GREEN LAKE, Wis. — Orly Rivera knew nothing about the bowling business when he agreed to help manage the 300 Club of Green Lake.

Two years later, the bowling center could be an example of the sport’s future in small-town America.

Rivera moved from Arizona to Wisconsin during the pandemic to help his sister-in-law renovate the longstanding bowling alley. After three months of modernization, the center reopened Memorial Day Weekend in 2021.

“It was a pretty quick process,” Rivera said. “We came in here, tore it apart and put all new things in here.”

New furniture, TV screens and lighting caught the eye of visitors at first, but the 300 Club’s most noticeable change came in the pits at the end of each lane.

Rather than repairing the center’s aging “free-fall” pinsetting machines, the 300 Club installed 12 new machines with pins on strings.

Rivera said most players hardly notice a difference with the new pinsetters, aside from some slight differences in pin action.

However, those differences are not so slight in the eyes of the United States Bowling Congress. The organization has studied variations in scoring and spare conversions since 2020.

One preliminary study of 45,000 shots on both free-fall and string pinsetters found the string machines led to about 7% fewer strikes.

The USBC’s next research report included tests for strings of different lengths. The sport’s top governing body plans to release a final report early this year.

That report will include recommendations on whether string pinsetters should be sanctioned for official competition.

Aside from scoring, small business economics are a key reason for USBC studies. Parts and repair costs for the old machines can add up, and string pinsetters do not require a full-time mechanic.

“When you’re in a bigger city like Milwaukee, I’m sure there’s mechanics there, but they’re not going to get here as quickly,” Rivera said. “So I think that’s a big part of it, being in a smaller town. If we can fix everything here ourselves, let’s do it.”

A mobile app alerts 300 Club of Green Lake which lanes require maintenance, even advising which tools a manager will need. Rivera said since the center reopened, he has only had to untangle the string pins about 10 times.

Green Lake will not be bidding to host a U.S. Open any time soon, so Rivera said he is not overly concerned about the USBC’s decision.

While most recreational players have not made a big deal of the change in machinery, the internet is enthralled.

A TikTok Rivera posted last year showing the string pinsetter in action went viral, with more than 54 million plays.