Bowling with a buddy can lead to a lifetime of amicable companionship, unlike tricking him into co-signing on a loan, or creating a new, better friend out of sand. Keep friendship from slipping through your fingers with today's Groupon: for $5, you get three games of bowling (a $3.95 value/game) and shoe rental for two people (a $2.95 value each) at Holly Lanes Bowling Center in Fenton (a $17.75 total value). Redeem this Groupon during the center’s open-bowl hours: Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., or Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

At Holly Lanes Bowling Center, friends and families can bond as they arc balls down one of 26 regulation-size lanes as a fully automated scoring system keeps track of all the rolling and smashing action. Every Friday and Saturday night after 8:30 p.m., the center plunges patrons into the glowing lights, fluorescent colors, and non-Euclidean pin arrangements of cosmic bowling, providing them with glimpses into their neon-tinged futures. While pins rise and fall with stoic regularity, bowlers can bite into classic hot dogs or drink frosty slushies at the on-site restaurant and bar, which boasts an extensive food-and-drinks menu (not included with this Groupon). Or, spend between-frames seconds rubbing elbows with the amiable staff and gossiping about which bowling ball is really a cantaloupe in disguise.