The Sewickley, Pa. club has offered competitive duckpin bowling since the mid-1900s and saw a $50,000 renovation of its facility in 2002. “There’s a real appetite for unique, authentic experiences,” says General Manager Matthew Kurtas. “This is something you’re not going to find anywhere else in the immediate area.”
The Edgeworth Club in Sewickley, Pa. has continued the tradition of duckpin bowling, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. Similar to its more modern counterpart, 10-pin bowling, the lanes are the same length and width, however, its balls are smaller, lighter and do not have holes.
The Edgeworth Club was founded in 1893 and has been in its current location since 1930, the Tribune-Review reported. Edgeworth has offered competitive duckpin bowling since the mid-1900s.
“In terms of being a club, it’s different than running a business,” said General Manager Matthew Kurtas, CCM. “Our members are really in their second homes here. The things that we have available for them are the things that they want to do and the things they want to bring their friends to. There’s a real appetite for unique, authentic experiences. This is something you’re not going to find anywhere else in the immediate area.”
The club’s current alley setup is the result of a major $50,000 renovation in 2002, the Tribune-Review reported.
“We switched out traditional pinsetters for the string set pinsetters,” Kurtas said. “Our members liked them better. They give you a more traditional feel and a more authentic experience.”
Joe Sawyer is the chairman of the men’s bowling league, the Tribune-Review reported. He has been with the Edgeworth Club since 1987.
“Speed is not that important,” Sawyer said about the delivery. “I had never seen duckpins until I came here. When I was in Chicago, I bowled 10-pins. It’s tough. I like the fellowship … It’s a nice competitive sport. The club had 600 families when I first moved here.”
Jason Suslak and his fiance, Amber Gregg, have only been members of the club for about two years, the Tribune-Review reported. The couple moved to the borough from Cleveland, Ohio and have fallen in love with its duckpin bowling. They took over for Amy Locascio as co-coordinators of the mixed bowling league.
“It’s a great group of people [and] a really fun activity,” Suslak said. “I live close here in the community, so it’s great to have something where you can meet more people and just have a lot of fun.”
The couple said they are pleased with the club’s COVID safety protocols, which have made it more comfortable for those who come out and play, the Tribune-Review reported. Masks are required to be worn upon entry to the club. All hotspots like railings, tables and many other items are cleaned and sanitized regularly. Game start times vary and bowlers rotate every other lane to help with social distancing.
“Right now, it’s been pretty easy,” Gregg said about organizing league games. “People want to get out of the house. It’s a pretty tight-knit group of people. Everybody’s excited to see each other and come and bowl.”
A special memorial invitational bowling tournament has taken place every December for nearly 25 years, named in honor of Marty Habich, who died on Oct. 22, 1998, the Tribune-Review reported. Habich served as the club’s Alley Manager for 25 years.
There are about 24 to 30 bowlers in the men’s league, about 20 in the women’s league and 30 in the mixed – co-ed – league, the Tribune-Review reported. The number of players and active club members has decreased somewhat due to the COVID pandemic.
“You’ve got people who are totally paranoid and other people who don’t give a crap,” Sawyer said. “It clearly has affected all socialization.”
Edgeworth Club attendance is by invitation only, but officials told the Tribune-Review it is pretty easy to find a member in Sewickley.
“As people move in, it’s pretty hard for them not to learn about the club,” Kurtas said. “We’re right across from the Sewickley Academy. If you had just moved into the Village, one of your neighbors is bound to be a member of the club … The overwhelming majority are residents, but it’s not a requirement.”
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