Tenpin Doncaster — Attraction in Doncaster

Used to love it years ago. Started going again once the covid restrictions were lifted and really started to enjoy ourselves. Even with all the music & flashing lights, it was an enjoyable experience and nice to see the covid precautions, perspex dividers and general cleanliness.

A few months after my last visit, they've completely destroyed the "ten-pin" bowling environment & atmosphere, even the game play looks like it's been ruined. They've removed the separate bar area, so there's no longer a "quieter corner to enjoy a few drinks". It's pretty much open-plan throughout, completely filled with amusement & arcade type machines all the way from the front door to the lanes. There's a small "reception" counter and what looks like a small drinks bar just to the left inside the door. I think there's a couple of small tables and chairs for what's left of the "snack bar". The lanes themselves still have the seats and perspex dividers, but it looks as though they've ripped the heart of the traditional free-fall-pin setting system out and replaced it with the horrible, cheap & nasty "string-pin" setting system. With the combination of music, flashing lights, increased noise from all the arcade machines, no quiet area and the pins on strings, after a good look around, we left without bowling or in fact doing anything or spending any money. We've used a string-pin facility before and we'll never use one again. The pins don't fall or fly in the same manner, pins can get knocked over by the strings from other pins, pins that don't fall are reset to their default position instead of their actual position, strings can get tangled. This has turned a once great and authentic ten-pin bowling facility into nothing more than a noisy fairground amusement complex. We won't be bowling here again and without a separate bar area, we won't even be coming in for...

I would score this venue a ZERO if I was able. On face value the Sunday offer of 3 games for £9 seems great until you arrive and within minutes realise there is a serious issue with temperature control. The venue is disgustingly warm most likely due to the neon lights and amusement arcade games and despite asking staff 3 times to put the air con on we struggled through our first game which by the end our faces were visably sweaty, my head was starting to hurt from the poor lighting and extreme heat and I was beginning to feel sick and dizzy. I must point out I was wearing a thin pair of shorts and short sleeve t-shirt so my outfit was appropriate for an indoor venue. We did not stay for our remaining two games as it was just too hot in there. Staff weren't helpful and our request to move lanes was ignored then met with the offer with a lane in an even worse position then the one we were on which staff admitted would have been even hotter. What a waste of our time and money. Together with taxi fares and left drinks we are over £40 out of pocket for 45 minutes of sheer torture and disappointed. Very sadden with our experience and we won't be returning to any...

Well....i am not sure if someone will read this or not but here it goes ...i have been there many times in the last 7years or so ,did not have an issue with unleveled pool tables ,or the tenis table been broken all the time,the heat, or eaven the disgusting bathroom(everyone knows what I am talking about )...we wanted just to have a drink and play pool... but yesterday we went to the bar to buy something to drink and after a long wait a girl came with a really bad,rolling eyes, can't be bother attitude ,I thought ok ...she had a long and bad day,every one of us goes through something like that...she threw at me what I ordered ,and we started playing pool ,after some time I could se her talk and smile ...I thought...ok she is better now just too find out when we went back to buy another round that when she saw us she became verry hostile (frouning, angry gestures ,disgusted look )she looked at me like I was a pice of s**t ...then I realised what was the problem...ME ,and I am.really curios if someone else hade similar experience or I am...