OFF THE SCREENS AND ON THE LANES: IN-HOME BOWLING BRINGS FAMILIES TOGETHER
Nigel Brunt, father of five children ages 9 to 18, has found that bringing bowling into his home achieved something little else could in this day and age. “Bowling gets everyone off their phones!” he says. “We’ll have six or seven of us playing, with conversation between the players, and that’s a lovely thing to see. Anything that gets people off their phones is excellent in my book.”
Brunt grew up bowling in his hometown of London, England. Today, he and his family bowl on two Brunswick regulation-length Gunstock Savoy Walnut lanes in their home in Hertfordshire, about an hour from London.
“We put the lanes in because we all quite enjoy bowling,” he says. “I was building a garage for my classic car collection, and thought that bowling lanes, with their length, would work very well for the space. The nearest bowling center is 20 miles away, and it’s so nice to be able to bowl at home.”
The lanes get plenty of use, with the family bowling three or four times a week. “When we’re away from home, we miss it,” says Brunt. “We’ll find ourselves bowling at local bowling centers.”
“It’s a fantastic addition to the house,” he says. “Bowling brings us together. We always have dinner as a family, but bowling gives us an extra reason to get together. We’ll organize a gathering for Friday evening, and the kids will bring their friends.” Bowling brings us together. We always have dinner as a family, but bowling gives us an extra reason to get together.”
Nigel Brunt, Owner
Once Nigel decided to include bowling in his building plans, he obtained quotes from two suppliers, ultimately choosing Brunswick and its UK distributor, Bowling Vision Ltd. “I grew up with Brunswick lanes and found it the obvious choice,” he said. “I’ve been very happy with the installation. I find it extremely easy to maintain; in fact, it’s absolutely no problem. Kids enjoy the games on the Sync scoring system.”
“Residential bowling projects have become a specialty of Bowling Vision,” said Director, Jack Trend. “We work closely with our clients from the creative design stages with both the project Architect and the Interior Design team through to providing the ongoing maintenance and support. We have been fortunate to have worked in some of the UK’s most exclusive homes for many household name celebrities and leaders of business. We have a great technical team with the skills to handle anything from working within a damp subterranean development to installing traditional real wood lanes which are virtually obsolete in commercial centers. Like many of our customers, Nigel chose Brunswick because it’s the iconic brand. If you’re displaying your classic Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches & Ducati’s, of course you want to see them next to the timeless Brunswick crown. It’s a pleasure to work with such a positive family, and we wish them many happy years of bowling together.”
What advice would Brunt give others considering a home bowling installation?
“I would say go for it!” he says. “It’s a really good way of getting people together at home, a very sociable activity. It keeps our family doing things as a family. There aren’t many sports you can play where kids of different ages can compete on a fairly equal level, but bowling is great for everyone from 6 to 90. With bumpers and the way you can score the game, everyone has fun, and we all have something to chat about.”
Brunswick is the first name in bowling, with nearly 150 years leading the industry in innovation, quality, and customer service. With flexible solutions to accommodate any space, Brunswick can install full-length, regulation lanes and the industry-leading GS-X™ pinsetter, or bring an authentic bowling experience to smaller spaces with Epicenter™, the reduced lane-length bowling solution that includes uses regulation pins and full-size balls with the StringPin™ pinsetter.
For homeowners looking for a twist on traditional bowling, Duckpin Social™ is Brunswick’s take on duckpin bowling, a ten-pin game popular throughout Canada and the Northeastern United States for more than a century. Duckpin Social delivers all the fun of bowling while keeping it simple. There’s no need for special shoes, and everyone uses a standard, smaller ball without finger holes. Duckpin Social provides a unique experience to share with family and friends, and is versatile enough to be challenging for adults and fun for kids.
