BallReviews
General Category => PWBA => Topic started by: bradl on July 10, 2015, 02:26:16 PM
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Well, the tour is in full swing, starting here in Sacramento first. Live scoring is up as well at pwba.com/live.
You can tell that the nerves are hitting the ladies as they get settled in, but there is some excellent bowling going on. I'm heading straight up there early afternoon and will be up there for the pro-am as well. But so far, this is looking good!
BL.
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Where is it at?
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It's being held at Fireside.
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holy smokes i thought today was just the pro am dang i miss out
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holy smokes i thought today was just the pro am dang i miss out
I thought it was too, until a couple of weeks ago when I checked the schedule. Looks like most of the events are going to be in the format where there is the welcoming dinner the night before the qualifying rounds. Friday would be 2 rounds of qualifying and the pro-am, Saturday would be 2 rounds of match play, then the finals. Done by Sunday.
They definitely weren't kidding when they said they were trying to balance the tour with family life. And to be honest, I actually like this., as it gets those mothers bowling home sooner to their children.. and it gives those with the time to follow the tour from location to location the time to get to the next stop and get settled in.
BL.
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The need to work in the parking lot.. For a long time it looks like a flea market grounds IMO
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I might swing by tomorrow gotta head to the river catch me dinner first. How is it going over there any local or nearby talents in lead??? Or just the usual leaders or some new upcoming talents.
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I might swing by tomorrow gotta head to the river catch me dinner first. How is it going over there any local or nearby talents in lead??? Or just the usual leaders or some new upcoming talents.
Actually, Anne Marie in 5th, Parkin 4th, Falbo 3rd after 7 games. Top 3 are from NY, with Kristina Wendell in top spot at +236. Closest local is from Daly City in 9th.
The need to work in the parking lot.. For a long time it looks like a flea market grounds IMO
The flea market and bingo hall are across the street, funnily enough!
BL.
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Alrighty.. Just got home from the Open. And for the record, one of the guys I bowl league with helped to organize this, and this also comes from his mouth as well as my own observations.
We seriously UNDERESTIMATED the amount of response for this tour. Yes, 64 entries were made, and an extra 16 were opened. Those were filled. They even extended the number of entries for the Pro-Am. We had people driving the 9 hours down from Portland, Oregon for this, let alone the bay area.
The place was absolutely packed, and while Fireside is a challenging house, 32 lanes was just not enough. For what this tour will do and bring, a 40+ lane house is needed. If the amount of popularity this stop was is any barometer, the other events will also have entries expanded. And when you think about it, Houston, Topeka, Wichita, and Lincoln are all college towns, so all the ladies in that area will definitely want to get in if they already aren't in now.
Because of the expanded field, the pro-am started at least an hour late (was scheduled for 8pm; we didn't get started until around 9:30). 3 separate divisions: juniors, adult, seniors. So there should be winners in each division. The kicker that made it great compared to previous PWBA pro-ams: no redress of the lanes to the THS; we bowled on the tournament condition. Due to the format of the tournaments, I'd say to expect this at every other stop.
All in all, this was a great tournament, and much better than anyone imagined. Oh.. and You get to meet Lucas Wiseman. More to follow tomorrow, as match play starts.
BL.
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Im just curious i never done a pro am before. is that just so u can bowl with a pro?? or is it a real tournament u win money etc.
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Im just curious i never done a pro am before. is that just so u can bowl with a pro?? or is it a real tournament u win money etc.
Both. So Consider it a 9-pin no tap tournament which you bowl with pros. Previous tournaments gave the linemen time to redress the lanes from the tournament pattern to a THS to help out the amateurs. With how short the stops are (the weekend and not the entire week), there is no time for the redress. So that made it a bonus that you are also bowling on the pro's pattern. So it helped to watch the qualifying rounds, to see who is throwing where.
Plus they had some giveaways here as it being the first stop and to also garner attention. Leanne raffled off an IQ Tour Nano and Sky Rocket, plus Logo Infusion and Mongoose are here giving away swag.
So there's a lot to do at the pro-am, including autographs and pictures, but to be blunt, Sacramento needs a bigger house, and Mardi Gras Lanes isn't going to cut it.
BL.
BL.
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Here's to hoping they do better than the PBA. GO LADIES!
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Here's to hoping they do better than the PBA. GO LADIES!
Call me biased, but they have, just by nature of TOURING.
BL.
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Here's to hoping they do better than the PBA. GO LADIES!
I sure think they will do better than the PBA and get more Sponsorship. Let's face it the Ladies are so much nicer and no tantrums like the guys. Can't wait to go to an event. WAY TO GO LADIES!!!!!!!
