Bud Labarge
It was at the Pontiac Recreation that Edgar Labarge got his 10 year old son involved in bowling. That led to a storied career for Bud and to his induction into the Greater Muskegon Bowling Hall of Fame. Bud bowled in junior leagues in Pontiac , from age 10 until his junior year in high school. In his senior year, Bud decided that there wasn't enough competition in the junior league so he took four other junior bowlers and joined a men's handicap league. Guess what-they won the league championship!.
After graduating high school in 1965, Bud's family moved to Muskegon and since then, he has been a mainstay in local bowling circles. He bowled half the season at Sherman, in the Friday Night Classic league, which led him to bowling in four classic leagues during the 1966-67 season. Bud was so competitive that in 1970 he rolled on the powerful Wolverine Express Team, in the Maple Lanes Classic league. It was his only year on the team as that was the last the team was sponsored by the Wolverine Express.
Bud bowled strictly in classic leagues until 1981 when he joined a handicap league at Northway. It was in this league that his proudest moment in bowling was achieved. On November 30th of that year, he threw 29 strikes on the way to posting games of 247, 299 and 268. The 814 total was the first ever 800 series rolled in sanctioned league competition in the Muskegon Association. On January 12th, 1984, Bud rolled his first 300 game, bowled against fellow Hall of Famer, Bill Liefer. His second came on March 7, 1989 which gave him a nice series total of 778. His final award score didn't come until eight years later, on January 28, 1997, when he shot 299-745, another fine game and series. Bud's highest average in his career came during the 1991-92 season when he reached 210.
Over the years Bud has bowled with seven Greater Muskegon Hall of Famers, which tells you how good and competitive this man is. Those seven are John Peoples, George Neitering, Ken McBride, Clyde McKentry, Bill Liefer, Dick Maus and this other years inductee Jerry Porter. Over the years Bud has bowled on five GMBA tournament championship teams. No wonder so many teams wanted Bud to bowl with them.
For his fierce desire to be very competitive and his genuine love of the sport of bowling, we welcome Bud LaBarge to Greater Muskegon Bowling Hall of Fame. You've earned your place with your peers.