Location and schedule announced for 2021 Bowlers Journal Championships and team practice sessions

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Bowlers Journal Championships presented by the United States Bowling Congress and team practice sessions have become a noteworthy part of the USBC Open Championships experience, and they'll both be back in the mix in Las Vegas in 2021.

The key change for competitors to make note of this year is that the sport's premier side event and team practice will head down the road to The Orleans Hotel & Casino, and lanes will be available beginning April 30.

The change for this year is due to a COVID-modified time frame and format for the 2021 Open Championships, which means the main event will be held across two venues for the first time in tournament history.

Team competition will take place at the South Point Bowling Plaza, and doubles/singles squads will be held at the South Point Bowling Center, ultimately displacing the Bowlers Journal Championships and team practice for 2021.

South Point and the 52-lane Orleans Bowling Center are only about 8 miles apart, and The Orleans has been a memorable destination for USBC's top-tier competitors over the years, so the convenience and familiarity should make it a definite agenda item for bowlers of all ages and skill levels.

Reservations for both the Bowlers Journal Championships and team practice sessions can be made in advance through the tournament registration portal at BOWL.com/OpenChamp.

All policies, procedures and protocols at the Bowlers Journal Championships will be consistent with those being used at the Open Championships. There also may be additional protocols prescribed by the venue operator. To see the complete protocols and procedures document for USBC's Championship Tournaments in 2021, click here.

As it has for more than seven decades, the Bowlers Journal Championships will include skill- and age-based competition in singles and doubles, along with a variety of jackpots.

Competitors will get a first-hand look at the doubles/singles oil pattern being used at the Open Championships.

The three-game format allows players to develop a game plan and simulate what they might expect in doubles and singles at the Open Championships. All squads at the Bowlers Journal will be bowled on fresh oil.

Squad times for the 2021 Bowlers Journal Championships will be at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on most days.

There also will be some blackout dates and abbreviated days due to previous commitments from the host center, so please check the schedule and make reservations ahead of time, if possible. These dates are subject to change.

There will be no Bowlers Journal or practice squads on May 3, May 28-30, June 6-7, June 13-14, June 28-July 4 and July 12-14.

The cost to enter the Bowlers Journal Championships is $80 per event. Competition will be restricted to one lane per pair, with three or fewer bowlers per lane, and squads will be limited to the first 24 bowlers.

The team practice sessions will utilize the same oil pattern being used for team competition at the Open Championships, and the practice schedule will mirror that of the Bowlers Journal Championships.

Team sessions allow groups of up to 10 bowlers 90 minutes of practice on the team-event oil pattern. A pair of freshly oiled lanes is $100, and no more than five bowlers may participate at one time. There will be a maximum of two available pairs for each time slot, so early online registration is encouraged.

To register for the 2021 Bowlers Journal Championships or to reserve a practice time, click here.