Mt Warren Lanes is Australia’s first bowling centre to install new Sports String Technology Pinsetters to its bowling lanes – but not without a bit of uproar from local league players.
The new technology – Brunswick Boost Sport Technology Pinsetters – or in simpler terms, pins with strings attached, were installed in 2024 and cost around $500,000.
The centre decided to retire its original 64-year-old free fall pin machines due to the cost of upkeep and rarity of mechanics to fix them.
Director and Owner of Mt Warren Lanes, Tracy Turoczi said before the switch they had a bit of backlash due to the stigma attached to the “strings”.
“We have 650 leagues here with the highest league participation rate per lane in Australia,” she said.
“When we initially told everyone we were making the switch, we did have a few that were like ‘oh my god this isn’t going to work’, but we assured everyone the new string pinsetters were going to be nothing like the recreation strings that you see everywhere else.”
“These pinsetters are USBC (United States Bowling Congress) accredited and TBA (Tenpin Bowling Australia) accredited, so they have been built for the league and tournament bowler in mind.”
Mrs Turoczi said a lot of bowling alleys still have the old machines, but they are becoming too expensive to maintain.
“We were the first to bite the bullet and make the switch,” she said.
“With the old free fall pin machines, you just can’t get the parts for them anymore and the mechanics are very hard to find, and this is being felt internationally as well.”
“These new ones mean anyone can run the machines, there is less lane breakdowns, it costs us less and we don’t need mechanics to constantly fix them.”
The technology savvy centre has also recently introduced augmented reality darts – a dartboard setup using smart tech to project live scores, targets and animations onto a board.
Mrs Turoczi said it’s a great way to have some fun with the family or friends.
“We called it our Throw Zone and we introduced that in August last year and it’s been a great success,” she said.
“We add new games every couple of months to keep it fun and exciting.”
For more information about Mt Warren Lanes visit mtwarrenlanes.com.au
