Do you prefer to bowl in the Big house where you have scores flying off of every pair every night, the most modern auto scoring you can imagine, those stupid tables with the swing out chairs that every one hates.

 

Or would you take the smaller house with less flash and more grit, the house where you work to score, everyone knows everyone else and the juke box is blaring even though leagues are going?

 

I would take the small house anytime. I love the idea of walking in and their being no open bowlers screaming and yelling, no one else bowling just the league, the Juke box is pounding away the atmoshpere is better every one is joking around all the teams know each other so you get some friendly rivalries started that atmoshpere is just kick a#$. The big houses are cool for tourneys and stuff but I just never get the same feel their as I do in the smaller places.

I grew up in an 8 lane house, so obviously my choice is smaller.  16 lanes are on the edge, almost getting too big at that point.  Several advantages of bowling in the small house;

 

1. You get to bowl every team at least 4 times per year (assuming an 8 lane house).

2. You get to know everyone on the league fairly well

3. Smaller houses often have, surprisingly, more and better settee areas for guests. Your friends/family can come to chat and watch you bowl.

4. More atmosphere.  It's just more enjoyable to chat with the owner before/after league than it is to try to chat up a pimply faced kid who just wants you to go away so he can get back to try talking the blonde chick in the snack bar to put out after work.

5. Tougher shots - usually due to being on old wood lanes with older pins and worn kickplates.  A 300 game is recognized as an accomplishment, spares actually mean something, 600 is still considered a good night, and you have to really be on and executing well to push 700.

 

The only downside to small establishments are these:

1. Smaller pool of good talent - harder to find a good, competitive league of really good bowlers.

2. Generally more wear on your equipment due to lane surface.  But, on the flip side, a worn out ball is a great excuse to get a new one, so on second though, this one is a wash I think!

3. Fewer bowlers = smaller prize funds/side pots.

 

the smallest house in elmira new york is 24 lanes and this has been around for more years than i can remember.  i have bowled ther since the late 70's and this house was old then.

I really like the comfort level of shooting a smaller house.  i bowl at a 12 lane center most of the time.  it has a good shot but.... there is less compitition at a smaller house.  for the last 3 years, we have had the same exact high 5 team.  you know who the good ones are and there are not a ton of them.  i have been number 4 for the past 3 years so it isnt always that competitive.  i shoot as many tourneys as i can just to get that better edge.  also in small houses, and i'm not saying this happens, but a owner can lay down a shot that can over inflate scores for average bowlers.  i see it a bunch.  go to a tourney and a guy is a 220 ave guy who shoots 1100 in a six gamer.  even at state, guys shoot under 1800 who have inflated averages.  so it can make you think you are better than you are.

200 league average 3 leagues

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