Local Bowling Alleys in Lexington, Kentucky

While there may be a few different bowling alleys in the Lexington area, it seems that the interest in these establishments has severely dropped over the last decade. Of the ones that I have visited over the last few years, there seems to be a common theme -- the heyday of bowling is in the past. The patrons of the alleys these days are the diehard customers who were practically raised in the sport.

One of the more upscale bowling alleys in the area is Collins Bowling Center located on New Circle Road in Lexington. There are great attempts at this establishment to cater to all types of patrons. On weekends they offer late-night rates until the early hours of the morning, which is being catered to the teenaged crowd (minimal lighting, glow-in-the-dark lighting, loud music). Collins also has the more traditional league play and atmosphere which brings back memories of the Tuesday night leagues with beer and pizza. Although the leagues are not as large as in the past, they do seem to be thriving and surviving at this establishment. Overall, Collins would have to be considered the best bowling alley in Lexington, well, in my opinion anyhow.

While Collins rates out as the best, one finishing a distant second would have to be Joyland Lanes located on Paris Pike. This alley seems to represent to me what has gone wrong with the bowling industry in the area. There is no doubt in my mind that this was an ideal place to hang out on a Saturday night -- THIRTY YEARS AGO!! A dilapidated mini golf course outside is seen as a feeble attempt to attract more people to come out to the alley. The outside lighting is practically nonexistent, which leads one to wonder if the facility is even open. Inside the alley is not much better, with much of the same decor left over from the seventies and eighties. To me, this is classic example of entirely too much corner cutting, not investing in what you have and trying gimmicks like a putt-putt course to attract business. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm -- outdated alleys that probably should be shut down instead of being allowed to stay open in the condition they are in these days

.So in conclusion, while there are some options open to the public, the nostalgic feel of the classic bowling alley on a Friday night just isn't there anymore. The alleys that are shown on television for tournaments and large events do not exist in this area. Perhaps investing in an upscale bowling center may be risky these days, but sometimes don't we have to spend money to make money?