Much discussion lately has been about the evolution and demise of bowling. There is not much mention of cost. I remember when bowling was $7.50 a week and the one ball you used was $59. So here are some basic numbers based on where I live:

 

1) Three ball arsenal including spare ball $500 (per year average)

 

2) League fee for one league $20 @ 35 weeks $700

 

3) Gasoline for the 45-60 minute drive $300 a year (estimate)

 

4) Food and Beverage $300 a year (estimate)

 

5) Practice before league $10 @ 35 weeks $350

 

6) Sanction fee $14

 

7) Misc items like tape,rosin, sure slide, ball polish, etc...$50

 

 Total for bowling once a week for $35 weeks $2214 a year!

 

Additional league double that number excluding equipment! Add a tournament or two and you are looking at $4000 a year to bowl.

 

Is it worth it?

 

ASZ

 

 

 

 

 

If you are paying those type prices each week then NO it probably isn't worth it. However, alot of

the "expenses" you listed aren't for your avg bowler. 

1- most bowlers (maybe not the ones on this website) don't buy 3 new balls a yr and if so one of them

isn't a spare ball

2- most bowlers don't live 45 miles away from the place they bowl league so they aren't spending that much on gasoline (but that expense is climbing!!!)

3- the money you're spending on food/beverage will be spent whether or not you're at a bowling

alley or not.  We all gotta eat...

4- not sure how many warm up gms you're putting in, but $10 for practice before league is kind of

steep. Most centers offer $2 gms or less and/or $5 hr of practice.

5- the "incidentals like tape, rosin, cleaner, etc are just like throw away money aka scratch offs or a soda at

work???

 

Bowling has certainly become more expensive than past yrs, but IMO it's still much cheaper than some other sports such as playing softball every weekend or golf once or twice a week.

(and I usually don't get anywhere near as mad at myself)!!!!

I like what some of you  guys said, like Clint, and Kid......... I also dont like what some of you other guys had to say, thinking that the cost of bowling is to high,etc.  I only mainly have one thing to say or to explain. """""""YOUR AVERAGE BOWLER HAS THE FOLLOWING"""""""

 

   He or She may have 1 Hook ball at the most. Some bowlers will not even have a Hook ball...etc. So for people to have a spare ball. Well some of them would be like "whats a spare ball"? There are areas around the world were bowling is very popular and Im sure some of you are going to argue with everything Im saying. I bowl in a league in a small town called Mount Airy, NC. It is a 16 lane house, and like any other houses, have maybe 5-8 leagues a week whatnot. That being said, I would say that they have well over a couple hundred or more league bowlers. Within that couple hundred, I would also go out on a limb and say that they're may be at the most 15-20 bowlers that would be considered "above"  average bowlers and perhaps may even pay in the amounts that the auther mentioned per year. But as far as AVERAGE, the other 80-90% of the total bowlers, spend only a fraction of what you mentioned.

 

   I would like to add one more thing to this..... Your so called "AVERAGE BOWLER" will not know what ballreviews.com is. Hell, your average bowler wont even know that bowlingball.com or ebay is the cheapest places to purchase stuff from. Need I say more? John

Well...I think the original poster has a valid point.  I speak more from a competitive bowler's perspective.  Let's be real without high end bowling, the sport is nothing more than a recreational game...which isn't organized.  I don't think the price is running people off, I think it is ball companies making disposable bowling balls.  They keep making balls that push the envelope of hook, and die faster and faster.  10 years ago ball death wasn't near the problem it is now.  People buy a Taboo and bowl 2 nights a week, an occasional tournament and they need a new ball in 3 months.  Tournaments are also getting worse, as the entry fees don't come down, there are fewer bowlers, and they continue to try and pay $3 to $5k for 1st place.  You end up with a field of 50, 1st makes $3k and 4th place gets their entry fee back.  I think that is another factor.

 

I will be honest....if they held "pride" tournaments where the entry was $25 and the winner got a trophy...I would still bowl.  Anyone who is bowling to try and make extra money is just stupid (unless you're the .00001% that actually make a profit).

I agree with this post. I know quite a few people that have quit because of cost. If I took the cost of my two leagues $15 and $21. It would add up to $1300. My cost to bowl just league alone is $144 per month. I ended up with $370.00 back at the end of the year. That doesn't include bowling balls, food, supplies, gas and other items needed.

For those of you that blame the price for the demise of bowling, I ask you this:  

 

What is life doesn't cost more today than it did 20 years ago?  What recreation/sport/activity is still at the same price level???  Are all of you paying the same amount of bills in dollars you always have??? 

 

Plain and simple the answer to all of those in NO.

 

To explain it would be a complete waste of time and energy.  If you think bowling centers are making hoards of money, you are even more childish than I originally thought of MOST not all of the ballreviews nation.  Being in the bowling business in the finance portion of the operation, I can tell you we are not getting rich on bowling. 

Just because the cost is going up doesnt necessarily mean you have to spend it.  I am seeing that the size of the money leagues are getting lower but some of the more fun mixed leagues are growing.  Bowlers dont want to give up the sport, just find a cheaper way of doing it.  I may buy 1 new ball each year if I feel I need it.  In most cases, the stuff I used several years ago is the same stuff I am using now. 

 

What's killing bowling?  Same thing that is killing our nation.  Our government.  If the economy was better, people may be able to afford bowling more than they do.  Due to the bad economy and rising gas prices, people have to cut back.  My costs this year:

 

League was $25/night x 36 weeks = $900

Bought 1 ball = $85.00 (Test staff with Visionary and I drill my own stuff)

Gas = $0.00 (Center is only a couple miles from the office so I dont factor in extra distance)
Practice = $0.00 (Rarely practice and had free game passes when I did)

Beverage = $0.00 (Center always had a bucket of ice water and cheap plastic cups handy)

 

Overall cost was about $1,000 and got back $1700+

PROFIT = $700