Fran Wolf Deken, one of the most influential people in the history of women’s professional bowling, passed away last Thursday. She was 81. Deken had been dealing with a number of ailments, including a recent fall that left her with severe back pain. Sources told BCM that it was her own decision to enter hospice. […]

The Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin will continue its tradition of celebrating the state’s old-school bowling centers with the Wisconsin Vintage Alleys Tour, set for Sunday, Nov. 9, in the greater Door County area. Launched in 2017, the Vintage Alleys Tour has become a fan favorite, giving bowlers the opportunity to step back in time […]

Plateaus are important for businesses, events and people, and Albany Strikers in Albany, Georgia, reached a significant milestone over the summer. The center’s 9-Pin No-Tap tournament went over the $1 million mark in prize money paid. Proprietor Edgar Justavino said the center has been keeping records on the event since 2017 and has averaged $120,000 […]

Two bowling stars of the mid- to late-20th century who would enter the business side of the game passed away within three weeks of each other in mid-September and early October. Glenn Allison, who rolled the first 900 series in sanctioned league play but never was granted official recognition for it by the American Bowling […]

A deadline for the sale of West Valley Bowl in Tracy, California, has come and gone, prompting the Zachariah family to close the center, which was built in 1959 and acquired by the Zachariahs in 2004. The 2.76-acre corner lot, zoned for general highway commercial, and 30,000-square-foot building had been listed for $6 million. While there had […]

The Texas Bowling Centers Association announced the recipients of two distinguished honors for 2026 during the recent Southwest Bowling Proprietors Trade Show in College Station, Texas. Don Ellis of Emerald Bowl in Houston was named the winner of the President’s Award, recognizing his outstanding leadership, dedication and contributions to the Texas BCA. In addition, Stephanie Bransom of Grand Station […]

Jim Beam has unveiled a limited-edition 8-year-old bourbon packaged in a bowling pin-shaped bottle — a nod to a historic Beam decanter. The Beam Pin Bottle celebrates the 230th anniversary of the James B. Beam Distilling Co. and was released on Aug. 23, “Jim Beam Day,” exclusively at the distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. It has […]

Six years after the PBA China Tiger Cup, the PBA and Longmarch Bowling have announced a 10-year agreement to relaunch the PBA China Regional Program. Three tournaments are scheduled to be hosted at the Longmarch Bowling Center in Shanghai, starting with the PBA China Tribute to Pioneers Championship next month to kick off the program’s […]

Although “eatertainment” continues to expand with businesses such as the pickleball-focused Chicken N Pickle — now 13 venues strong and growing — one business in that sector has faltered: Pinstripes. The Northbrook, Illinois-based company, founded in 2007, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy early this month. According to Nation’s Restaurant News, the publicly traded company owed […]