Summer time is what I live for every year. I love being outside and enjoying all the activities that come with it with my friends. Living in Utah, there is always something to do in the summer. Whether it be camping, hiking, disc golf, you name it and you can probably do it here in the summer. One thing I’ve always wanted to do however is bowl outside. Hanging out in the sun with some friends and a few drinks while bowling would be an absolutely amazing summer time activity. My friends and I play corn hole in the summer, so this would just be another outdoor activity for us to enjoy. If this sounds like something that would be entertaining to you, your friends and family, then you need to check out what this guy built in his backyard. The construction is pretty simple, and the end result is something you can enjoy for a long time. Check out this guys DIY backyard bowling alley!
As most DIY projects do, it all started with a sketch. A very rough sketch that is.
This eventually led to a revised sketch with improvements over the first.
It took a few more pencil drawings until a design was finally ready to be laid out in CAD. Now the only thing let to do was build it!
It was finally time to get the supplies and begin turning this plan into a reality. You can see the actual bowling lane is elevated to create a gutter system for the bowling balls.
All the wood for the lane is down, and now needs to be leveled and aligned.
A closer look at the lane. 2 x 4’s will be laid on top of the flat pieces to create the actual lane the ball will roll on.
This is the beginning of what will be a pulley reset system for the pins. It’s a pretty ingenious and fairly simple idea. All that Jr. High science about simple machines is finally coming in handy!
Completely finished! Everything has been leveled, the skirts on the side have been added and after tons of trial and error the pulley system is fully operational!
While it definitely isn’t as smooth and slippery as a real bowling alley, you couldn’t ask for much more than this outside in your own backyard.
A cover was created for the pins so the pulley would work properly. It also serves another purpose which is pretty awesome.
Resetting the pins on this thing is as easy as pulling on a rope. The holes in the top board allow the strings to follow a set path every time. This ensures you get the same rack every time.
Remember I said the cover was for more than the pulley system? Night time bowling!
There won’t be a closing time at this bowling alley with this light set up.
I’m not sure how much their neighbors appreciate the sound of pins falling repeatedly, but if I owned this thing I really wouldn’t care.
If you enjoy spending time outside in your backyard during the summer, something like this would be absolutely perfect to include in your personal hangout. Your friends are sure to be asking to come over all the time to use this awesome backyard bowling alley. It doesn’t seem like it would incredibly difficult to build either. Even someone with limited construction knowledge should find a project like this within their skill range. This may even be something my friends and I try to tackle this summer!