The Charleston Bowling Association, a group of local bowling teams, has found a home in the newly opened University Union Bowling Lanes.

The lanes were closed during the renovation and expansion of the food court, which began last spring. The lanes received a facelift themselves, getting new carpet, pinsetters and a more modern scoring system to go along with refinished lanes. However, the lanes are still waiting on new carpet.

After bowling at the Charleston Lanes since it’s opening in 1959, the association is happy to have found a new home. The Charleston Lanes closed last fall.

The 18 teams were cut down to 12 teams and they practice at University Union Bowling Lanes on Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. The lanes, located in the basement of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union’s west building, are closed to the public at that time.

Brad O’Brien, secretary of Charleston Bowling Association, said the teams also bowl in Mattoon on Monday nights. On Tuesday nights, the women’s league practices at the University Union Bowling Lanes and all area churches’ leagues may opt to come back and bowl as well.

The church leagues had about eight to 10 teams last year and started practicing on campus about four years ago. They moved from the Charleston Lanes to the University Union Bowling Lanes because the city locale was too smokey.

“Anyone can join the men’s league and our oldest member just celebrated his 70th birthday,” O’Brien said. “We have members that drive here from Greenup, Toledo and other surrounding areas.”

Tim Taflinger, manager of the Union’s Bowling and Billiard Center said the lanes have been really busy since they reopened Jan. 15.

“About 95 percent of our business has been students,” Taflinger said. “There are six bowling classes offered this semester as well.”

“The new machines are really nice and the carpeting should be getting in this week,” O’Brien said, noting that additional features are also on the way.

“Starting in the fall, there should be cosmic bowling and we plan on adding a sound system and most of the stuff we have now is glow in the dark,” Taflinger said. “Groups can also rent out the lanes, especially during the week.”

However, area teams and other non-students shoud be prepared to pay a little more for their bowling experience. The lanes charge $1.75 per game for students and $2.25 for everyone else.