Even More Apartments for Spanish Springs
 

Heard today the two bowling alleys are up for sale, we know where this is going. Lets see i use to swim at Hacienda CC every day, no more. I bowl every Wednesday, at risk, thank God the "Developer" did not build and own my church.

Bowling lanes all across US have been dying for a while. An owner once told you needed 2 full shifts bowling every night to break even and then you make money on the open bowling on weekends. The two places here have been slowly pricing everyone out of leagues. Don't see anyone buying these 2 places anytime soon.

Fiesta Bowl has 39 leagues and Spanish Springs has 42 leagues, at least those numbers are listed on leaguesecretary.com. At almost $5 per line of league bowling, and add the Food/Beverage income, I find it extremely unlikely that the owner of the centers will walk away any time soon.

Don't worry. Plenty of churches.
Their profit is a lot higher than bowling alleys and apartments!

I've "heard" that bowling is more popular with more participation in The Villages than golf. Anyone know if that is true?

:bigbow:

In general - bowling is the #1 most populous participation sport in the world. There are more bowlers than there are anything else, with regards to sports.

must be the sense of fashion what draws them into the sport

You heard from where?

I do love a good bowling shirt

La Hacienda Regional Rec Center has open pool for lap swimming. I showed pictures of it yesterday. Beautiful Rec Center...Just around the corner from where Hacienda Bar and Grill was. There are TWO facilities in that area both with the word Hacienda in them and people sometimes get them confused. I also hear the new apartments will have pool to share.

Well if they can monetize it with long term leases triple net and assess a royalty fee they will. Never say never !
I’d rather bowl than golf anyway !

The shoes match everything!

Walking 9 holes will give you far more beneficial exercise than rolling a ball and drinking beer:icon_wink:

Yup, churches are a business and need to be taxed accordingly.

The last time I walked into Spanish Springs Lanes (last week) at night there was one league or 10 or 12 teams of 3 or 4 people. Not a full house, which is probably needed to make any money.

I think this might be another of those famous Villages rumors. I have bowled and worked all across the country and these two alleys have to be the busiest bowling centers in the country. Attendance is certainly down, but this is because of the Corvid virus and will return after the vaccine is available. It still amazes me how any in house customer business is staying a live. Let’s hope most will survive.

Which goes to facility and staff expenses and most importantly to charities.

I think the villages needs a briefing from the top on plans for the villages. There are so many rumors flying around nobody knows what to think. The latest I heard was the Villages are going to be sold so some some transparency would is needed and would be appreciated.

Taxes and death, the only two things In life we can depend on staying the same. Change is inevitable, yet always brings concern and complaints.

doubt that is true

Rumors?
 

I have lived here for 9 years and have heard 9 years of rumors, and that is just what all the discussion is about. Until something is reported from a meeting with the Developers, it will always be rumors. Any business that is growing will not release information or have a 'briefing from the top.... ' on anything until it is signed and sealed. The minute the future business movements are made public, scam artists and bottom feeders come out of the woodwork to try to make a quick profitable killing. If TV had announced they were buying land south of SR44 for expansion, what do you think would have happened to the prices of that land? This is applicable to all business that make a profit.....Disney World, Amazon, Auto manufactures, etc, and developers.
However we have 125,000 old age people with nothing to do most of the time so they start the same game we have all played as kids......called Chinese Whispers..or...The Telephone Game..used in grade schools to simulate the spread of gossip and it's affects on the truth. Errors typically accumulate in the retelling. Rumors are gossip and not fact based.

So I would guess that holds true for our population here in The Villages.

I do think the two bowling centers here are very successful compared to centers across the country. There has been availability over the last few years for people to join leagues, and with Covid, there are even more openings. But, most proprietors would love to have their numbers.
Now to the ridiculous thought that these centers are for sale to make way for apartments. A huge portion of a centers value is location, clientele, and a number of years of solid income/profit. There just isn't a market for a bowling center that would need to be relocated after the purchase.

Of course it does!

(and those private jets don't come cheap either!:icon_wink:)

I think this has been published in the Daily Sun. They have a page where they talk up some activity and that is where I read this.

The best way to handle rumors is to ignore them.

#1 in The Villages is still golf. Check out the stats.

Of course golf is number one in TV. When is the last time they built a new bowling alley? Need I say more... :popcorn:

No, it’s the required beer belly to be good bowler! Balance!:1rotfl:

I think it’s tiddlywinks?

I confirm that bowling #1 interest in tv

I know what the absolute number one activity on TOTV is, moaning, groaning, complaining and whining. Jesus Christ could come back to earth and make people 25 years old again and there would be some that would complain that they wanted to be 20 instead of 25 and why didn't Christ come back 20 years ago before they got so old and worn.

Economics. The pandemic has hit commercial real estate hard. Rents are down and may stay that way. The Developer is adapting to the market and responding to a greater need for housing, via apartments. In time, economics will shift back to retail again. But maybe smaller and less. Dining may take 2-3 years to come back. If there is a change in The Presidency in November, I am holding on to my cash and I will be taking trips rather than blowing $200 a week in local eateries.

Bowling Centers not for sale
 

To Classic 55, you need to get your facts before you make a statement. We have been successful in the two bowling centers since 2006 when we purchased the businesses from The Villages. We have been in the bowling and restaurant business for over 50 years and are always amazed at how rumors are started and are repeated to the the point that people believe are true. Village Bowling ( the corporate name) which owns Spanish Springs Lanes, McCalls Tavern, Fiesta Bowl and The Pub at the Bowl is a healthy company has NO intentions of selling. We have come through the Covid-19 crisis and with are dedicated employees are already seeing the recovery of our businesses. To all of our customers and employees, let us say thank you for your past business and service and let us insure you we are here to stay.

Larry and Sue Ducat, Owners of Village Bowling

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU for posting this. People hear a rumor and then go crazy. I'm going to copy your response and create a new post so more people see it... and realize that until they see it from a reliable source, it's just an unfounded rumor!!!

And another case solved. Just takes awhile. Was worried most about McCall's. And the bowlers, of course. 🎳

Post of the day!!

:bigbow:

Or worse (but often true), it's nothing more than an outright LIE.

What is your source that says that they are up for sale?

We have way too many posts beginning with "I heard" without mentioning who the poster heard from.

Bowling is the number one most popular activity in The Villages and there is no free bowling as there is free golf and free pool. I have a hard time believing that a bowling alley would not be successful.