Full at http://blog.cheapmotelsandahotplate.org/2010/11/03/strikes-and-spares/
"We were in Las Vegas, a cheap stopover on our way to a month or so in southern Utah. Our hotel, South Point, is on Las Vegas Boulevard but far south of the Strip. It’s a good place to stay. The staff is friendly, and our room, which was larger than our old New York City apartment, cost $49 a night. Probably to make up for its out-of-the-way location, South Point is a self-contained entertainment complex, with a multiplex cinema, shops, equestrian arenas, performance stages, and a large bowling alley. I was excited to learn that the preliminary rounds of the World Series of Bowling were being held in the bowling center. I spent each night of our stay watching the action. Most of the best bowlers in the world were competing in a set of competitons, with the top eight eligible for the $50,000 first prize. The finals will be televised on ESPN in January.
As I stood behind the seats observing the action, I thought about a sport I have loved since I was thirteen. It was 1959, and my father took me to the Polish Falcon Lanes to bowl. I was hooked right away, and for the next few years, I spent as much time in bowling alleys as I could: Falcon Lanes, the CU Club (operated by the Slovak Catholic Union), King Lanes, Highland Lanes, and any others I could find. When I got my own ball and shoes, I got the attendants at the local alleys to keep them behind the counter. That way, I avoided paying for a locker and didn’t have to sneak a heavy ball and shoe bag out of the house every time I wanted to practice. I’d just tell my parents (who kept a watchful eye on how I spent my time and money) that I was going to a friend’s house, and then I’d walk down the steep hillside path into town and go to whichever place I had last left my equipment. I’d lie to mom and dad about the money I earned delivering newspapers so I could use it to bowl. On certain days there were special prices—three or four games for a dollar. You could improve your game on the cheap. By fifteen, I was averaging about 180, a respectable score back then. The balls were made of hard rubber; the lanes were constructed of wood, conditioned with oil; the pins were heavy; and these features made high scores and averages difficult to achieve." . . .