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Still packed up here at Fireside for match play. Absolutely packed. And this is with most local THS bowlers at Fireside, plus those from the bay area coming up and staying overnight. Like I said, if this is any barometer on how the rest of the tour will be, then there is no way that this will be a huge success.
Oh.. all of this is happening WITHOUT Liz Johnson, CDB, Kulick, McEwan, Guerra, or Guerrero, as most of them are bowling in Japan this week. Of the more known bowlers, Duggan, Tish Johnson, Parkin, Rodriguez, Stef Johnson, Leanne, Pluhowsky, and Asbaty were here. The rest should be available for the other stops, if the PanAm Games don't interfere (which would be sometime between the Wichita and Houston stops). I expect those to be huge.
Oh.. The pattern we have for the tournament:
http://scores.bowl.com/2015_PWBA/Sacramento/LanePattern.pdf
I won't say it was like Shark, because it was definitely different; I was playing 5th arrow after the carry down, so there was a lot of moving in and everyone was playing deep inside, regardless of lefty or righty. We still are now.
Anyway, heading back up for the finals!
BL.
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Holy moly did fire side go over a make over. I haven't been here forever. The pbwa turn this place around.
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Holy moly did fire side go over a make over. I haven't been here forever. The pbwa turn this place around.
They got that remodel done just in time for the stop. Steve Cook put some serious money into it, although the pinsetters and seats laneside are still the oldest things there, dating back to the King Louie/AMF days.
The lanes were purchased from Crestview Lanes, when they closed 4 - 5 years ago, as they replaced the old wood lanes they had before. Gary and Leanne put some work into that pro shop before leaving it to their protoge when they took the job in Utah.
Outside, the place still looks like it could be a dump, or as someone put it before, flea market.. but inside, they definitely put some work into it, though they have a long ways to go.
Compare Fireside, to say, Sun Valley Lanes (http://www.sunvalleylanes.com), where the stop in Lincoln, NE is going to be. That place has changed and changed again since Sonnenfeld shot 900 there.
BL.
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watched most of it on extraframe.
good commentary, good showing by the ladies
there is some serious new talent on this tour
great job by all involved!!
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In hindsight, this was some very good strategic planning by the top brass at the PWBA.
When you think about it, out of everyone that was involved in the PWBA before/when it folded, the most active and known bowlers at that time would have been Kulick, CDB, and Barrette.
With that in mind, the first places this could have started was east coast to west coast, or west to east, with a definite stop or two in Texas. I say that, because everyone would have come out en masse to give good support for the hometown hero. In this case, Sacramento was a great starting point, as this would have been a "Welcome Home and Good Luck" showing for Leanne, as she lived here for 10 years before heading up to Storm HQ.
They knew that we'd all come out in droves to see her, let alone the other ladies, and would give the tour the best sendoff it could have had. Now, with ending at Carolier, those out there would definitely come out for Kelly and CDB (with CDB being from Linden)
I definitely think this is going to be successful, and look forward to Lubbock.
BL.
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I'm more than glad to see the ladies having an opportunity of their own to compete. My hope is that they'll attract sponsors outside of the bowling community. I think that will be key down the road, if they are to get beyond this initial three-year commitment.
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So who runs the proshop if Leanne and family are in Utah? Or is the shop closed? Last I was there, there was young guy working there.
Good to see they upgrade (work in progress) their website and house.... I wonder if their match club is still around...
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So who runs the proshop if Leanne and family are in Utah? Or is the shop closed? Last I was there, there was young guy working there.
Good to see they upgrade (work in progress) their website and house.... I wonder if their match club is still around...
Caleb runs the pro shop, or at least he was if not now.
Fireside has two Match Clubs that bowl in their house. The old Land Park Bowl club and Sunset Match Club which used to bowl at Alpine Lanes
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So who runs the proshop if Leanne and family are in Utah? Or is the shop closed? Last I was there, there was young guy working there.
Good to see they upgrade (work in progress) their website and house.... I wonder if their match club is still around...
Caleb runs the pro shop, or at least he was if not now.
Fireside has two Match Clubs that bowl in their house. The old Land Park Bowl club and Sunset Match Club which used to bowl at Alpine Lanes
I bowled with the LP group few years ago... I wonder how the group is today....
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So who runs the proshop if Leanne and family are in Utah? Or is the shop closed? Last I was there, there was young guy working there.
Good to see they upgrade (work in progress) their website and house.... I wonder if their match club is still around...
Caleb runs the pro shop, or at least he was if not now.
