Bowling alley closed for renovations

Published 2:38 pm Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Strikes, spares and splits are taking a short vacation from the local bowling alley.

Lake Country Lanes is closed for the next couple of weeks so new string pinsetters can be installed to replace the old freefall pinsetters that manager Becky Worthy says are original to the facility.

“We’re taking out the old machines that have been here since 1985,” said Worthy, who’s overseeing the project for Lake Country Lanes owners Bob and Cynthia Binkley. “They’ve held up, but it’s just time to upgrade to something that requires a little less maintenance.”

The new string pinsetters carry a different look from what bowlers are used to seeing at Lake Country Lanes, formerly the Baldwin Bowling Center until the Binkleys purchased it in 2016. The string system uses regular bowling pins, but instead of being freestanding, they have string cords that go from the top of each pin to the pinsetter. After each hurl, the fallen pins are hoisted out of play while the ones left standing remain.

Work began Monday removing the old pinsetters. The bowling alley was an eerie sight with the neon artwork panels flipped open above where the pins normally sit at the end of each lane. Standing at the throwing end one could see straight through to the back of the building. Shipping crates carrying the new pinsetter systems wait to be unpacked and installed, but in the meantime eat up space in and around Lake Country Lanes’ Striker’s Lounge.

“The maintenance on them is much more cost-effective compared to what we have had,” Worthy added of the new pinsetters.

During this temporary closure, the back area where employees work on the pinsetters and ball returns is set to get new flooring as well.

Worthy said the target date to reopen Lake Country Lanes to the public with the new string setup in place is Saturday, June 24. The business will post updates to its Facebook page to let the public know if anything changes.

That would complete phase one of improvements happening at Lake Country Lanes this summer. The second is tentatively scheduled for sometime in July, when another temporary closure will likely be needed so new seating and flooring can be installed in the pit areas, which is where bowlers sit in between turns. It’s thought that the seating, like the pinsetters, is original to the building going back almost 40 years. New kiosks are also coming to the front counter and snack bar, as is a photo booth for customers to enjoy.

A grand reopening will be scheduled to celebrate all the work done to update Lake Country Lanes, date to be determined.