling league not knowing a soul involved with it. After joining and telling others about it, I've learned in that people either know it by name or have no clue it exists. So let's spread the word about it!
My league is at Columbus Square Bowling Palace. Bartenders try to get you your drinks quickly so you can get back to your lane by the next frame. Desk attendees are polite and helpful when picking up shoes or printing off the team scores. Extra time has been added when balls get stuck which prevent the game from continuing. Parking lot is well lit. Restrooms are always clean.
This is the first time I've been with Better Off Bowling and I don't think it will be my last. The League President sets the tone but I'll get to that later.
The site is fairly easy to use when registering. You can sign up in various ways. One person can make a team and send an invite to people to join. One person can sign everyone up and get reimbursed by team members later. Or you can sign up as an individual and hope for the best.
I signed up as an individual and hoped I'd be put on a good team. Not necessarily a high scoring team, just one with friendly people and no creepers. My team ended up being 10 people. There's a max of 8 bowlers that can be on a lane so it made it very interesting the first week we bowled. We were offered several different options on how to reduce the team to 8. That needed some ingenuity and good customer service!
The bowlers all have different reasons for joining. It's date night, business networking, meeting singles, making new friends, and so on without pressure to bowl high scores every game. Some people are competitive bowlers and have their own gear. Some want a standing appointment with their friends for doing something. Others just want out of the house and have fun.
90-minutes is on the clock for the teams to bowl. The top 4 scores from a single game count for your team. When playing with complete strangers, be respectful that there's limited time to play, and show up on time. On time would be 10-15 minutes early to pickup shoes, bowl, and drinks so the team can bowl right away. If your team can't play an entire game then you'll end up with low scores and possibly frustrated team members.
Where does the social part come in? A few ways. The teams are paired up to answer trivia questions. Prizes for winners! A team captain has to put in the scores; pick a captain or two! After the 90-minutes for bowling people are encouraged to stay for social time in the bar. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome. Here's where the League President is key.
Did the President stop showing up? Are they friendly? Are weekly newsletters sent out? Are weekly events (Jenga, beer pong, euchre, karaoke) hyped up at all? Does the President coordinate bar use with the venue? Does Better Off Bowling have a budget for board games, cards against humanity, or a deck of cards to facilitate social time? Does the League President remember people's names? Make introductions to others? Some people need a little help in meeting others. Or they feel more comfortable opening up to a few people at a time.
There are other leagues and bowlers around while we play. No drink specials other than Happy Hour that I'm aware of, but we usually have the bar to ourselves.
Current pricing is less than $100 for six weeks which includes team shirts and shoe rental. There is early bird pricing available as well as referral money if people sign up using your link. read more
