Introduction

Attempting to gain perspective during a period of major change can be like being in the eye of a hurricane. You have a vivid understanding of what you have been through and fears of what is yet to come, but you lack the perspective to truly assess your situation. If you do find yourself in the eye of a hurricane, your only option may be to ride it out, fearing the worst while hoping for the best. The executive captured in the eye of major change has an option not available to the stranded hurricane victim; he can gain the proper perspective by getting above the frantic activity, far enough above it that he can see the edges and plot a course to take the organization to future success.

In an effort to gain proper perspective on where Bowling is today and the direction it must go in to assure a successful future, requires a three-step process. First, we must understand where we have been over the relevant history of Bowling. We then must project ourselves into the future to determine where we want to be at a point in time. The final piece of the puzzle will be to craft a logical plan to get from here to there.

The Three Generations of Bowling

Bowling has a long history as a commercial recreation activity. The era of commercial bowling has three distinct generations spanning the last eighty years. The first generation (Gen1) occurred prior to the end of World War II. Gen2 was the Golden Age of League Bowling, beginning in the early 1950’s with its tail extending to the present day. The latest generation, Gen3 has its roots in the mid-1990’s and will continue to expand into the future.

Figure 1- The Relevant History and Future of Bowling

Gen1 – Complementary Bowling

Gen1 bowling was typically a complement to the operation of an urban bar business. Bar owners used bowling as a means of increasing both the length and frequency of a visit by the mostly male patrons. The dark, dirty, and smoky environment of an urban bar greatly contributed to the negative image of Gen1 bowling. The Gen1 bar-based bowling business was far from being a family orientated business. Women bowlers were a novelty and children were cautioned to stay away by concerned parents.

The city was the center of American life through the end of World War II. Although the automobile was well established, America was not yet the mobile culture it would become. The urban center provided employment, manufacturing, retail, and residential opportunities for the majority of Americans. The alternative to living in the city was a rural life without most of the then modern conveniences of life.

The technology of bowling in Gen1 was basic. The pin setting equipment was a moving table, which would be operated by a pin boy. The pin boy would clear deadwood, spot pins, and send the ball back after every delivery. Although pin boys typically worked two lanes at a time, the process was labor intensive. Pin boys frequently did not show up to work and were not model staff members in terms of appearance and deportment. The process of bowling in Gen1 further contributed to the image of bowling being an unsavory activity.

In the late 1930’s, Brunswick President Bob Bensinger commented on a proposal to build an automatic pinsetter, “Who needs an automatic pinsetter? Not the bowling proprietor – they don’t have the money. Even if they did, why should they buy? There are plenty of pin boys around.”1 The comment now seems reminiscent of the comment made by Bill Gates that the Internet would never have any commercial value. The Brunswick salesman who championed the pinsetter to Bensinger jumped to AMF who seized on the idea of bringing the machine to the market. Although the AMF-machine was plagued with deficiencies, they did achieve the position of being first in the market. Brunswick finally realized it was only a matter of time before the AMF equipment would be dependable for commercial use and began a pinspotter development program in earnest.

Bob Bensinger was not altogether wrong in his assessment of the situation in the late 1930’s. Urban bar owners would not buy expensive pin spotting equipment. The urban bar owner was not motivated to improve the bowling environment for his patrons. The fact that AMF introduced its first pinsetter in 1946 did not prompt a move toward automating and upgrading the bowling experience. Although the pinsetter/pinspotter would be the technological underpinning of the first bowling marketplace disruption, the cultural and economic factors were not yet in place to allow the disruption to occur.2 It would take the combination of technology and a major cultural shift for Bowling to jump generations.

Gen2 – The Golden Age of League Bowling

The decade of the 1950’s was an amazing period of change in the United States. Post World War II America was a culture on the move. The economy was booming. People were looking for new experiences, ready to leave behind the confines of cities seeking the comfort and openness of the developing suburbs. The American mindset was also different. Having gone through the challenges of World War II, Americans had a strong sense of community. People wanted to belong to organizations. They sought the recognition gained by being a part of a recognized group. Bowling along with the motel and interstate highway system became a major part of the suburbanization of America.

By the mid-1950’s, the suburbanization of America was well underway and the position of bowling in the suburban boom was being established. The marketplace for bowling was truly disrupted. The fundamental nature of a business had shifted. The location of bowling businesses shifted from the urban areas to newly developed suburban areas. The size of bowling businesses shifted from a small number of lanes to large blocks of lanes. Bowling as a product shifted from being a complement to a bar business to becoming the core of a bowling business. The ownership of businesses shifted the urban bar owners to families seeking to own their own business. A great ‘Mom & Pop’ business was created. True bowling proprietorship was born. Even the language of bowling changed. The term bowling alley became politically incorrect, replaced by bowling center. Gutters became channels and alleys became lanes. Compared to the urban bar-based bowling alleys the new centers were clean, well lit, family friendly facilities featuring the latest bowling equipment from either Brunswick or AMF. The bowling boom was in full force by 1960.

The marketplace disruption created both winners and losers. In most cases the winners were the new investors who selected good locations and built centers to accommodate the developing trade areas. The losers were the bar owners who did not make the move to the suburbs. They tended to hang on in their low cost urban locations, each year serving a declining base of aging customers.4 In a few short years, another group of losing investors developed; those who chose locations poorly and/or operated their businesses without financial discipline.

The new customers in the suburbs were being served by new business owners, bowling proprietors. The key business strategy was to build league bowling. Proprietors knew their customers and tied the business tightly around the concept of competitive bowling.

The base of league bowlers grew to over nine million by the early 1970’s. Bowling was a league-dominant business. The business of bowling enjoyed predictable cash flows. It was assumed that the league-bowling-engine would continue to hit on all cylinders. Brunswick, in 1971, reported the number of sanctioned bowlers had grown faster than the rate of the growth in the US population (14.3% compared to 11%). Although the total number of US lanes had declined 11% form 1965 to 1970, there was optimism that league bowling would continue to grow on a per-lane-basis.5

By 1973, American culture again began to shift. Americans were no longer eager to join simply to be a member6. The Viet Nam era had moved Americans away from a culture of community to a culture of individual activity. New activities were created that demanded time and attention. Fewer people were willing to commit the time and attention to become league bowlers. Over time, the number of new league bowlers did not cover the bowlers who left the sport. A long period of attrition of league bowlers had begun.

The number of bowling centers began to decline well before the number of organized participants (figure 2). To this day, the decline in the number of centers has been a stealth issue. The visible problem was the decline in membership which began in 1978.

Figure 2 – Trends and Centers and Bowlers

It is a testimony to the strength of the league-driven bowling business that the slide out of Gen2 progressed so slowly. The problem with the gradual decline, however, was twofold; at first, it was felt that with hard work the trend could be turned around. The second, more damaging problem came with the feeling that decline was inevitable. The reality is that the weakening of the traditional league base had positioned bowling for the beginning of its third generation.