TEXARKANA - Plans are in place for local bowling, billiard and dart leagues to start back up after all three were halted in March due to COVID-19.
Of the two local bowling centers, only College Bowl will be opening its doors this week. Plans for Holiday Bowl's reopening are being discussed, but there is no set date yet. College Bowl opens its doors Thursday, May 28.
"We could've opened Holiday already, but we're in contact with the state health dept. and have submitted our list of protocols," said Rick Goins, co-owner of Holiday and College Bowl. "They're reviewing our plan, and we're anticipating to hear back from them after Memorial Day. So we'll know next week what we're doing with reopening Holiday Bowl.
"Each state and its protocols are different. Arkansas requires masks, Texas doesn't, and there's a difference in the percentage of people based on occupancy, and things of that nature. We'll be getting more information out there via social media and our website."
The Billiard Congress of American, or BCA, pool league will not resume its session that was disrupted by the coronavirus, but rather begin a new session, tentatively set to start on June 3 at Whiskey River Country.
"The owner said they can have up to 266 people in there because of the size of the building and occupancy,"- Lynn Smith, BCA pool league operator, said. "I don't know what all the measures will be, yet, as far as masks. I have not heard what the exact guidelines for bars will be yet."
The pool league will have payout and a $5 end-of-the-session, double elimination tournament on Wednesday, May 27. BCA is also extending membership fees until the first of the year.
Lindsey Evans, President of the Texarkana Dart Association, met with participants Thursday to decide the fate of the league for the remainder of the season.
"I met with the captains, officers and the board members Thursday night, so we voted to end the season as it stood in March," Evans said. "The team that finished first place, will finish first place in their league. We're not doing the playoffs or anything like that.
"Barring anything else happening, the fall season will start September 3. In the interim, we're just doing weekly luck of the draw tournaments on Thursday nights."
Likewise, the bowling leagues that were stopped due to the pandemic will end where they were in the league session.
College Bowl will have a Big Bucks League beginning on Monday, June 1, and during this phase of reopening the pool tables and arcade games at the bowling center will be closed.
"It's been over two months since our fall leagues have been able to bowl," Goins said. "We're ending those leagues and will be handling the payouts this next week. Unfortunately, a lot of bowlers who are already out of that routine, and we have several people who don't bowl during the summer time."
At College Bowl, between groups there will be a lane closed to help patrons practice social distancing during the reopening phase.
Evans and the TDA board's main concern was the health and safety of their participants.
"Basically, what ended happening was I got every captain to talk to their team," Evans said. "All but one team was represented at the meeting and I already had their vote. It was a 50-50 split. Half of the league wanted to continue playing, while the other half of the league wanted to cancel the season. I offered them what we came up with and it passed unanimously. You can't restart a league when only half of the players want to come back."