Bentonville Bowling

Bowling is a sport in which players attempt to score points by rolling a bowling ball along a flat surface in order to knock down objects called pins. There are many forms of bowling, with the earliest dating back to ancient India. Origins can also be traced to ancient Finland and Yemen, and much later in 300 A.D. in Germany. In the US the best known form of bowling is probably the North American game of ten-pin bowling. This form, in both amateur and professional versions, is played around the world, making it one of the largest participation activities.

A bowling ball is a round ball made from rubber, urethane, plastic, reactive resin (solid, particle, or pearl) or a combination of these materials which is used in the sport of bowling. Ten-pin bowling balls generally have a set of three holes drilled in them, one each for the ring and middle finger, and one for the thumb; however, rules allow for up to five finger holes. A five-pin bowling ball has no finger holes and is smaller so that the bowler can hold the ball in the palm of their hand. Candlepin bowling balls also fit in the hand, but are lighter than five-pin balls.

Most bowling alleys provide free balls for patrons to use, called house balls, although avid bowlers may purchase their own. These are often customized, and can feature specially sized finger holes (in the case of ten-pin balls) or monograms. Because purchased balls are usually drilled to match the owner's fingers, most can throw a customized bowling ball that is one to two pounds heavier than the house ball they previously used.

Bowling balls come in a wide variety of colors, and are often either a single flat color, a swirl-like design of multiple colors, or a single color with an iridescent look. It is even possible to obtain transparent bowling balls, painted in such a way as to make it appear as though an object is inside. Some objects have included skulls, footballs, and baseballs.