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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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?