The Ypsilanti Township-based Fowling Warehouse Ypsi-Ann Arbor recently partnered with Washtenaw Community College (WCC) to create a non-credit personal enrichment course in the sport of fowling.

Fowling (which rhymes with bowling) is a recreational activity in which players throw footballs to knock down bowling pins. Detroiter Chris Hutt and his buddies created the sport 20 years ago while tailgating at the Indy 500. They opened their first Fowling Warehouse in Hamtramck, and the growing franchise now boasts warehouses in several other cities, including Grand Rapids, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Dallas, and the Ypsi-Ann Arbor location, which opened in April at 3050 Washtenaw Ave. The warehouse offers lanes for rental or for casual drop-in play. It serves beer, wine, and liquor but no food.

Scott Brown, owner and manager of the Fowling Warehouse Ypsi-Ann Arbor, says that he, Hutt, and other fowling fans had always had a dream of making fowling a college-level class, because "then you know you've made it." He says he was "surprised" that WCC was interested.

"It's just something we came up with, and they were happy to oblige," Brown says. 

Starting in February, the course will cover the history, rules, and strategy of fowling. Hutt and other staff from the Hamtramck and Ypsi locations will run the course at the Ypsi-Ann Arbor warehouse. It's a non-credit course open to all community members as well as WCC students. 

Brown says the Ypsi-Ann Arbor warehouse opened because management at the Hamtramck warehouse wanted to open another location to the west to relieve some demand at the Hamtramck facility. Brown literally drew a line on a map extending about 40 miles from the heart of Hamtramck and landed at the Washtenaw space, which formerly housed a Farmer Jack grocery store.

"We immediately thought that was it, the perfect place. It's between Eastern Michigan University and U of M, and WCC is right there," Brown says, noting that WCC is less than a mile from the warehouse.

The WCC course catalog can be found here. Find information about open play or reservations at the Ypsi-Ann Arbor warehouse here.

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township and the project manager of On the Ground Ypsilanti. She joined Concentrate as a news writer in early 2017 and is an occasional contributor to other Issue Media Group publications. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of the Fowling Warehouse.