Just wondering.  At my house here is a typical session.  By the 4th frame one pair of lanes had broken down and the two teams had to be moved.( This happens nearly every week but most times it's two or three pairs)  The intercom on most lanes does not work.  The hand dryers only work on a few lanes.  The oiling pattern, wait, there was no oil.  At least for half of the lanes.  Unless you have a lot of speed, you need to use plastic.  Than's after I just purchased a Blue Hammer thinking it would solve my problems on these lanes.  When we had a problem, the person supposed to be at the front desk was outside having a smoke.  The mechanic usually spends most of his time out front talking with some of the bowlers.  So, when there is a problem, it takes quite while to get it fixed.  Also, the overhead scorers are dim and sometimes don't work.  When we have talked to the manager, he says he leaves the oiling and maintenance up to the mechanic.  Most of the time he's in his office and rarely, when bowlers are there, does he come out.  I wonder why?

But hey, all is not lost.  They are in the process of repainting the inside and may (I repeat may) put in some new carpet.  There's even talk that they (may) have found some overhead scorers from a closed up alley that we may get.  Wow.  I'm trying not to get too excited. 

Now, after my rant, how's it going at your Bowlmor/AMF house.

I wonder if during the US Open, per Bowlmor instructions, lane oil starts 2 feet past the foul line and all unused lanes will be in the dark with cosmic lights on and music on at full volume

I know at both of our houses the manager has no real background as a bowler. He has a bar/restaurant background. The patterns don't change here until someone gets an earful at bowlmor. He has no idea how to keep a bowler happy. He thinks by adding more money to the paint and bar he can increase profits. I think some of them don't see the big picture on how to use bowling, lane patterns, leagues, and other thing to drive profits.  I came in one night on the weekend to bowl. Lane was $20 per hour are $6.00 per game. That night for 6 people to bowl would have cost me almost $100 bucks for 2 hours for two lanes. House was half empty asked for league discount. They don't do it on weekends. Asked if he had a cheaper rate. He didn't I left.

....So if your a traditional type of bowler finding another house to bowl in maybe your only option but if that center is strictly there for the league bowler that center too will start to feel the squeeze as we haven't had growth in league bowling for the past 15 years....

I think a lot of people don't realize how much of the bowling segment AMF/Bowlmor owns.  They own only 8% of the market.  It seems like a lot when you consider they own in the neighborhood of 340 centers, but in reality it isn't a lot. 

Some people may not have a choice, but finding a privately owned center may give them more of what they are looking for.