Completely disagree with the above. Bowling, and many similar activities, are terrible at stimulating conversation if its already difficult.
Think about how you bowl. One person sits, and the other bowls. Then the bowler comes back, and if you don’t have anything to say, its easier for the other to go bowl his/her turn instead of staring awkwardly. You go through two games in a half hour, and then what?
When you go to a lounge, the only choice is to sit and talk, so that’s what you do. If it starts awkward, you talk awkwardly. Talk about the cliche weather if that’s all you have, and then make fun that you’re talking about the weather.
People like to make fun of yeshivish dating, but it works. We have a way better track record at high proportions of the population getting married quickly and into good marriages. Certainly way better than the critics.