Fireside has two Match Clubs that bowl in their house. The old Land Park Bowl club and Sunset Match Club which used to bowl at Alpine Lanes
I bowled with the LP group few years ago... I wonder how the group is today....
I think Ryan still bowls with them. Most of the Land Park guys are still there I think.
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So who runs the proshop if Leanne and family are in Utah? Or is the shop closed? Last I was there, there was young guy working there.
Good to see they upgrade (work in progress) their website and house.... I wonder if their match club is still around...
Caleb runs the pro shop, or at least he was if not now.
Yep. Caleb Nakata is still running it. almost hand-picked by Gary, he's that good.
Fireside has two Match Clubs that bowl in their house. The old Land Park Bowl club and Sunset Match Club which used to bowl at Alpine Lanes
Which is kinda funny as both of those were wood houses if I remember right (I know Alpine Valley was), as the new lanes at Fireside were from Crescent Lanes. I know some of the Crescent bowlers went to Fireside, while the rest went over to Mardi Gras.
BL.
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So who runs the proshop if Leanne and family are in Utah? Or is the shop closed? Last I was there, there was young guy working there.
Good to see they upgrade (work in progress) their website and house.... I wonder if their match club is still around...
Caleb runs the pro shop, or at least he was if not now.
Yep. Caleb Nakata is still running it. almost hand-picked by Gary, he's that good.
Fireside has two Match Clubs that bowl in their house. The old Land Park Bowl club and Sunset Match Club which used to bowl at Alpine Lanes
Which is kinda funny as both of those were wood houses if I remember right (I know Alpine Valley was), as the new lanes at Fireside were from Crescent Lanes. I know some of the Crescent bowlers went to Fireside, while the rest went over to Mardi Gras.
BL.
Alpine had wood lanes up until about 5 years ago, then they got synthetic and closed about two years later. Those lanes before the upgrade were in ROUGH shape too. Man, the heads were pockmarked like a battlefield that had been attacked by B-52's. The only place I have seen worse was the old GreenBrae Lanes that used to be in Sparks, Nevada. Those actually had chunks of wood missing in the heads.
Land Park has always had synthetic when I bowled there.
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Alpine was the best place for battle scaring your ball lol. When the saying....Match your ball to the lanes, you sure will. I didn't care much if I had a chip or chunk come off the ball, but many bowlers did lol.
Milo, Ryan doesn't bowl match club anymore. He left a few months after I left. I just don't have time in the weekends to travel, maybe in the next year or two I'll see....
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So who runs the proshop if Leanne and family are in Utah? Or is the shop closed? Last I was there, there was young guy working there.
Good to see they upgrade (work in progress) their website and house.... I wonder if their match club is still around...
Caleb runs the pro shop, or at least he was if not now.
Yep. Caleb Nakata is still running it. almost hand-picked by Gary, he's that good.
Fireside has two Match Clubs that bowl in their house. The old Land Park Bowl club and Sunset Match Club which used to bowl at Alpine Lanes
Which is kinda funny as both of those were wood houses if I remember right (I know Alpine Valley was), as the new lanes at Fireside were from Crescent Lanes. I know some of the Crescent bowlers went to Fireside, while the rest went over to Mardi Gras.
BL.
Yes both Land Park and Alpine were wood houses before they switched to synthetiAlpine was the best place for battle scaring your ball lol. When the saying....Match your ball to the lanes, you sure will. I didn't care much if I had a chip or chunk come off the ball, but many bowlers did lol.
Milo, Ryan doesn't bowl match club anymore. He left a few months after I left. I just don't have time in the weekends to travel, maybe in the next year or two I'll see....
I disagree with the battle scaring comment. Country Club Lanes holds that title then and now. Lol
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I think that alpine upgraded to synthetic first then they shut down and land park took their synthetics.
And don't bring up country club!!!!! My uproar and hyroad!!!!!! Ball damage for daysss out there.( sniff sniff)
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I think that alpine upgraded to synthetic first then they shut down and land park took their synthetics.
And don't bring up country club!!!!! My uproar and hyroad!!!!!! Ball damage for daysss out there.( sniff sniff)
No, Land Park had synthetic before Alpine got theirs. At least that's how I remember it.
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I think that alpine upgraded to synthetic first then they shut down and land park took their synthetics.
And don't bring up country club!!!!! My uproar and hyroad!!!!!! Ball damage for daysss out there.( sniff sniff)
No, Land Park had synthetic before Alpine got theirs. At least that's how I remember it.
You got it right sir.
$11 ALL YOU CAN BOWL AFTER MIDNIGHT AT COUNTRY CLUB!!!! $20 to repair your bowling ball afterwards....