The lanes are 16 feet shorter, the pins five inches shorter and the bowling balls are the size of softballs. Still, it’s bowling nonetheless, and it’s coming to Franklin.
Duckpin bowling is the name of the sport, and building owner Pat Hagan plans to have the activity as a source of entertainment for Franklin residents starting this summer. This addition of 10 Pins Franklin aligns with Franklin’s Downtown Revitalization Plan, which was adopted in 2005 and since then has brought the city new businesses, restaurants, facade improvements and historical renovations. With duckpin bowling, residents will have not only places to eat and shop, but to play as well.
“The key thing it will add is an activity not related to a restaurant,” Hagan said. “We have the Artcraft Theatre, we have good local restaurants but once that’s done there’s nothing to do. We’re hoping this can be an activity for people to do.”
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Currently, Fountain Square’s Action Duckpin Bowling is the only duckpin bowling location in central Indiana. Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett predicted the opening of 10 Pins Franklin will bring a lot of attention to downtown Franklin.
“The main thing is it will add to Franklin being a destination city and that’s going to add to people wanting to come for duckpin bowling,” Barnett said. “It will give high school kids something else to do, the college more stuff to do. It will be a good attraction for the city of Franklin and a good fit.”
Hagan, a Johnson County businessman who owns Blue Top Communications, has never owned a bowling alley before, but said if the lanes are successful he will look to expand to other small towns. He bought the former Smallwood Appliances building at 27 W. Monroe St. in January of 2018, and after a lengthy process of obtaining various permits, construction began last week in the 10,000-square-foot building, which has two floors and a basement. Hagan plans to have six lanes to start, with a possibility of adding four basement lanes later.
Hagan said after buying the building, he decided on duckpin bowling because the building couldn’t hold standard-length lanes. He also considered the fact that Franklin already has Hi-Way Lanes and Sports Bar for those who are interested in the traditional version of the sport. Hagan has frequently bowled duckpin-style in Fountain Square and thought the activity could spice up Franklin’s downtown.
“The building is long enough (for standard bowling) but it has a really cool manually-operated elevator in the building that has been around since it was built that made the space too tight,” Hagan said. “I did talk to them at Fountain Square. I’ve duckpin-bowled up there quite a bit, compared notes on lane rates and how they have stuff set up. I did that with not (just) Duckpin but mini-bowling facilities. I talked to them because I wanted to get a feel for what people are paying to bowl and what they expect when they are there and what food to expect.”
Hagan said rates have not yet been finalized, but he will likely charge by the hour or half-hour rather than by the game.
Hagan said he plans to serve food and alcohol at the lanes, and would also like to show live sporting events on televisions. He ordered the infrastructure for the lanes, and is waiting for various parts to come in from California, Finland and Germany.
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What’s the difference?
Standard bowling uses 15-inch pins and bowling balls with a diameter of 8.5 inches and three holes for grip. Duckpin bowling uses 9.5-inch pins and bowling balls that are five inches in diameter with no holes.
Play the game.
In duckpin bowling, you get three rolls per frame. In standard bowling, you get two rolls. The scoring remains the same. Bowlers who knock all the pins down on their first roll score a strike, those who do on their second roll score a spare, and those who take three rolls to knock the pins down don’t have scores that are affected by the next frame.
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