Mike, last year, they had I think, 8 extra lanes set aside, and bowlers could wager to bowl on PBA type shots. Payouts were every 50 bowlers if I remember correctly. Then, there is the 40 frame game. 1 game, 40 frames long at another House.

If no one told you, there is wagering in brackets too. High games, randomly selected head to head bowling, and the like. $5 for this, $10 for that one, reentry second chance another $5, and before you know it, it's $100. Don't remember all of them. This the real attraction to many bowlers. And, where they make their money.

Here is a link.

http://www.bowl.com/tournaments/usbcopen/national/sideevents.aspx

There is also the Bowler's Journal tourney and the 40 frame game. The only one that I would like to do is the 40 frame game. Each frame is something different. One frame, you may need 8 for a strike, next frame a strike is worth 30 pins. Looks fun.

As for equipment, 4 is the minimum I would take. I am taking my Paradigm, Special Agent, Cell, and my spare ball. I'd like to replace my Paradigm with a T-Road Pearl by then but I doubt it will happen. I would like to be able to take 5 though. 2 solids and 2 pearls and my spare ball. The other ball would be my X-Factor. Basically a stronger pearl and a weaker pearl. The weaker pearl for singles when the lanes are drying out. I can play with my Paradigm but I'd like to be able to play a similar line the whole time instead of moving further left. I can play 5th arrow but I would rather stay closer to the middle.

There are 4 tournaments that I know of during the USBC

Bowlers Journal at Gold Coast

Forty Frame Game at Sam's Town

Bowing This Month at Silver Nuggett

Ebonite Beat the Board at Orleans

Thanks for the info all. I'm definitely psyched about being a part of it. If all goes well I'd like to do it each year as for now the rates are reasonable and the experience will be invaluable. I could use some down time and a tan too.

getting excited going to Hanover PA sunday to bowl in a tourney!!!!!!!! got the flights figured out and free rooms at ceasers!!!

Hey, I guess the bowling is off the strip by a few miles. It would be good if your hotel had a transport service to and from the Bowling Center.

Just a thought.

ahhh my friend...my wife (the shopper in the family) got us a rent car for $20 a day.....now its not a caddi but we are in vegas...need to get from point a to point b...... most likly will be another PT Crusier like we had last time!!!!!!!

Having a rental car is very nice (or at least people with a car). As much as I didn't like bowling Knoxville in 2003, having my car then was great. I had an X-Terra at the time. 4 of us piled and and made the trek. We had 16 bowling balls and all of our luggage in the back. Needless to say it was piled to the ceiling. If I stopped too fast bags would fly into the back seat.

Being able to move around in a city is very nice though. In NM this past year, it was great that we had the rental cause we could go anywhere we wanted. When it isn't your car, it can be a pain. You have to go where and when others want to go. In 2006 in Corpus Christi, we had friends who had a passenger van. We had to go everywhere with them or stay in the town house we rented. It got old real quick.

Vegas is a town I don't know if you would need a rental unless you plan on going outside of the city. Taxis are everywhere and I would think that the hotels will have shuttles.

Corpus, I had a car since I flew to San Antonio and drove the difference. It did halp in a town without public transportation. Albuquerque, I stayed at the Hilton, and they shuttled me all over, at any time. Public transportation was pretty good too.

I have never been to Vegas, but thinking to stay on the strip, and look for shuttles.

Played golf in Albuquerque early am on an extra day. A little dew on the greens. The first hole green, I see a wavey line from the cup to the fringe. I asked another what that could be. He said a snake. I couldn't tell if it went toward the hole or away from it. I wouldn't reach my hand in to get my ball out of the hole.

I am staying at the Sahara. It is at the north end of the strip, and the first stop on the monorail line. $13 for a 24 hour pass and you can go up and down the strip as much as you want. It makes 6 stops and they run every 6 or 7 minutes.
The Sahara is about 3 miles from Cashman Center. They don't have a shuttle, but offer 20% off car rental through Dollar. Otherwise it's a short cab ride. I posted something last month about their bowlers special on one of the forums.