Until this season the manager would strip and oil right before first shift league and then do an overlay oil in the am (there are a LOT of senior leagues at this center). This year the new manager made the decision to strip and oil in the am and do an overlay right before leagues. And then they allow open bowling until the leagues start!! The heavy carry down and unpredictable patterns we see in leagues is almost laughable (if I wasn't so ticked!).

First, it drives me nuts that the leagues don't get a freshly stripped, oiled pattern. Second, it drives me even crazier that they let people bowl on these lanes before league begins.

So I guess my question is: does your center do a full strip/oil before first shift evening leagues and do they allow open bowling on those lanes in the 30-45 minutes before leagues begin?
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Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

Edited on 1/26/2007 0:27 AM

Neither of the two houses I bowl in pull open bowlers off the lanes to oil for leagues.  They oil and strip right through them.  One house is really good about the timing being the same every day when they do this.  The other house not as good, but still pretty good.  Both houses oil and strip in the morning for their afternoon leagues and again in the evening before the first shift of evening leagues.  But open play is not pulled off the lanes until minutes before league practise is supposed to start.  

If you demand a fresh shot before you bowl then you should specifically look for that in a bowling center.  Or your league should negotiate that with house before league season starts.  I wouldn't be surprised if you were granted guaranteed fresh conditions that you're league lineage would go up to combat the loss of revenue from open play.  We don't have any centers around here that will guarantee that for leagues (unless its a special condition league like Sport Shot).  

Erin