By
Joy Neighbors
 |
| French Lick Springs Hotel Bowling Alley - 1930s |
Today
is National Bowling Day; a day when bowling alleys across the country hold
special contests, giveaways and offer free games or free shoe rental. The day
was introduced in 2012 as a way to celebrate this “great American pastime.”
The
game of bowling has been played for thousands of years dating back to Egypt in 3200 BC. A form of bowling has been played in Europe since the 1300’s.
In
the U.S., bowling began as a game played on the lawn, similar to
croquette. Played with only nine pins, gamblers realized they could
win bets on it easily. Several states outlawed the
game before a tenth pin was
added to create more of a challenge and bowling was once again played for fun.
In
1895, the American Bowling Congress (ABC) was formed and adopted a standard set
of rules for the game. The ABC began organizing national competitions and
interest in the game grew. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC,
formerly the ABC) plays a major role in regulating and promoting
the sport.
Today, bowling ranks number one as the most popular participatory
sport in the country. The Bowling Proprietor’s Association of America (BPAA)
reports that 95 million people take to the alleys each year in more than 90
countries, and half of these bowlers are women. Kids are also enamored with the game; more than 10-million attend bowling parties each year.
French
Lick Resort is home to Pluto’s Alley with six lanes for play and “Cosmic Bowling,” a family-friendly event held on Wednesday evenings. The alley can
also be rented for private events and parties. An arcade, complete with pool tables
and assorted games, is located next to the lanes. Great pizza, calzones and
pretzels can be found at Pluto’s Pizzeria, and adult beverages are available at
Pluto’s Well.
Pluto’s
Alley, located in the lower level of French Lick Springs Hotel, is open
Sunday through Thursday from 11am - 11pm, Wednesday from 5pm – 11pm, Friday and
Saturday from 11am – Midnight.
If
you can’t make it to the lanes today, mark your calendar for National Family Bowling Day
coming up on October 11th.