Hoge leads the industry in production of high quality bowling lanes to meet worldwide demand. These lanes combine professional character, beauty and low maintenance---yet, they are frequently lowest in cost. Meticulous care is exercised in the selection and matching of woods for lanes, gutters and ball returns and in choosing accessory hardware. Hoge stocks several hundred complete lanes to expedite delivery to the construction site. The company provides full technical and instructional services where needed.
Seasoned maple of proper density is chosen for ball-impact sections and foot traffic areas. These elements are matched to traditional top quality pine where the ball must "hook" into the strike zone. Although Hoge manufactures primarily the wood elements of bowling lanes, the company also supplies pin-spotting equipment and other total plant components whenever requested.
That's why so many manufacturers try to make their product look like wood. Although these products don't have the properties of natural wood, they are sometimes used as cheaper alternatives to real wood. In recent years, plastic and metal bowling lanes have appeared on the market, their manufacturers attempting to make them look like wood. These imitation lanes don't have the warmth and natural beauty of wood, and most importantly...they don't have the performance of wood.
Why should you choose wood bowling lanes from Hoge?
Durability
No other bowling lane surface has ever come close to matching wood's durability. With today's modern coatings and new technology of installation and maintenance, the natural wood lane installed today will be in service over 50 years. Many wood lanes that have been in service for 25 years have been sold at a profit and moved to another location. A natural wood lane is a wise investment. In contrast, plastic or metal lanes typically carry a 5 to 10 year limited warranty. The annual cost of owning a plastic or metal lane is many times greater than that of a natural wood lane.
Maintenance
Natural wood lanes and plastic lanes both require the same daily cleaning and conditioning. Wood lanes typically require resurfacing after 20,000 games, a process which can be done at night on a no shut-down basis, resulting in a "like new" surface. Since plastic and metal lanes cannot be resurfaced, when they become worn they must be replaced.
Playability
Natural wood has a renewable surface that provides perfect slide action on the approaches, and perfect ball action on the lanes. And being renewable, that surface can easily be changed to accommodate new lane finishes and ball technologies.
Sound
Every bowler appreciates the pleasant sound of bowling on natural wood. Due to the inherent qualities of natural wood, a wood lane has a softer, more solid sound than that of an artificial lane. A wood lane has the sound that bowlers prefer.