Creative Bowling Games for Large Groups

Enjoy bowling as a fun activity on its own to enjoy recreationally or competitively, in a tournament or on a casual Friday night. Find it especially entertaining when large groups get together to bowl. For those wishing to bring along 15 or 20 of their closest friends or family members, utilize a creative bowling game to provide a fun alternative to the normal format.

  1. Righty-Lefty

    • Play this game, a simple variation of regular bowling. Each member of the group bowls the standard 10 frames, but instead of sticking with your dominant hand for each throw, alternate between right and left hands over the course of the game. For example, a right-hander bowls the first frame with his right hand. If he needed two shots to complete the frame, he uses his right for both. Then, he uses his left hand to bowl the second frame, his right hand for the third frame, and on, until the 10th frame, which he bowls with his left.

    Alternate Shot

    • This format involves bowlers joining together in groups of two. Bowler A takes the first shot, Bowler B the second, and the two continue to alternate for the remainder of the game. Similar to the "alternate shot" format in golf, the bowlers continue to go back-and-forth, no matter what happens in a given frame. If Bowler A leaves a pin with his first shot, Bowler B tries for the spare, and Bowler A starts the next frame. If Bowler A gets a strike, then Bowler B gets to start the following frame. Bowlers also opt for alternate frames, where the teammates simply take turns bowling their own frames.

    Other Fun Games

    • Large groups enjoy a number of other entertaining variations of bowling. In "Secret Score," bowlers complete their games as normal, and at the end, each bowler draws a piece of paper from a hat. You win by playing the game nearest the "secret score" in the hat. Another game, "Bowling Poker," awards competitors a playing card for a strike and one card for every two spares. The bowler with the strongest poker hand at the end of the game wins. Finally, play "Strike Survivor," where everyone bowls one frame, and those who get a strike move on to the next frame. The game continues until only one person remains.