Everything Candlepin

Good point Urbie. Thanks for pushing me to get this active.

There is nothing that says you can't have both going on at once. Why couldn't there be a handicapped doubles tournament going on along side the Pro Series doubles on a given weekend?

I know that space is an issue, I get that, but it can be done.

But what are we doing really (on Voy)? It's like the Hatfields and the McCoys with handicapped against Pro. All we really want are competitive tournaments, handicapped or otherwise.

The idea of the Pro Series and other scratch tournaments are you walk in and bowl. No average check, no extra math, bowl your game.

Either way, the real goal is to make bowling more competitive and have a larger player base. I do both type of tournaments because BOTH are fun. Yes, it was a shame last month being high scratch pinfall (I'm pretty sure) and NOT getting into the knockout round. Had I bowled better the second string I would have gotten in to the ladder portion. It was MY fault, not the handicap - though one guy didn't add it in, and once he did I was bounced to sixth place.

So maybe that right there, that one thing, is why there should be NO handicapped tournaments. I know I can't wait until the 23rd at New Palace.

Quote from AnthonyC28 on February 14, 2013, 23:39
I bowled on the Amateur Candlepin Tour from 1989 until its demise in 1993, and really enjoyed it. It reached its peak in the late 1980's(before I joined) getting close to 200 entries every weekend. I won 2 titles and had a great time.

Currently having a 102 average at Leda Lanes, I very rarely do Pro Series events because I am just not good enough to be competitive. With that being said I really love this sport and love to compete. I mostly do handicap tournaments because that is where I feel I have the best chance to cash if I have a good day for myself.

The Pro Series is great for the top notch bowlers and I follow the results every month. I hope it continues for many years to come.

As far as handicap tournaments go there are already many of them out there if you just know where to look. There are King of the Hills at the Palace, Masons, Brians Bowlaway, Bogey Lanes, Colonial, and French King. There are also state and house run tournaments over the course of the year. If anyone wanted to start a new one I would be interested but if not there are already plenty to bowl in.

My feeling on handicap tournaments is that if they are run on a monthy basis then you should use a tournament average once you get enough games in rather than a league average. The reason being bowlers coming from a tough house for their league would have a constant advantage, where if everyone is bowling in the same tournament then the averages are earned on a level playing field.

I totally agree with you (on your final sentiments). When I started doing the King of The Hill's at Central Park Lanes in East Boston, that is how Chucky does it. After 12 strings, you have an average with the tournament. I mentioned it to New Palace, and I believe he is adopting that rule now moving forward. It's fair, and it takes LESS paperwork in the long run.