For the Serious and Casual Bowler
We have a variety of Sanctioned leagues for ALL BOWLERS, both men and women, as well as couples and mixed. Leagues begin in early Fall & Spring. League bowling is a great way to be socially active while enjoying a healthy competitive and clean sport. It promotes team and individual accomplishments, with awards being presented to all levels of ability.
For the Senior Citizens
Come join the Golden Gang on Thursday afternoons at 1:00, a social gathering with lots of fun and bowling. If you are 55 or older, we welcome you to come see what you are mising. Seniors always get $0.50 off each game when lanes are available. How about another GREAT deal? Monday thru Thursday (11 am – 4 pm) seniors pay only $2.25 a game.
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Robley "Sonny" Rantz
On Monday, March 13, 2000, Robley "Sonny" Rantz rolled his first 300 game while substituting on the Monday Night Scratch league. Just weeks before, Sonny bowled a near-perfect 299 game with a personal high series of 759. Sonny's accomplishments reflect the type of season he had carrying a 212 average on the Tuesday Guys & Dolls league and a 201 average on the Sunday Swingers league.
Sonny's first bowling experience came over 30 years ago when he joined the Bantam league at the age of 10 years old. The bowling center at that time was called Colony Lanes, later becoming Pocomoke Lanes and then changed again to the what we now know as Eastern Shore Lanes. Many of Sonny's bowling buddies from that time can still be seen around the center today. Such familiar ESL bowlers like Teresa Adams, Richard Reeves, Paul & David Troast, Mike Galeone, and Tommy Fitzpatrick. Sonny has bowled on a league every year since, except one, when he was 16 years old.
One of the many memories Sonny still recalls fondly of his youth bowling were the tournaments he competed, finishing first & second often. Sonny credits George & Mary Dimmick for being extremely helpful and patient in developing his game at a young age. Sonny remembers, "They took the time to teach the game if you were willing to listen and they always had a smile for you when you walked in the door." The center itself was much different in that time than it is today. Sonny recalls the biggest change in todays game from years ago is the computerized scoring. "Tommy made a lot of changes to the look of the bowling center when he renovated in 1994. His hard work over the years has made this a great place to bowl," Sonny said.
Other great memories Sonny remembers fondly were relationships he had with different folks. "I really used to enjoy bowling with guys like Leonard Howard, Buddy Somers and Phil Bethard and his wife Carol. I can recall many of our trips to Nationals together. Man we had fun", he recalls. Over the years, Sonny enjoyed special friendships he made with guys that were rivals on the competitive side of the game or guys that he bowled against week after week on different leagues. J.D. Marshall and Jeff Green were the two guys that stand out the most that brought out the best in Sonny. "I really have enjoyed competing with them over the years. Some years they would beat me and some years not. The rivalry & friendship I developed with them made the game very enjoyable for me," he said.
Some of Sonny's teammates over the years included Robert & Mary Dolby, Bonnie & Donald Payne, Jerry Cooley, Sheila Styke, Vivian Shelton and Marita Newsome and many others. Many of these bowlers have spent years on teams with Sonny and his wife Sue. Sue an avid & accomplished bowler herself, has bowled with her husband since they started dating in 1979.
Sonny has set some new goals for his bowling future now that he has reached his life goal of a perfect game. "Carrying the house high average would be nice considering the awesome competition at ESL now. As a member of an elite group of 300 bowlers at ESL, I would like to join Steve Jones as a member of a real elite group, the 800 club," Sonny said. Steve rolled the first sanctioned 800 series at ESL on the last night of the Thursday Mens Stateline league as a substitute rolling a brilliant 801 set.
Sonny is proud of his many bowling accomplishments during his career at ESL. He is particularly proud of the 3 Championships he and his teammates won as members of the Stockton Stealers on the Tuesday Guys & Dolls league. Now we are proud to have him as a member of the 300 club at ESL and look forward to more great things from Sonny in the future. Perhaps the "Slingers" son Robbie will be the next Rantz to join an elite club of bowlers at ESL like his dad. Sonny's rule of thumb to success......a shot of liquor will improve your average 10 pins.....guaranteed. Way to go Sonny on a great season!
