SHARE World bowling champion Gary Faulkner Jr. got to bowl at the White House, but not with President Obama. (photo courtesy of Steve Cohen's office)

By Michael Collins of The Commercial Appeal

WASHINGTON – The two-lane, basement-level bowling alley may not be the fanciest venue Gary Faulkner Jr. has ever bowled. But none of that matters when you’re bowling at the White House.

Faulkner says it’s something he’ll certainly never forget.

"I can't say it's a dream come true," said Faulkner, the Professional Bowlers Association's World Champion. "It's something bigger than that."

Faulkner, who lives in Memphis, spent two hours Friday displaying his bowling prowess at the White House bowling alley, thanks to U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who arranged the visit and even joined him at the lanes.

Cohen, D-Memphis, said he approached the White House about letting Faulkner bowl there because he thought it would be a good way to honor Faulkner for his achievements.

"Bowling is a sport where you've got to be very disciplined, and you've got to work at it, and you've got to live a pretty disciplined life to become a good bowler," Cohen said. "He has done that. He has qualities that lend themselves all throughout life so he can be a role model for others."

Faulkner, 25, made history in December when he became only the second African-American in the PBA's 57-year history to win the world championship.

Faulkner grew up in Whitehaven and Germantown and is a 2009 graduate of Germantown High School. He learned to bowl at Winchester Bowl and the Strike Zone Bowling Lanes in Memphis. His father, Gary Faulkner Sr., is pastor at Cummings Street Missionary Baptist Church in Southeast Memphis.

After a tour of the presidential mansion, Faulkner, his mother Wanda, and his sister, Alexandria, joined the congressman and his staff at the White House lanes on Friday for what Faulkner said was mostly a fun, not-too-serious afternoon of bowling.

"We were just there to have a good time and enjoy the moment," he said. "We all had a blast."

Faulkner, who had never set foot in Washington before, said he was impressed with the White House facility, even though it's tiny compared to some of the other places he has bowled.

"They take really good care of their facilities," he said. "It's almost exactly like something you'd get in another bowling alley, just with a smaller, homier feel."

The White House bowling alley is actually located next door in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is just steps from the West Wing and is considered part of the White House complex.

The lanes were originally built in the 1940s on the West Wing ground floor as a present to President Harry Truman, but were moved to the office building next door in 1955. The lanes are reserved for White House employees and their guests.

Richard Nixon, an avid bowler, added a separate, one-lane bowling alley under the White House's North Portico in 1969 for use by the first family and their guests.

During his visit, Faulkner had hoped to meet President Barack Obama and maybe even coax him to join his group at the lanes. That didn't happen. But it was a good day nonetheless.

Faulkner said he threw a number of strikes - at least 12 to 15.

"It was everything you would think it would be," Faulkner said of the experience.