You might say Spare Time Recreation is on a roll.

Whether it's a golf ball rolling down the fairway of a golf course in another state, a bowling ball headed for a 7-10 split or skates around the roller rink, things are going strong for Spare Time Recreation.

For the past 11 years, the local recreation stop has continued to offer a variety of clean activities for both the young and old of the Tri-State. The various activities are the biggest drawing card.

"We do a lot of lock-ins," said owner Jeff Dillow. "They can do everything under one roof. If you want to play miniature golf, you have to go to one place. We have it here along with everything else."

"Everything else" includes a virtual golf room that offers golf enthusiasts the opportunity to play seven different golf courses from different states such as Florida, Texas, Utah and Hawaii. One of the courses offered is Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C., the site of last week's U.S. Open.

Golfers select a course and hit the ball into the picture screen just as they would on a golf course. Sensors read the speed and direction of the ball and show the ball's flight on the course.

"We bought it five or six years ago in a golf shop in Myrtle Beach," Dillow said. "A lot of people use it in December, January and February, but the rest of the year it's kind of slow. People like to go outside and play," Dillow said.

Playing the big courses might not be good for youngsters, so Spare Time offers a home-made 9-hole miniature golf course that was assembled six years ago next to the roller rink.

"We built it ourselves. It's a little extra for the parties and our open time. Groups play it a lot," Dillow said.

One activity has been a surprise. Dillow said the popularity of Lazer Tag was unexpected.

"We thought it would be a passing fancy, but it's stayed real popular," Dillow said. "When school groups come in, that's the first thing they go for and the line stays there the whole time."

Among the activities is the roller rink which is popular for birthday and party groups, but the main feature is the reason Spare Time came into existence: Bowling.

Spare Time offers two senior leagues, an adult mixed league and a youth league during the summer months. Bowling picks up in the fall with 12 different leagues for seniors, men, women, mixed and youth.

"Our league bowling has held steady. Nationally, it has declined a little but open bowling has increased some," Dillow said.

Not only do schools and church groups take advantage of the bowling, but area high school bowling teams have become so strong across the state that the Ohio High School Athletic Association is on the verge of making it a sanctioned sport.

"They need 150 schools to make bowling an OHSAA sport, and we've got the numbers now at around 220 schools participating," Dillow said.

Area schools bowling in league competition include Ironton, St. Joseph, Coal Grove, Rock Hill, South Point and Green.

"We're the only center in this part of the state with high school bowling," Dillow said. "There are centers in Cincinnati and Columbus, and there's one in Chillicothe, but other than that we're the only one."

Dillow said the OHSAA will probably start sanctioned bowling in the winter of the 2006-07 school year.

And the ball just keeps on rolling.