local calendar is scheduled to start next Tuesday at Warwick Lanes.

The American Airlines Bowling Spectacular, now in its 19th year, will use for the first time automatic scorers currently being installed at the lanes.

The new scoring method will provide a frame by frame summary for each participant and give their final total at the end of the game.

Tournament organiser and director Lionel Dowling created the tournament 20 years ago and it has been running ever since.

Last year 100 bowlers competed each night during the nine weekly segments of the tournament. More than $10,000 was paid out in cash prizes. There were also two round-trip airline tickets donated by the tournament's sole sponsor.

Potential participants are encouraged to register early on opening night to receive instructions on the operation of the automatic scorers.

The popularity of the tournament is due to the fact that it is both handicap and scratch with cash prizes being paid out weekly in both divisions.

A weak bowler should have no fear bowling against some of Bermuda's best as, for example, a bowler with a mere 120 average will get 72 free pins per game while all bowlers with an average of 176 or more get no free pins at all.

"The system really seems to work well,'' said Dowling, "and with almost 100 percent of the bowlers being in regulated uniforms, the atmosphere is really electrifying.'' Tournament play will commence each Tuesday night for nine weeks at 7.00 p.m.

and this will be followed by the finals on the Tuesday of the tenth week.