Make Your Own Bowling Alley
Look, when you are in college, money is hard to come by. At lease it was for
us. So, instead of going out every weekend and spending what little money we
had, sometimes we were forced to be creative. And, you would be surprised
how creative you can be after a six-pack!
Bowling is a great sport. It’s fun to have a group of people together and be
silly at the local bowling alley. Plus, let’s face it—bowling alleys have
great food. What’s not to love about the bad-for-you hotdogs, the messy
cheese nachos, the fat-filled French fries? But, unfortunately, bowling adds
up in the money department. It can be rather expensive for the modest
college student savings. So, why not try to make your own bowling alley in
your apartment?
How to Make Your Own Bowling Alley
1). The Bowling Ally Lane—You already have a bowling alley, and you did not
even know it! Use the longest hallway in your apartment as the lane. If the
floor is hardwood, that is perfect. Bowling alley lanes are made from either
real wood or synthetic materials made to appear like wood. If you have a
carpeted long hallway, that will have to do. Hey, we work with what we have,
right?
2). The Pins—For ten-pin bowling, the ten regulation bowling pins are
carefully weighted and made from solid woods, such as maple. They are set
into a triangle, with four pins in the back row, three in next row, then
two, then one in the front row. All of the pins are numbered from one to
ten, staring with the pin in the front.
Well, needless to say, you probably do not have any maple bowling pins lying
around, so, use anything that remotely resembles a bowling pin. And, the
objects do not have to be identical. For example, we used inexpensive
plastic cups of all sizes. Set them up in a triangle formation, just like
ten-pin bowling. You will see that the cups are not that easy to knock over,
just like pins.
3). The Balls—This is the hard part—finding a ball that will not ruin your
floors or destroy anything in the process of hitting the “pins.” For
regulation bowling, the ball must be made out of a solid material, and its
weight must be evenly distributed. The ball must be smooth all around and be
a perfect circle. It should also have three holes drilled in it for finger
placement. We used an orange. True, it did not roll straight sometimes, but
it was circular and could not damage the floor.
NOTE: Now, even if your roommate or friend has an authentic bowling ball, do
not use this said bowling ball under any circumstances. Sure, it may be fun
to roll a heavy ball into some plastic cups on your apartment floor,
however, you will destroy everything in the process—including your
apartment. Plus, you will make mortal enemies of the neighbors living
beneath you.
4). Dots and Arrows—The dots and arrows are optional, but an authentic
bowling alley lane contains dots (actually called dowels) and arrows. These
are visual aids for proper alignment. They help bowlers hit strikes, spares,
and specific leftover pins. You can create these dots and arrows too, but
NOT with permanent markers. Use masking tape, instead, for obvious reasons.
Well, there you have it. You have just made your own bowling alley for the
cost of an orange! Now, all you need are a couple of laid-back,
light-hearted fiends and you are in business. Order a couple of pizzas from
Dominoes or Papa John’s, and that takes care of the food quite
inexpensively. Oh, and the beer. Since this most likely the worst bowling
alley you have ever played on, lots of beer wouldn’t hurt at all.
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