The Gazette-Enterprise

The human fascination with rolling a ball and knocking things over isn’t a new phenomenon. To us, it’s just bowling. But history has more to say.

The sport dates back to Egypt in 5200 BC. In the 3rd Century, it was a European religious ceremony that determined whether or not an individual was judged free of sin.

In Italy, it was an outdoor game played upon one’s lawn. In the 17th Century that caught on in America when Dutch colonists brought bowling to the New World.

When most people think of bowling today, they see 10 pins lined up in the shape of a triangle. But it hasn’t always been that way.

For the Dutch, bowling involved nine pins aligned in a diamond. The 10th pin was added later, likely to get around a ban on bowling in New York and Connecticut because of a gambling problem.

The 10-pin variety became the norm in America, and the nine-pin version slowly faded. But people in Guadalupe, Comal and Bexar counties can be found today, bowling the old-fashioned way — with nine pins.

It’s a unique opportunity. Outside of these three counties, the closest an exclusively nine-pin bowling alley can be found is in Europe.

Laubach Bowling Club, just outside of Seguin, has been around since at least 1885, and board member Leo Zimmerman said the board of directors is trying to keep nine-pin bowling from fading away.

“For being here for as long as I have, I know that’s our goal — to keep the tradition alive,” Zimmerman said. “I think that’s a big thing. We’re trying to get the younger people to understand that it is a tradition and get them interested in it.”

The tradition of nine-pin bowling in Guadalupe County stems from parents passing the game down to their children. Zimmerman said many of the bowlers at Laubach started as pinsetters.

“There’s some second- and probably third- and fourth-generation bowlers here,” Zimmerman said. “Their great-grandfathers, grandfathers, fathers bowled and now they are doing so. I think the reason it’s stayed around in this county is that it’s family-oriented, and it’s fun. It’s also somewhat of an exercise.”

In addition to the family element, nine-pin bowling leagues offer a more relaxed environment than its 10-pin counterpart because it’s more of a team game.

The game begins with a full set of nine pins, and the first person gets two shots to knock them all down. If they do so on the first shot, it’s worth nine points, and they get another shot at a full rack.

If they knock over all but the middle pin, it’s worth 12 points, and they get another full rack to shoot at.

If pins remain after the first person’s turn, the next person gets the opportunity to knock down what’s left. That continues until all the pins hit the floor and a new rack begins.

“Anything over about 200 is a good game,” Zimmerman said. “But for most of the people who bowl, it’s about having a good time. We’re trying to make this as much of a social thing as possible.”

While the nine-pin game differs slightly from 10-pin, the biggest differences could be between the alleys themselves.

Most nine-pin alleys — and all of them in Guadalupe County such as Laubach, Zorn, Barbarossa, Bexar and Marion — have four lanes, and everything is done manually. The pins are usually set up and the balls returned by teenagers who are looking to line their pockets with a little spending cash.

The score is kept on a sheet of paper or a chalkboard and not a flashy machine that comes to life when a spare or strike is made. There is nothing fancy about a nine-pin bowling alley.

One advantage to nine-pin bowling is the price to participate in a league is much cheaper. With four lanes, the alleys can usually accommodate 20 teams to participate in leagues per season.

All of the proceeds from the leagues go straight back into upkeep on the building, Zimmerman said.

“It only costs $5 [at Laubach] to be a member and $6 per night to bowl, and that’s three games,” Zimmerman said. “We use all that money to keep this building standing up because it’s about 150 years old.”

For more information on nine-pin bowling leagues, call Laubach Bowling Club at (830) 379-9033, Bexar Bowling Alley & Social Hall at (830) 420-2512, Barbarossa Bowling Club at (830) 625-2034, Marion Bowling Club at (830) 420-9219 or Zorn Bowling Club at (830) 379-5247.

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