Enjoy the fun – or take up a more serious sport.
At our Tenpin bowling centres, we’re all about the fun factor. You might be trying to impress your friends or beat your Dad with that perfect strike. Or you could be using the bumpers to keep your ball going straight down the gutter. Whatever your level of play, the main thing at Tenpin is just to enjoy it! Maybe event treat yourself and have food and drinks brought to your lane using our QR code?
Naturally, Tenpin bowling is the main draw at our centres. However, we also offer a wide range of other fun activities too. These include table tennis and pool. Our arcades are also popular with children and adults alike. Some of our arcades also boast a virtual reality climbing wall or virtual reality experiences. At all our arcades, you can collect those tickets from our many games to take home a star prize. Not to mention the fact that many of our Tenpin bowling centres have Houdini’s Escape Rooms, Sector 7 Laser Tag arenas and karaoke booths. Quite simply, whatever you decide to do at Tenpin, you can be sure you’re in for a great time.
However, did you know that Tenpin bowling is also a serious sport? And if you’ve visited any of our centres and found you have a knack for getting a strike, maybe you want to get involved at a more competitive level?
Bowling Associations
Did you know that many of the UK’s best tenpin bowlers are involved with a number of formal associations? These include the British Tenpin Bowling Association (BTBA). We also have the Northern Ireland Tenpin Bowling Federation and the Tenpin Bowling Association of Wales. Scottish Tenpin Bowling is also a registered charity in Scotland, hosting a number of tournaments and events.
BTBA
The BTBA is the governing body for the sport in England and it has been going since 1961, when Maurice Glazier was the first general secretary.
Maurice was a former member of the British Intelligence Service who served in World War Two. He was asked to join a league in 1960, when he was witnessed achieving a score of 256. The highest score possible is 300 and of course, to achieve this, you would have to bowl strike after strike!
The current chairperson of the BTBA is Lisa John.
According to the BTBA website, English players recently won 33 medals at the senior triple crown 2023. was hosted by the Tenpin Bowling Association of Wales.
Other recent news for the governing body responsible for taking the sport forward in England include Youth Team successes.
Entry forms for a number of tournaments and events can also be found on the website. These include youth bowling and county trials. The English Sport Bowling Tour is also a popular tournament within the sport.
In 2023, Youth Bowling England launched a grass roots athlete development scheme, which promising players can get involved with. Despite the name, the grassroots scheme is available to players of all ages and abilities. It is hoped this will help to find the Tenpin athletes of the future!
The Tenpin Bowling Association of Wales
This organisation is described as the home of Welsh bowling. However, we know that Tenpin Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham is where it’s at for a fun game of bowling in Wales!
On the Tenpin Bowling Association of Wales website, you will find tournament entry forms and the results from all previous tournaments. You can also find out who tops the tenpin rankings in Wales. These include men’s, women’s and senior rankings.
Scottish Tenpin Bowling Charity
The Scottish Tenpin Bowling Charity invites new players to come and compete and also lists the top ranked players in Scotland. This spans adult rankings, senior rankings and youth rankings.
Forthcoming events in Scotland include the Youth Open and an Adult Open in Ayr. The USA vs Scotland challenge takes place in July in Livingston, where senior trials are also soon due to take place.
Triple Crown tournaments also follow in August and September.
But of course, what we’re really excited about the opening of our fourth Scottish venue in Dundee in August!
In addition to Tenpin bowling, this venue will also offer Laser Tag, karaoke, soft play and escape rooms.
This is in addition to our brilliant centres in Edinburgh, Falkirk and Glasgow. Roll on August.
How to get started
Has Tenpin bowling become more than just fun for you? Do you have the hallmarks of a professional in the sport?
If you’re getting scores above 200 in your games with your friends, maybe it’s something to consider taking up?
But how do you get started?
- Find a league
First of all, why not find a league near you? The associations we’ve talked about above all list leagues and contact details, where you can find out how to get involved. The BTBA website lists all its county secretaries and their email addresses, so why not drop them a line?
- Enter competitions
There are also entry forms for various competitions on each of the bowling associations’ websites and contact details if you need to find out more information. Why not just go for it? Simply work out where you need to be in terms of your age category and sign up. What have you got to lose?
- Practice makes perfect
Once you’ve committed to developing your love of tenpin bowling into more than just a hobby, practice, practice practice! Become a regular at your local Tenpin centre, where we offer great facilities and great deals. Of course, at Tenpin, it’s all about the fun factor. But who says you can’t be as competitive as you like when visiting our entertainment centres?
- Check out our top tips from Rob Thurlby
The bowling champion can be seen on our website offering a masterclass to players at all levels. His hints include choosing the right bowling ball, through to the approach and release. If you’re looking to become a bowling pro, our videos with Rob are a great place to start!
Who knows, maybe you could you be the next Rob - or Verity Crawley? She’s Britain’s only female professional tenpin bowler, competing in the Professional Women’s Bowling Association in America.
One thing’s for sure, whatever level you play at, you are in for a great time at Tenpin.