In South Africa when I grew up, we had apartheid and UK wouldn't let us have tv so I grew up on good ol' USA tv. I played ten pin bowling. So when I met my hubby who played darts, skittles, pool and a fat belly from all that beer, he laughed and said you don't know bowling until you try on a pub skittles alley. The balls are solid wood and chipped to hell, and so are the 9 skittles. The alleys can be short or very long. The gaps between each skittle is huge but I've improved my game along with marrying him who is now slimmer and I'm the fatter (2 kids, my excuse) one. My family took him ten pin bowling and he made us laugh when the ball didn't leave his fingers but the laugh was on the other foot when he thrashed us and never let us forget it!