Exhibit 99.1


                                                Contact: Stephen E. Hare
                                                         Chief Financial Officer
                                                         (804) 730-4401

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              News Release
April 27, 1998


                     AMF BOWLING, INC. ANNOUNCES OFFERING OF
                       ZERO COUPON CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES


Richmond,  Virginia -- April 27, 1998 -- AMF Bowling,  Inc. (NYSE:PIN) announced
today that it intends to offer for sale its zero coupon  convertible  debentures
in a private placement to certain qualified institutional investors. The company
stated that it plans to contribute  the net proceeds of the offering,  estimated
to be $191  million  (excluding  any  over-allotment  option),  as equity to its
subsidiary,  AMF Bowling Worldwide,  Inc., to repay a portion of its senior bank
debt, thereby enabling AMF Bowling Worldwide to incur additional indebtedness to
fund its ongoing bowling center acquisition  program.  However,  the company may
seek to  apply a  portion  of the net  proceeds  to  redemption  of AMF  Bowling
Worldwide's  10 7/8%  Senior  Subordinated  Notes due 2006 and/or 12 1/4% Senior
Subordinated Discount Notes due 2006. No other terms were disclosed.

         The offered  securities will not be registered under the Securities Act
of 1933 or applicable  state  securities  laws and may not be offered or sold in
the United States absent  registration  under the  Securities Act and applicable
state   securities  laws  or  applicable   exemptions  from  such   registration
requirements.  Sale of the debentures is subject to market and other conditions,
and there can be no assurance that any  debentures  will be sold or that the net
proceeds of any sale will not be lower or higher than expected.