There is no doubt this summer's announcements that both Pin & Cue and Murph's Party Bowl were closing put a damper on the local bowling scene.
Many in our community lost their bowling home.
Many feel like they have been uprooted, and others feel like they have been betrayed.
I'm sure there are some bowlers who have decided to just quit the sport, while others are currently making the difficult switch to new lanes, and possibly new days and new times.
Little's Lanes, Elks, Black Eagle and Aces High have made room for their new arrivals and made them feel most welcome.
Soon as leagues get into their seasons, the closures won't seem so dire.
We wish everyone good luck.
Many bowlers are dismayed by the fact that Great Falls will not be able to play host to state tournaments.
By rule, a city must have 32 lanes in two houses. But, this past year Anaconda played host to the open tournament with just 30 total lanes.
I'm sure with a little arm twisting of the state board and the dwindling number of cities that are eligible to hold the tournament, we can get the open tourney back to the Electric City with just 28 lanes.
Hold the team at the Elks, 12 lanes, and doubles and singles at Little's, which has 16 lanes.
Right now, Billings, Missoula and Butte are the only cities that, by rule, can host the state tourney.
Just a few years ago, Helena, Kalispell and Great Falls were eligible cities.
Catching up on some news from the summer.
The doubles team of Bruce Steffani and Helena's John Brodersen shook things up at the 2009 USBC Open Championships, held at the Cashman Center in Las Vegas.
The duo fired a 1,444 to finish eighth in the regular division.
In the classified team event, Montana Connection I, with Kyle Grossman, Mike Feller, Jim Watkins, Sean Engum and Les Comer turned in a ninth-place finish.
The fivesome totaled 2,689.
The team was put together by Don Jordan and was made up of bowlers from different cities in Montana.
Feller led the group with a 562, followed by Watkins (550), Engum (539), Grossman (522) and Comer, who had a 516.
At the recently held U.S. Open Women's Championships, held Aug. 3-9, at the Sunset Station Hotel and Casino, Montana was represented by Great Falls' Doris Kimmerle and Billings' Julie Redfern.
Kimmerle averaged a respectable 193.13 over the 16 games of qualifying to finish 106th.
Redfern finished 129th and averaged 183.75.
Get well wishes go out to local USBC president Don Jordan, who was hospitalized recently. Hopefully, things have improved and Don will be back on the bowling scene.
As the season begins here are the scores that qualify each week as honor scores:
Women — Games of 200 or better and any games 50 pins over average. Any 600 or better series or 100 total pins over average.
Men — Games of 225 or better and any games 50 pins over average. Any 650 or better series or 100 total pins over average.
Senior women — Games of 195 or better and games 40 pins over average. Any series 590 or better or 100 total pins over average.
Senior men — Games of 200 or better and games 45 pins over average. Any series 600 or bettor or 100 total pins over average.
The Elks got the jump on the bowling scores with a few leagues starting up last week.
Elks Lanes / Great Falls
Elk Seniors — Steve Lyczewski 258/630; Rod Hackett 224; Tony Degele 200.
Sunday Early Birds — Rod Hackett(sr) 223; Terry Tigart(sr) 202; Rick Hasenkrug picked up 4/10 split.
Curt Backa, who wishes he could come back to any scene, is a Tribune sports copy editor and local bowling sage. Backa, whose column is entering its 12th year, can be reached at 791-6569, 800 438-6600 or e-mailed at cbacka@greatfallstribune.com