Expert: Warren Friedl, Pro Shop Owner/Operator, - 6/18/2009

Question
This may sound like a silly question but it is a serious one
to me. The local facility where I bowl is an AMF center.
They keep the temperature set at 75 degrees which is
comfortable for the desk personnel and those that are in the
audience but for those of us that are bowling that is too
warm. I remember reading somewhere that temperature has a
big effect on lane condition even more than oil. If that is
so what is supposed to be the ideal temp? Or is there one?
Thanks for your time.
Sweating when I bowl,
Charles

Answer
Charles,
I feel your sweat.

I always tried to keep the centers I ran at 70 degrees in the spring and summer. It's much easier to do in the fall and winter and often it was a cooler, the body heat (from a full house) raised the temp.

Same thing happens in the spring/summer, but the AC typically can't keep up if the centers busy.

The dilemma, if you don't know what to expect, as far as the business for an evening, trying to save on energy costs is sometimes helpful. But, if the center gets busy, and customers get warm, they leave and won't soon be back, because of the bad experience.

If you are a business owner and can't afford the expense of waiting for (sometimes more profitable) open play bowlers, then build some leagues and they will help you afford the AC and heat.

Charles, get some signatures from your fellow bowlers, request that the air be lowered about an hour to an hour and a half before league, and cranked to 75 about a half hour before league ends. A defined schedule should be doable for the center, and a reasonable compromise.

Many centers have multiple zones. Have the center manager or owner agree to keep one end of the center cooler for your league. It's not necessary to cool the entire place to a workable temp for the athletes bowling, just the area the league is in.

Thanks for your question. Suggest that if you sweat and it get's on the approach and players start to stick, someone may go down and sue!