Bowling is a great hobby and can be a fun group activity to do with friends and family.
However, if you’ve never been bowling, you might be wondering: How much does bowling cost?
In this article, we will cover some important information about bowling, including how much bowling is.
Let’s get into it.
How Much Does Bowling Cost?
When it comes to planning your trip, there are a few costs that you will need to consider before you go bowling.
This includes the price of shoe rental or purchase, the price of bowling itself, and the cost of buying your own equipment.
Price Of Bowling
The price of bowling can vary significantly depending on the location. Generally speaking, the average game of bowling costs anywhere from $2 to $5 per game per person, excluding the cost of shoe rentals and the cost of acquiring your equipment.
Price Of Renting Bowling Shoes
The cost of a shoe rental on average is $3 to $6 per person, which you will need to include in the overall price of bowling.
Based on these prices, it can cost from $5 to $11 on average to go bowling and rent bowling shoes. Luckily, the majority of bowling alleys include in-house balls at this price.
However, if you’re interested in taking up bowling as a regular hobby, you might want to consider buying your own bowling equipment:
Price Of Buying Your Own Bowling Equipment
If you go bowling frequently or see it as a hobby you want to start, you might want to invest in a pair of your own bowling shoes.
Bowling shoes can vary in price depending on the store you buy them in. However, on average, you can find a good quality pair of bowling shoes for $30 to $60.
You can find bowling shoes cheaper than this, at around the $25 mark, but these shoes aren’t likely to be of the same quality.
If you’re spending $3 to $6 every time you go bowling to rent bowling shoes, you’d only need to go bowling 10 times for a $30 pair of bowling shoes to pay for themselves.
If you’re buying your own bowling shoes, and you’re serious about the hobby, you might also be interested in buying your own bowling ball.
Bowling ball costs vary based on the type of bowling ball you’re in the market for.
On average, an entry-level plastic bowling ball costs around $40 to $60. Some higher-end bowling balls can be around and exceed the $100 mark.
A high-quality reactive resin bowling ball that is typically designed for an advanced bowler will cost $150 to $250.
Other Considerations To Bear In Mind
You should also be aware that some bowling alleys charge more depending on which day of the week it is. For instance, during their peak times, such as Friday and Saturday nights, a bowling alley might charge more than they would on a Monday afternoon when it’s less busy.
In addition to this, many bowling alleys have their own systems. For instance, you might find that your local bowling alley charges an hourly rate for renting a lane. In this case, you usually have a maximum number of people that can bowl on one specific lane.
Should You Buy Your Own Bowling Equipment?
Whether you buy your own bowling equipment will depend on you and whether you think it’s worth it.
If you regularly bowl, then it’s definitely worth considering, as although it’s a bigger initial cost, you could potentially be saving a huge amount of money down the road.
If you’re interested in finding out whether you’ll get the use out of bowling equipment, I recommend sitting down and doing a few calculations.
For instance, if you buy a bowling ball that’s $60, you’d only have to go bowling 6 times if it cost $10.
Do Bowling Prices Vary?
Yes, as I’ve mentioned above, the prices of bowling can vary depending on where you go.
If you’re trying to bowl cheaply or want to make a saving of some sort, look for promotional offers that include free games or half-pricing.
If you’re looking for the best price, be sure to do your research! Make sure that you look up multiple bowling alleys in the area to find the best price.
Be wary that pricing information can change, and not all the information you read online is accurate or up-to-date.
To ensure you’re getting the best price, call up the bowling alley beforehand. You might be able to save a lot of money if you obtain current pricing before you head to a bowling alley to bowl.
How Much Does League Bowling Cost?
League bowling can cost anywhere from $10 to $17 per week for 3 games in a week, excluding the cost of renting bowling shoes.
If you’re interested in league bowling, you should check your local bowling alley for more information on the type of league, the league pricing, and whether or not you can reserve a spot.
Do Any Bowling Alleys Offer Unlimited Bowling?
Some bowling alleys offer unlimited bowling specials to encourage people to go bowling.
These specials allow people to play as many games of bowling as they can fit in during a 2-4 hour period for anywhere between $10 to $20 per person depending on where you live.
Of course, these prices can vary depending on the location of the bowling alley. For instance, if your local bowling alley is in the center of town and receives a lot of foot traffic without the need for promotional offers, you’re less likely to come across a steal like this.
On the other hand, if your local bowling alley is in the middle of nowhere, and customers need a little encouragement to go inside, they’re more likely to offer these deals more frequently.
If this sounds like something you’d like to do, make sure to keep an eye out for unlimited special nights local to you.
Why Is Bowling So Expensive?
Bowling can be pretty expensive depending on where you go. So, why is it so expensive?
The price of bowling comes down to the fact that running a bowling alley is a pretty pricey venture! From maintaining the bowling lanes themselves to servicing automated scoring systems, the costs of opening and maintaining a bowling alley are substantial.
So, while bowling can feel expensive, the price to go bowling is often low when you compare it to the overall costs of opening and running a bowling alley!
Why Is Cosmic Bowling More Expensive?
There’s a reason why people opt for cosmic bowling for large celebrations. Cosmic Bowling is known for its impressive neon lights, bright visuals, and pumping music that all add to the experience.
Cosmic bowling is frequented by casual bowlers, for events such as birthday parties, because of these additional elements that trump regular bowling.
Bearing this novelty in mind, it makes sense that bowling alleys tend to raise their prices for cosmic bowling more than they would for regular bowling.
If you’re interested in booking cosmic bowling for an event, be sure to look around to find the best price. Again, you might be able to find a special deal when you’re booking for a large group of people or if they are offering a promotion.
Generally speaking, you can expect to pay from $8 to $12 a game for cosmic bowling. That being said, if you opt for cosmic bowling during their peak times, you could be looking at paying more than this.
How Much Do Bowling Lessons Cost?
Bowling lessons can also vary in price significantly depending on the bowling alley you opt for.
That being said, the average bowling lesson with an instructor will cost anywhere from $25 to $55 per hour.
Bowling instructors’ rates can vary depending on their expertise as well as the demand for their services.
In Summary
The cost of bowling can vary depending on where you go, but on average it costs around $2 to $5, excluding the cost of renting shoes.
You will also want to consider the costs of buying your own equipment, including your own bowling shoes and bowling ball if you’re serious about the hobby.
Hopefully, this article has given you a better idea of how much bowling costs, so next time you want to go bowling with your friends you can budget accordingly.
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