Coachlite Lanes has 16 lanes and offers easy automatic scorers, a game area, snack bar, bar and a clean, smoke free, attractive, and family friendly atmosphere! We offer many open bowling times, and many open play specials. We also offer birthday parties and corporate parties; leagues for every bowler, from casual, inexperienced to competitive and to fit any schedule. Whether you want to call us a bowling alley or bowling center we are the place to enjoy America’s #1 participant sport!
Coachlite Lanes was listed as one 95 Bowling Centers You Must Visit in the November issue of Bowlers Journal International. It was also listed as one of 8 centers selected for a “Bowling Road Trip” in the Winter 2008-09 US Bowler magazine.
Coachlite Lanes (formerly Colonial Lanes) was built by Chuck and Shirley Lammlein in 1962. It became and still is one of Rolla’s most popular community locations and a home-away-from-home for many S & T students, Fort Wood Soldiers and others who passed through Rolla. Chuck past away on March 3 of this year at the age of 90 years old. He had an amazing career in the bowling business. He had bowling in his blood and a passion for the game. His parents Eugene and Mary Lammlein were operating a 4 lane house in St. Louis when he was born.
As a teenager in 1937 his parents leased Bevo Lanes in St. Louis where Chuck honed his bowling skills with bowling legends that dominated the 1940 to 1970 headlines. Although some facts related to his bowling achievements have been lost over the decades here are some to put his experience into perspective. Before reaching the age of 21 Chuck had already bowled 5-300 games when only 206 were bowled nation-wide. In 1945 at age 21 he amassed a (783) 219-299-265 series, a St. Louis high and fourth in the nation. One week later he racked up a (771) 290-235-246 series. Two years later he was a member of a team that had a 3425 scratch total, high for St. Louis and third best in the nation. In 1950 a Post Dispatch headline proclaimed Zierns Antique team bowled a 1300 for the highest team game in the Nation-“Lammlein Tops With a 743 Total.” And then after winning the championship at the prestigious All-Star Bowling League two years straight, the Zierns team was named the National ABC Gold Award winners for the 1950-51 season posting a scratch total of 3509. Other members of that Award Winning team were Frank Schalk, Whitey Harris, Ray Bluth, Pat Patterson and Chuck.
Chuck always sought out ways to try to give back to the game. He was an innovator in the promotion of bowling and pioneered the idea of exhibitions on outdoor bowling lanes that was later featured on The David Letterman Show, among others. At one time he was part owner in Lake Bowl at the Lake of the Ozarks where he was able to put together a bowling exhibition at The J Bar- H Rodeo that attracted 100,000 people to watch bowling legends and good friends such as Dick Weber, Billy Welu, Harry Smith, Pat Patterson, Charlie Davis( a rodeo clown) and himself on one of those outdoor bowling lanes he pioneered. They performed every night before the rodeo, showing some trick bowling such as picking up the 7-10 split with 2 bowling balls being thrown at the same time among other demonstrations .
For several years Chuck was a member of the Pro-Tours Promotions as Tournament Coordinator assisting in putting together The Rolaids Open Professional Bowling Association Tournament. When Chuck and Shirley moved to Rolla and opened up Coachlite Lanes (Colonial Lanes) they formed a team that was instrumental in promoting AJBC (American Junior Bowling Congress) Bowling and the game of tenpins in the Rolla area. And because of his friendship with Dick Weber, Dick was on hand in 1966 to present the AJBC trophies to the winners.
Chuck was inducted into The Missouri State Bowlers Hall of Fame in 2002, was a member of the South Central Bowling Association Hall of Fame and was a member of the PBA (Professional Bowlers Assoc) for many years. Chuck Lammlein passed away on March 3, 2015.
Coachlite Lanes has a story behind it and a lot of history to go with it. Welcome!