Singles and Doubles at South Point - Women's Nationals Sunday June 5, 2016

South Point: Doubles and Singles Events

We arrived at South Point in good time on Sunday morning, after about three hours of sleep, and returned to the Coronado Cafe where everyone ordered breakfast dishes. I had gravy over biscuits. I like sausage gravy on biscuits but this was bacon bits in gravy, not nearly as good.

Biscuits with bacon-bits in gravy

When Jacque had checked in the previous day, she learned our lane assignments for each of the events - team, doubles and singles.

So, we took our bowling bags out of the lockers and placed them near the appropriate lanes. The Tournament Plaza has 60 lanes, 30 on one side and 30 on the other, separated by a sound-absorbing wall and with seats for spectators.

Spectator seating in the middle (butting up against a sound-proof wall with the poster on it and the Pepsi macines, and 30 bowling lanes on either side.

Right hand corner, teammates exchanging high fives

Bowling bags in settee area, a few spectators ready to watch

We went once more into the Squad Room, where we had our Doubles photos taken. (It was mandatory that we have our photos taken, but not mandatory that we purchase all the sizes or packages offered - wallet size all the way up to 8 X 11.

Teammate Linda was behind the camera man making faces at us. We displayed beads and fingernails for Shirley

The 155 I had bowled in the third game the day before had encouraged me. I entered the doubles bracket - since Jacque is an excellent bowler. Spent $40 on brackets (and at the end of the day, won $20!)

Our humorous MC of the day before wasn't there. Instead a USBC representative talked to us briefly, Grand Marshals were chosen to lead us out to the bowling lanes.

The first event we bowled this early Sunday was singles. And I did awful. I did not break 100 in the first game - I had a 98. Not sure if I was too tired, too nervous, or what, but I bowled a 98. I was then able to recover somewhat and roll a 156 and then a 136, so I had a 390 series or an average of 130! 7 off my average each game. Absolutely awful.

Then came the Doubles event. Jacque bowled well. Me, well, I bowled a 150 in the first game which gave me a bit of hope...then sunk to 114 in the second game before coming back with a 136 in the third game. So I had a 400 series and averaged  133- 4 below my pitiful average of 137.

Fortunately, Jacque bowled well, and so we did well in our brackets which enabled me to win back $20 of the money I'd invested in that!

We had to wait around to see if we'd won any bracket money - I believe we all did so, although whether we all broke even on the amount we'd spent to enter the brackets I'm not sure.

While we waited around, I took photos of the exhibits and wall decorations.

Six cases of display here, more cases along the walls featuring used bowling balls

Marge Merrick's AMF shirt and awards

100 Years of Organized Women's Bowling

Then, although we were all very tired, we could not leave yet. We went down to get our Bracket Money at the Sports Payout section.

I picked up $20, about 1/3rd back of what I'd paid in brackets for all the events - entirely due to Jacque's stellar performance in doubles. 

Bracket Payouts by the sports book section of the casino

Then, Laura killed time on the slot machines while Jacque browsed through the bowling store. Linda and I went to the Equestrian Arena which was holding a horse trade show and also barrel riding events!

The horse expo

Three John Deere tractors with rakes ready to zoom around the arena smoothing the dirt in between rounds of the barrel racing.

Eventually we all got together again..but we still weren't ready to go.

We went to Calamity Kate's for ice cream.

A hot fudge sundae with whip cream and Oreo crumbs on top

Then we were ready to go. I drove us back to South Point on Flamingo (I think), and we got there about 5:30 or more likely 6 pm. Laura and Jacque went to their rooms, Laura to sleep, Jacque to relax.

Linda and I went to our room also. We spent an hour or so unpacking and relaxing and checking emails, me on my laptop and Linda on her Ipad - something we hadn't done earlier that morning when we'd first arrived at our rooms.

The entrance hall to Sam's Town Resort and Casino

About 7 pm or so Linda and I went down to the first floor of Sam's Town to locate the bowling center where we'd participate in the PrimeTimer's tournament the next day.

We followed the signs and found it down a flight of stairs.

Escalator down to bowling center

The 60 lane bowling alley - all the lanes in a straight line, not 30 back-to-back as in the Tournament Plaza at South Point was not too busy - the lights were dark and Etreme Bowling was in effect.

Dark lights and neon-colored bowling pins, Extreme Bowling Sam's Town

 The K&K Pro Shop was open and Linda and I stopped in there to look around.

K & K Pro shop

 It had the typical things, shoes, sliders, warm-up sleeves, bowling balls, bowling ball bags, etc.

Next we found the pool. It was an outdoor pool, not very big. I had hoped it would be large enough to do laps, but it certainly wasn't. Strictly a pool for kids to swim in while parents get a suntan. It's also used for water exercise I think - as there was a lift-chair to help people get into the water.

The pool at Sam's Town

We then visited the Mystic Falls Logo Shop and looked around. Just beside the entrance was a rack of oversized, personalized red dice. On the 1-side was a person's name and the word casino, and they had my name, Barbara's Casino. On the 6-side were the words Las Vegas.

As we came out of the Logo Shop we saw that people were gathering around a gigantic stone waterfall and pool in the area called Mystic Falls Park.

At 10 pm, the light show began. Music, water jets spouting water high, higher and highest. There was a cougar on one rock above us, a bald eagle on another, and as we watched a wolf appeared at the tippy top and howled.

It was a 15 minute performance, culminating with the song Proud to be An American by Lee Greenwood.



Next, we split an order of food at the Panda Express Chinese restaurant in the Food Court (there's also a McDonald's and a Subway) and then went up to our room and turned in for the night.

The next day, Monday, would be the start of the PrimeTimer's 9-pin no tap tournament for both men and women. We would be playing in four sweepers- handicapped contests with no divisions - just based purely on scores with handicap added on.