About Strikehouse Bowl

For the men in Robert Dutcher's family, nearly everything comes back to bowling. Robert's father, Barry, spent 30 years as a pinsetter mechanic and avid league bowler in Reno, Nevada. Following his father's path, Robert acted as pinsetter mechanic for the comedy classic Kingpin and won three consecutive Reno City Masters tournaments, once with a record 299.

Even after Robert moved to South Carolina for college, bowling still held him in its thrall. In March 2013, he decided to revitalize the more-than-50-year-old previously named Aiken Bowl, named for the American Idol–winning singer who famously lived inside its ball-return system for most of his teens. Now renamed StrikeHouse Bowl, the historic bowling center now hosts classic alley festivities, from Thursday league nights to cosmic bowling every Friday and Saturday, when blacklights cast a neon glow over the lanes until 1 a.m. Until 9 p.m., patrons can reenergize at the in-house snack bar, whose treats run the gamut from macaroni bites to pepperoni pizza, and concessions are available until close.