Bowling is Back in Michigan!

By Dave Lewis For The Morning Sun

With summer business in the gutter, Michigan bowling alleys, now allowed to open, are trying to innovate and attract customers. Even though vague and still needing more interpretation, most bowling centers across lower Michigan are continuing to open their “organized sports” activities starting Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Unfortunately, several Michigan bowling centers have had to close their doors forever…

Luckily, for the Mid-Michigan, US 127 corridor, the bowling centers in Mount Pleasant (Riverwood Lanes), Clare (Gateway Lanes), and Ithaca (Pins Bar & Grille) appear to have “weathered the storm” for now…

It’s now up to EACH LEAGUE, EACH TEAM, and EACH BOWLER to make their decision… “to bowl or not to bowl” in this age of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Has the virus run its course? Has “herd immunity” made us safer? Or, can the safety precautions that bowling centers have to take, (similar to restaurant precautions), be enough to protect us?

BOWLING CENTERS that can re-open have decisions to make too. Can each bowling center continue to survive on a small percentage of their maximum occupancy? (I’m told the max occupancy is generally high enough to be able to handle numbers much above what would be the number of lanes times five, especially businesses where, in addition to bowling lanes, there’s a bar and food area included in that maximum occupancy calculation.)

Do bowling centers just welcome bowlers back with open arms and be happy just to have the business open again or do they, as business people, use this situation to increase lineage and season length with leagues that have been loyal to them over the years? I would hope any changes to lineage or season length be negotiated in good faith and agreed to be for this crazy 2020-2021 bowling season ONLY.

Remember, if interested in returning to or joining USBC-certified league bowling, LET SOMEONE KNOW NOW! Call your team captain, your league secretary, your local bowling center!

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