Phoenix area is actually pretty good imo.  Some real good bowlers come out of the area and you can get guys like Josh Blanchard to give you lessons easy enough (seen him a few times giving lessons).  The east valley where I live tends to be dominated by Bowlmor lanes (Brunswick, AMF, Bowlero) but honestly I'm ok with that because league card gets you cheap games in any of them plus have one flat fee for 3 games each day all summer.  From what I see there are many tournaments but I am not a good enough bowler to speak to them.  Giving you more the rec bowler perspective but in general plenty of leagues (even unsanctioned woot) and alleys in the area.

(edit:  forgot to mention like the rest of Phoenix pretty much everything was built post air conditioning so mostly newer synthetics and as I mention more of a corporate bowling alley feel though the people working them are nice.)

I live in NKY and do some bowling in Cincinnati and we're doing well.

My Tuesday sport league in Cincinnati has like 26 or so teams....

I currently live in the Portland Oregon area and the bowling scene here is pretty good but i really don't have anything to compare it to. Here in Portland, you can find a tournament every weekend. If's its not in the Portland area, you can make the 2.5 hour drive to Seattle or the 4 to 5 hour drive to Southern Oregon. There's always something going on...  I'm thinking about moving to either Florida, Nevada (Vegas area) or Arizona (Phoenix area) For those who live in those areas, how is the bowling scene?

 
I live in NW area of Los Angeles, but spend time in Las Vegas bowling tournaments throughout the year, and hang out with friends during their leagues. It's amazing how big bowling is in Vegas. I'd be surprised if there is another area in the country where the league action is as strong.

Having spent the last 10+ years moving around the country I believe you would find it difficult to find somewhere with a better scene then the Seattle to Portland area. There are multiple things to bowl in that area every weekend it seems and they have so many different formats.  The bowling is actually a reason for me to miss living there.

Don't move to New Mexico,  the bowling scene is quite disappointing here.

Quote from: DrBwlr15 on June 08, 2018, 12:56:33 PM

I currently live in the Portland Oregon area and the bowling scene here is pretty good but i really don't have anything to compare it to. Here in Portland, you can find a tournament every weekend. If's its not in the Portland area, you can make the 2.5 hour drive to Seattle or the 4 to 5 hour drive to Southern Oregon. There's always something going on...  I'm thinking about moving to either Florida, Nevada (Vegas area) or Arizona (Phoenix area) For those who live in those areas, how is the bowling scene?

 
I live in NW area of Los Angeles, but spend time in Las Vegas bowling tournaments throughout the year, and hang out with friends during their leagues. It's amazing how big bowling is in Vegas. I'd be surprised if there is another area in the country where the league action is as strong.

Living in Northern Arizona, go to Vegas every so often. It's BIG on bowling for sure. But then again, so is Reno. And with Reno you get water sports (Lake Tahoe) and piney woods. Some nice alleys down in the Phoenix area but hard to fit in with the locals it seems, but boy does it ever get warm (triple digits) from mid March till 1 November. Lived in Portland for a while, but wasn't following the bowling scene then. Pretty pricey living there these days from what I gather from friends up there. High TAX rate's too. Lots of wet weather to cool things off though. Florida? I need mountains in my life so wouldn't consider that state, although I admit I don't know much about that state, although I have visited there in the past. They get monsoon rains, hurricanes and it DOES rain there quite a bit, but is warm (and damp).

In SE AZ, Cochise County, there is only one operating center and that is located on a military installation, Ft Huachuca, so if you are not eligible for a pass on a military installation, you won't be able to bowl. 

In Tucson, which is 80 miles from where I live, there have been a couple of centers closing in the past ten years.  Golden Pin Lanes which has hosted many PBA tournaments in the past, recently sent out a letter:


Dear Golden Pin bowlers and community,

In 1974, I purchased Golden Pin Lanes. As an avid bowler myself, I enjoyed watching others experience the pure joy that comes from competing and interacting with friends. We even added another 16 lanes in 1978 due to the immense popularity of our business. We have always prided ourselves on offering competitive pricing to our leagues, hosting state championships, professional tournaments, and our active involvement in the community and junior bowling.

Fast forward to today, and it’s a different time in my life. I’ve dedicated 40+ years of my life to investing and overseeing the operations of Golden Pin Lanes. It’s time for me to explore the next chapter of my life, and that has necessitated the sale of the building. I truly have enjoyed owning Golden Pin Lanes and I hope that our wonderful and loyal customers and dedicated employees understand a decision like this is extremely difficult, and there’s no perfect execution.

 The sale of the building has invited many rumors. Local competitors will try to use this sale to their gain. Newspapers will use incorrect and misleading information to stir up controversy. And many without the intimate details of the deal will spread incorrect information. I’d like to clarify some important details so that the truth is out there. First of all, this sale was solely my decision and isn’t a forced sale due to a poor financial performance. Second of all, despite the sale occurring shortly, the transfer will not be immediate. Golden Pin Lanes will be leasing back the bowl from the County for a period of one year following the closing of the transaction. This means Golden Pin Lanes WILL be in business until at least June of 2019. And, it will be business as usual. We will continue to service our dedicated and valued league and open bowlers. The entire bowl including the lanes and snack bar will be open and we will continue to employ our wonderful employees. The yearlong period allows for a smoother transition for our customers and employees to allow for alternate arrangements to be made.

I truly have enjoyed my time owning Golden Pin Lanes. It has been my absolute pleasure to be a part of the Tucson bowling community. Thank you to all who have made this such a blessed journey.

Owner
Don Allan