Watonga Bowling Alley Now has Synthetic Lanes

The semi-truck backed into its space on Main Street Watonga with the customary beep, beep, beep. It was the sound of the end of an era.

That truck was loaded with synthetic materials to replace the golden wood that had been part of Watonga Lanes since, probably, day one.

Devon Richardson, who, along with husband Wes, owns the bowling alley, is sad to see the change, but knows it will be an improvement in some ways.

“I hate to see these (wooden lanes) go, but the maintenance is $12,00019,000 every three to five years to refinish them. It does make me sad. I’ve bowled here for 17 years. “

Wes added that the lane oil for wood is becoming harder and harder to find, because it is a specialty product. It isn’t getting any cheaper, either.

The replacement of the lanes required removal of 12-foot sections of the wood, and there were many people already interested in purchasing sections.

“Donnie Dunn already said he wants a piece for a keepsake,” Devon Richardson said. “He started working here when he was about 7-years-old, in the back,” she added.

Dunn was nostalgic about the change, too. He started to work at the bowling alley in 1969.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. 'I’m sentimental about it, but you can’t get wood lanes certified to go to tournaments. Now it can be sanctioned and you can go to tourneys.”

The United States Bowling Congress is the certifying agency, and to play in one of its tournaments, a bowler has to have a certified average from a sanctioned facility.

The semi was due to be unloaded by the Richardsons and the employees of the company doing the installation. Hot, hard work that would have taken several hours was whittled down to no time at all when Wheeler Bros. lent a skid steer and operator to assist the unloading. Devon was touched by the helping hand and could not express her thanks enough.

And while the lanes will be closed, perhaps even over the weekend, there are good things coming. The new synthetic lanes will have automatic bumpers, so that they can be changed for each bowler. That means if a family wants to bowl together, the parents can go without bumpers, but they can be placed with the click of a button for the kids. There will be glo-lanes, too, adding a 21st century look to the establishment. Auto scoring was added a while ago and the bar has been refinished.

“We are trying to keep it updated,“ Devon Richardson said.

The upgrade is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, in time for fall leagues to start up. They begin on Oct. 12 and will feature co-ed leagues on Wednesday nights and men’s leagues on Thursday nights.

The usual Friday and Saturday hours will be kept, opening at 5 p.m. and events and birthday parties by arrangement. Work on the building next door, also owned by the Richardsons, is nearing completion.

Anyone who is interested in purchasing a part of Watonga history in the form of a portion of the old lanes can do so by calling the bowling alley at 791-0440. The cost is $40 per foot.