Spare time: Mackies sell Tenpins & More after 25 years

RIO RANCHO — It’s been a good run, no doubt about it, for Steve Mackie and his partners — wife Dana Miller-Mackie and her brother, Mike Miller — and their Tenpins & More bowling center.

“We purchased Fun Lanes in December 1999,” Mackie pointed out in a letter to his customers, some new and some loyalists since the end of the 20th century. “Time really does fly when one is having a good time.”

That “good time” here began shortly after Mackie saw an ad in the June 1999 Bowlers Journal about a “Northern New Mexico Center for Sale.”

Close to 26 years later, that “Northern New Mexico” center, aka Tenpins & More, is sold again, this time to former pro bowler and two-time major champion Mike Fagan. Rob Ballog, with more than 25 years in the industry, is the Deborah Road center’s manager.

Mackie, turning 76 in May, had been thinking about selling the center for a while. “I’m not a fan of growing older,” he said, but he is a fan of traveling, and trips to Australia and Europe seem to be in his future.

Bowling has occupied about 90% of his life, beginning with his early years in his native Australia. Among his credits “down under”: He created the Australian Bowling Writers Association in 1983; he organized the 1984 AMF Bowling World Cup in Sydney; he created a National Bowling Week promotion there and he’s a member of three halls of fame there (Greater Sydney Tenpin Bowling Association; Australian Tenpin Bowling Congress and New South Wales Bowling Association). Dana Miller-Mackie has been inducted in seven halls of fame, so she’s the family leader.

What made the City of Vision center successful for so long? Mackie was asked.

“Bowling is a good business if you like people,” he said.

What will he miss most?

“The people — the customers, the regular league bowlers, the tournament bowlers and the staff,” he said. “There’s people that came over to me in the last week or so and they’ve said, ‘We started bowling here in 1985 … 1991 … 1993.’ Some of them, over 30 years; some, just a little while ago.’

“When I handed that letter (to our customers) out, I said, ‘Thanks for your business. If you’d been here 20 years ago, I might’ve been able to retire earlier.’ But it’s the people — and the activities, the tournaments, the excitement — people having their highest game ever.”

Mackie said a viable bowling center lasting a quarter of a century is rare, estimating 1-2%, so “to be purchased by someone like Mike Fagan, to do other things with it, to make it even better (is great).”

To his customers, Mackie wrote, “Change is a challenge for some,” but, “Do not be afraid of it. While this is the end of an era, it is also the start of a new day here at Tenpins & More with much to look forward to.”

“(The Mackies) have been the single-most promoters of bowling this state have ever had,” said Jim Tillery, longtime area bowler and former coach of the Cleveland High bowling teams. “From high school bowling to leagues, to tournaments around the state — I think bowling as a whole might have folded if it wasn’t for their efforts.”

Tillery knows the center will remain in good hands.

“I know Michael Fagan … from the pro bowling tour back in the day,” Tillery said. “He’s a good guy, and his general manager seems very intent on helping Tenpins & More succeed. I think the bowlers will enjoy the new machinery, décor and facelift the bowling center will receive. I know the future will be bright with this new ownership.”

“We are incredibly thankful to Steve and Mike for the dedication, hard work and positive impact they made on the community over the years,” Fagan said. “It is a privilege to carry forward their legacy while bringing new energy and investment into Tenpins & More. I am thrilled to return to the bowling industry and look forward to what’s ahead.

“The extreme loyalty of our regular bowlers has been a mainstay of the business,” he added. “Looking ahead, Tenpins & More plans to honor its history as a hub for league and tournament bowlers while investing in the future through major capital improvements, including the installation of new pinspotters and an upgraded scoring system.

The New Mexico Open isn’t going away with the former owners; its 21st running is slated for Aug. 14-17. Competitors can reserve their spot at NewMexicoOpen.com.