Bowling in Cherry Hill

After undergoing renovations in 2007, Jay Lanes Bowling emerged with 24 freshly resurfaced lanes, brand-new furniture, and electronic scoring monitors. Patrons slip into bright-orange and highlighter-yellow bowling shoes before hurling three-holed balls conveniently color-coded by weight—6 to 16 pounds—and body mass index. Jay Lanes Bowling also hosts Friday- and Saturday-night glow bowling and houses a pro shop with for-sale balls and shoes.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, as party songs thump in the background, lasers beam over 36 lanes—each home to a rack of glowing pins—and reflect off their thin layer of oil into the fog. Of course, Playdrome Bowling & Entertainment Center hosts regular open-bowling hours throughout the rest of the week, when it echoes with the sound of crashing pins and celebratory sirens from the on-site arcade. Meanwhile, the aroma of beer-battered fish, fries, and cheeseburgers wafts from the Raxx Bar & Grill, and—though unseen, heard, or smelled—the signal from complimentary WiFi streams through the air as well, allowing players to post their high scores online or to look up the cheat codes that enable the bowling balls' rocket boosters.

Pinsetter Bar & Bowl's 34 polished lanes reflect their speedy pin-setting machines and the feet of bowlers in soft-soled shoes speeding their balls toward pins. As competition thickens, guests gaze upward to see high-definition monitors broadcasting music videos and bowling stats compiled by the automatic scoring system. After successful rounds, a full bar and lounge wafts the scent of its gourmet fare toward the famished with its barbecue-pork sliders, mussels, and mac 'n' cheese bites. Private events also get special treatment, as guests recline on leather couches in the VIP lounge, which overlooks lanes to be used exclusively by partygoers and the bowling balls that love them.

At the crossroads where bowling and fitness meet stands Sweat Fitness and Frames, a facility that houses both a full gym and a 10-lane bowling alley under the same roof. On the bowling side, competitors rack up points and quench their thirst thanks to the center's BYOB policy and strict ban on water fountains that dispense vinegar. Fitness professionals maintain surveillance over the gym area, where they offer up advice to exercisers using weights and cardio equipment. Group fitness classes are available throughout the week to members, who also enjoy free access to the bowling lanes.