Bill Lynch: My mind’s in the gutter—with memories of Sonoma Bowl, that is!

Adam and Jenny Kovacs announced in March their intent to lease 5,000 square feet in the Olde Bowl Center, behind his fitness club to open a bowling alley, bar and restaurant called Noma Bowl.

It has been more than a half-century since I saw an announcement like that in the Index-Tribune.

The first time was in 1958 when plans were first revealed to build a new bowling alley at that location on Highway 12. I was a sophomore at Sonoma Valley High School at the time.

In the spring of 1959, by the end of my junior year at SVHS, the plans were firm and ground breaking was set to commence.

Finally, in June of 1960, a few days after my graduation, Valley Bowl held its grand-opening. Russ Hodges, the “voice of the San Francisco Giants,” was the guest celebrity at the opening.

The project, said to cost a “half-million dollars” featured 16 Brunswick alleys and Antione’s Restaurant and Cascade Room bar operated by Tony Jimenez. Leon Welco was proprietor of Valley Bowl.

A year later, William B. Ingram of Hollywood, one of the three partners who financed the bowl, announced he was sole owner of the property doing business as Sonoma Bowl Associates. He also announced that he had intentions of developing an “ultra-modern, 200-unit trailer court with a swimming pool on the 10-acre property.

Those plans never came to fruition, but my schoolmates and I, along with many local residents soon found Sonoma Bowl to be an excellent place to spend time and socialize. We even bowled sometimes.

For many years after opening, the Cascade Room was a favorite local watering hole and hangout, often featuring live music. In fact, it was just about the only actual “night club” Sonoma had at the time.

I went away to college and then spent time in the U.S. Navy, including Vietnam, before returning to restart my journalism career at the I-T.

In the interim, Sonoma Bowl had its ups and downs. There were several active bowling leagues using it regularly and live music was still featured on weekends in the Cascade Room.

I was never much of bowler. Shortly after my return from Vietnam, some of my old high school chums had a bowling team and they invited me to join. After one match, they agreed that I wasn’t going to help them win and they let me resign gracefully.

There apparently came a time when bowling was no longer viable there and the alleys and restaurant and bar were closed. The property has been developed for a variety of commercial uses since then, but I always think of it as Sonoma’s bowling alley.

It will be nice if Adam and Jenny Kovacs can bring it back.