Ancient Egyptians began bowling in about 5200 B.C. German and British people also enjoyed the game, but it was the Dutch settlers who brought their version of "Dutch pins" to America in the 16th century. They played their games in the middle of Manhattan, which is still sometimes referred to as the "Bowling Green." Originally a nine-pin game, bowling in New York attracted some shady characters and was eventually outlawed; in order to get around the gambling laws that prohibited it, alley owners simply added another pin. And the rest is history.
Lumbered with the Fred Flintstone image for years, tenpin bowling has recently found a retro-cool status among the young and the fashionable.
If you travel to Atlanta, hometown of ‘Coca-Cola’, you should check out the new Ten Pin Alley in Atlantic Station. The place is owned by cool cats Ashton Kutcher and Wilmer Valderrama, servers wear vintage-inspired bowling shirts and the dj plays very groovy tunes. So 'pick a cherry' and 'hammer the pocket'. Fabulous atmosphere and a guaranteed good time!
For all the bowlin' lovers out there: here you can see an original ‘Coca-Cola’ poster from the forties plus the Remix version. Enjoy!