Shamrock still hitting strikes after renovation

Shamrock still hitting strikes after renovation. Shamrock Bowl manager Cathy Schueler, takes a shot at the newly renovated and oldest bowling alley in the city Sept. 25. Staff photo/DAN PEARCE

Home to the city's oldest and largest still-functional five-pin bowling alley, the venerable Shamrock Bowl has been painstakingly restored to its original glory and is now ready to welcome groups for special events.

The building's owner, Swisscan Properties, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last two or so years restoring the little-known gem, which still features the original pin-setting equipment and ball retrieval machines.

The 12-lane bowling alley's authentic refreshment bar is still intact as are the untouched Brunswick scoring desks and many other features from when the alley first opened back in the mid-1950s.

The building near Coxwell Avenue and Gerrard Street East once housed a banquet hall on the first floor and a tavern in the basement.

To appease the community, the builder constructed a bowling alley on the top floor.

In 2007, Swiss-based Swisscan Properties bought the property, which had changed hands several times over the years.

Today, a GoodLife Fitness club occupies the building's first floor and basement.

"The original people who bowled in this place were bowling here until May of 2007," said manager Cathy Schueler, president of Engage Works event marketing and management company, adding the Shamrock Bowl is really as close as it gets to the true experience of authentic five-pin bowling.

"It's literally all the original equipment," she added.

Today the game of bowling is done fully automated in neon-lit party centres, a far cry from the time when one actually had to have a good grasp of the game to play it.

"It's all manual scoring here. There's no automation at all so you really need to know the rules of the game to play here," Schueler said.

"It's retro and we're leaving it as it is."

Back in 1909, Thomas (Tommy) F. Ryan dreamed up the game of five-pin bowling in downtown Toronto and was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame for his accomplishment.

"One hundred years ago the game of five-pin bowling was invented here in Toronto and we're the oldest still functional bowling alley in the city it was invented so we're very proud of that," she said, adding people are welcome to donate or loan bowling-related memorabilia to The Shamrock for display.

"We're proud to reopen in a very significant year."

And while the vintage bowling alley isn't open for day-to-day public use, Schueler said The Shamrock is an ideal venue for corporate and community events, even milestone birthday parties as retro tunes from the 50, 60s and 70s are played during bookings.

The unique art-deco space is also suitable for cocktail parties, hors d'oeuvres or even sit-down dinners.

First open to the public during this past May's Door Open Toronto, more than 1,200 people eagerly checked it out during the two-day event.

For more information about the Shamrock Bowl, visit www.shamrockbowl.ca or call 416-406-BOWL (2695).