I think it has to do with what people's idea of success is. It takes a lot more practice and skill to shoot low rounds in golf than it does in bowling, you can have a lot more "success" in bowling with a much lower knowledge and skill base. In effect, I think that golfer's egos are a little more tempered than bowler's egos. I think golfers accept challenge more because it's an already challenging game, and because they know what they're getting themselves into, it's not such a brutal swing. Bowlers going from 230-170 would be like a golfer going from 65-95, and because bowlers don't develop even some basic skills, they don't know how to fix it, they don't know how to approach the pattern, they are completely lost. You can see what you need to do in golf, it becomes purely execution. In bowling, yes there's execution, but when an inexperienced bowler tackles something tough, lines up where they think they should be, and executes a shot to their satisfaction, yet misses by a country mile, it makes them feel stupid. I think it's the confusion that is the key. My golf scores are usually between 85-90 depending on where I go, but when I go to an easy course, I only get down to the low 80's, under 80 just once, and when I go to a tough course, it's usually around 95, which in 18 holes only amounts to an extra shot every other hole or so. An easy shot in bowling is completely opposite a tough shot, a full 180, golf is just a little longer, a little tighter, but it's all visual in golf. I think if bowlers understood and knew what to do, they would accept the challenge, but since it becomes about both understanding and execution, and requires significantly more work and effort to conquer a tougher shot, especially given how easy the easy shots are, they just see it as overwhelming. Also, because even easy golf courses still present a fair challenge, and because the governing bodies have maintained strict attention to the integrity of the game, you'll never see 250 yard par 4s, or 50 yard wide fairways. That also makes what the pros do on tv so much more impressive, because even with a lot of work and practice, even regional pros can't shoot lower. It's a lot easier to see in golf as well, if you hit 3 of the best shots of your life to eagle a 500 yard par 5 that's straight and wide, you still understand that seeing Mickelson eagle a 550 yard par 5 with a dogleg, and water and sand everywhere is tougher. Bowling has never educated its bowlers, 95% of bowlers have no clue how to read a lane pattern graph. Even when they see the picture of where the oil is, nobody has a chance to bowl on that stuff anymore, so they just don't get it. All they see is that they can shoot just as high of numbers as the pros, and that's boring. Bowling is the only sport in the world where it's not completely obvious at face value how good the pros are. I believe that tinted oil may be a way to display the challenges, or to at least be a teaching tool, but I don't think that's remotely possible or practical. Sorry for the rambling, hopefully I got my point across or at least expressed my concept well . .
