BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: Ratt_bowling on April 04, 2014, 12:20:42 AM
-
I'm curious because I have to bowl pretty late after I get all my kids to bed. It would still be a bit of a struggle for me to get to the latest starting league in my area. It is also a bit more expensive than I was hoping a league would cost. So, have any of you ever created a new league? How far I. Advance do you have to plan it? Did you recruit somehow? How much do you charge? What is all that money used for? I can't think k of any more questions right now, but I'm sure I will have more.
-
Just out of curiosity how much is "a bit more expensive than I was hoping" and what were you expecting a league to cost?
Yes, if you create a league you will have to recruit bowlers or you will be bowling by yourself.
-
Usually but not always, lineage fees are lower when you are in a later time slot for a league. You will pay premium lineage anything between 5pm and 8pm and some centers as far out as 9pm. Recruiting would be up to you with very little if any assistance from the center(in their flyers that show what leagues they offer). Recruiting is the hard part. Obviously you can't advertise in other centers so you need to be creative somehow. It is very difficult to start a new league.
-
A cheaper price would be a big recruiting boost for you, but as soon as people get no prize fund at the end of the year they'll start crying. Lineage is the bulk of the league fees for most handicap leagues. Harder yet than getting interest in a league is actually setting it up. You have to come up with the prize fund structure, league rules, provisions, officers, etc. Sometimes the house will set it up for you and be your secretary, but I wouldn't count on that. I don't know what you consider expensive, but 15-20 is the going rate most places. Centers couldn't afford to stay open if they only charged 5 or 6 bucks for lineage for people to bowl for 3 hours, 10-13 bucks is already a steal of a deal.
-
The bowling center I've been going to has $1.75 games Sun-Thu 9PM-Close. My college buddy and I have been bowling regular on Thursdays for just a couple of months. We've seen several 'regulars' there each time.
My idea came last night to create an Economy Doubles league? The same bowling center has a doubles tournament monthly. I believe the format is each person bowls two games and then alternate shots on the 3rd game of the night. It would be my first league as an adult, so clearly I don't know what I'm doing, this is all imagination at this point.
The league I visited on a Tuesday night is $18 a week, the Wednesday night league is $25. I'm also interested in a TNBA Travel league that only meets monthly and is $20 each month, I can easily afford this one. Part of the reason for this thread is I really don't know how much leagues should cost or how the fees are broken down for prize money, lineage fees, etc.
@itsallaboutme My HOPE for the league costs was under $50 a month, but I was/am totally ignorant about such things.
-
One of the leagues I bowl in is $12/wk. Obviously you don't get much back, but not everybody is bowling for the money.
-
If you're going for less than $50 a month, the prize fund will be virtually non existent at the end of the year. If you're ok with that, then by all means go for it, but I think most people would be pissed if they "paid all that money all year" and didn't get much back. If you let them know ahead of time that's how it's going to be, you'd be a lot better off and have a lot more luck I think.
-
Pulled 60 bowlers together for a draft league on 10 days in the fall after one of the local houses closed.
I would have never come even close to that number if not for Facebook.
-
Seeing regulars at the bowling center is very different than getting them to commit to a league where they will need to be there at the same time every week. Even if a center is offering $1.75 game open play that does not mean the league lineage fee will be that. If they offer that rate for a league they will be setting a precedence too low for their other leagues.
Honestly, depending on where you live $50 a month might not be very realistic.
-
Cheapest league ive bowled on was $15. My two this year are $20 and $17.
I personally had no problem on the cheaper leagues, I know the prize money wasnt there but I didnt do it for the money, most others on the league didnt either.
You could always do brackets or pots, etc. if people wanted to win money.
-
Looks like the first step will be to ask the bowling center about the lineage fees then.
-
Yeah I'd say that's the best place to start.
Looks like the first step will be to ask the bowling center about the lineage fees then.
-
One of the leagues I bowl in is $12/wk. Obviously you don't get much back, but not everybody is bowling for the money.
I'm bowling in a $11/week league right now. No real prize fund, but nobody cares. I think centers should start leaning towards this as enticement rather than paltry prizes at the end, at least for social and recreational leagues. Everyone on our league has commented that they like that it's affordable. We've packed the house, so there must be something to it.
The center makes its money on food & beer, primarily.
We run poker & brackets each week, and 50/50. That gives everyone the chance to win something. Honestly, I think leagues would be a better experience if they all worked like this.
-
Bowling centers won't stay open running leagues and charging that little for lineage. $11 was the going rate 10 years ago. This is the slow spiral of death for a bowling center.
Bowling centers that charge this little are run by poor business people that are only charging enough to cover their monthly expenses. Then the center has no funds to cover ongoing capital improvements. Then one day the place is a dump and no one wants to bowl there.
-
My hopes for my imaginary league is that it may be a recruiter for league first-timers like me. The analogy that comes to mind is BMW's ownership of MINI. Every single MINI that they sell is a potential future sale of a more expensive BMW. If I can get the kids from the 3 local colleges and maybe some others who need late&cheap like me that maybe we will move on to the real 'money' leagues in the future when our lifestyle can afford changes.
@itsallaboutme were you thinking of a center that has all of its leagues at $11, or any place that has even just one league at $11?
-
Bowling centers need to remain consistent in their pricing or you alienate existing customers. If they have other late leagues, and give you a lineage break to start a new league the existing league will want the same rate. Then the spiral begins.
During your open bowling at this center you have been exposed to a lineage rate that is unrealistic. $1.75 may get some people in the door, but the center is hurting themselves with this rate as everyone that bowls at this price now feels that is the value of a game of bowling. When I started in the industry in 1985 the prime time rate for bowling was either 1.65 or 1.75. 30 years later centers are still selling their product for the same price and customers feel ripped off when prices are close to $5.00 like they need to be.
Everyone is quick to rip AMF for cutting back center hours and all the changes they have made, but they recognize they are better off not opening the center instead of lowering the price and devaluing their product. If you let people bowl for $2.50 during the day they will never pay $5 a game in the evening.
If you go in and they give you a discounted rate to start a league are you ever going to want to give that discount back?
Don't take any of this wrong, I applaud you for wanting to join a league and even more so for wanting to start one. A customer is always going to want the best price possible. I'm just giving the non customer opinion.
-
Lineage fees are $10.75. So I'm trying to figure out the breakdown of fees on an $18 a week league. Remember, I've never been in a league so I don't know how the money rewards go. The bowling center guy said when a league starts the members all meet and greet. The elect a secretary then decide on fees and rewArds. He said the secretary usually gets about 50 cents a week. So $18-10.75-.5= $6.75 into prize kitty. Does everyone get money back after season?
-
It depends on the prize fund that is voted in by the league. Once a league starts a prize committee is appointed to come up with some options and then they are voted upon.
-
Most often leagues end up with a "share the wealth" type prize fund. If people are paying in, they want something back no matter if they "earn" it or not. Most of the time a dollar value is placed on points. Like in one of our scratch leagues, 1 point is worth $1.50 to the team (50 cents per person), there are 30 points available each night per pair, so $45 a night is up for grabs per pair. Then at the end of the year, you get paid out based on total points. You also have to establish what other things you want to pay out for, like team hi 30, hi 10, individual, top scores, averages, most improved averages, etc, and how much you want to give for all of that.