My family and I are lucky to have a huge enough yard space in our home. One thing we love to do are outdoor casual games. It lets us breathe fresh air after hours of sitting and working on a chair.
Ever since I’ve played my first game of Bocce, naturally, I’ve wanted to have my own Bocce ball court in my backyard. We spend so much time outside, this would only add to the family fun.
If you also want to build your own Bocce court, I’ll let you know how to build one along with some of the best Bocce ball court ideas!
Read This Before You Start Building Your Own Bocce Court
If you enjoy a game of Bocce ball with friends and family, it’s a good idea to have a Bocce court in the comfort and privacy of your own yard.
You can, of course, have a professional and build this for you. But the good thing about Bocce courts is they’re easy to build and modify according to your preference.
Before you go building your own yard Bocce court, here are some things you need to consider first:
First, you need to determine where you will be installing the court. Bocce requires a flat and level surface. A spot with a good drainage system is the best choice.
According to the United States Bocce Federation (USBF), official Bocce courts are 86.92 feet in length and 13.12 feet in width. Other sources report the official length as 90 or 91 feet in length, but bottom line a full size bocce court is really huge. For casual games, you can modify these measurements and build a smaller court instead. Even serious bocce clubs and tournaments often play on smaller courts due to space constraints. Some even build courts as small as ⅓ of the official court size.
The court size would largely depend on the size of your yard. You want something that fits without interfering with daily foot traffic and regular yard activities. This might be somewhere you rarely use and go to.
What You Will Need to Build Your Own Bocce Court
What we have below are only the general materials and tools you might need in building your very own at home-Bocce court. Of course, these would change and vary depending on how you want to build, personalize, and style your court.
Tools and equipment
- Rake
- Shovel
- Hammer
- Drill and drill bits
- Tamper/compactor
- Miter saw
- Laser level
- Tape measure
- Safety tools (gloves, safety glasses, etc.)
Materials
- String
- Stakes
- Screws
- Landscaping staples
- Marking paint
- Weed fabric
- Decomposed granite
- Crushed oyster shell
- Boards (according to needs and preferred size)
How to Build Your Own Bocce Court
Step 1: Plot court dimensions on ground
The first thing you need to do is plot your court dimensions on the ground.
With a stake, stake first one corner of the court. From there and with the tape measure, measure the length of the court and place a stake again. Do the same for the other length. Then, measure the width and drive down a stake on both sides.
On the stakes on the ground, use strings to outline the dimensions. If you much prefer it, use a spray paint to mark off the court dimensions.
Before finalizing the court dimensions, check and double-check to ensure the measurements are correct and the lines are straight.
Step 2: Prepare the ground
Now that you’ve got the dimensions on the ground, it’s time to prepare the ground of the court. You do this by leveling out the area of the court.
Excavate and rake 2-6 inches of dirt within the court’s measurement to flatten the area out. Remove any loose sod, soil, and grass.
Use a laser level to ensure that the court area is level and even.
Step 3: Position and place weed fabric
For the next step, roll out your weed fabric on the area of the court. When you’re satisfied with its placement, secure them in place with landscape staples.
Step 4: Build and install court border
According to your court’s dimensions, cut the court borders. Screw the pieces together so they don’t fall apart later on. With the soil you removed earlier, surround the boards to secure the court borders on the ground.
Add a second stack of the court border. The court, once finished, should be above ground so it doesn’t collect water. Again, ensure the court ground is level and even.
Step 5: Fill in first layer
Now that you’re got your court’s base and borders up and secured, it’s time to fill in the court.
The first and bottom layer is usually paver base, coarse stone, washed stone, or gravel. Fill in about 2-3 inches of the first layer. Spread it across and with a tamper or compactor, pack it down and level it out.
Step 6: Fill in second layer
Decomposed granite goes in as the second layer. Just like the first, fill in about 2-3 inches of this layer. Spread it across, pack it down, and level it out.
Step 7: Fill in third layer
Some crushed oyster shell goes in as your third and final layer. Fill in about 1-2 inches of this. Pack it down and ensure it’s level and even.
If crushed oyster shells aren’t an option, you can opt for sand or artificial turf instead.
Bocce Ball Court Ideas To Up Your Playing Field
Below are some more DIY ideas to ensure the best gaming experience in your new court:
DIY Ball Holder
To keep your Bocce balls and sets in a secure place, consider adding a DIY ball holder on the side of the one the court borders. This will keep the playing balls in an easy-to-reach place so you can play whenever.
DIY Bocce Scoreboard
A DIY Bocce scoreboard is also a great addition to bring your games up a notch. You can easily DIY this with some boards, nails, paint, and other easy materials.
Optional French Drain
A French drain is an underground drain that will be perfect for Bocce courts that tend to collect pools of water. If you want to ensure your court stays dry, consider installing a French drain first before you start installing the court.
Bocce Court Border Ideas
Borders can be made of multiple materials. The most common is wood. Due to ground contact, treated wood or redwood should be used. Using 4×4 or 6×6 lumber is sturdy yet soft enough on your bocce balls.
Alternatively, stacking bricks or concrete pavers can be one way to create a border from modular materials. Just know that they might knock over if you don’t mortar them together.
The most involved border I’ve seen is a poured concrete border. It looks sharp, but is rather costly and pretty hard for your bocce balls to bounce against.
Bocce Ball Court Maintenance
Having your own Bocce court is fun and all, but that means you also need to maintain it.
Part of maintaining a Bocce court includes:
- Regularly flattening out the playing surface;
- Keeping the surface clean by removing dirt, leaves, twigs, and other debris;
- Removing excess dirt on the court’s edges;
- Refreshing waterproof stain on court borders every few years; and
- Redressing the court layers every few years.
Conclusion
Every Bocce ball enthusiast dreams of having their own court in their own yard.
You can, of course, have a professional install one for you, but you can easily DIY this with the right step-by-step process:
Step 1: First, plot your desired court dimensions on the ground with stakes, strings, and marking paint. Ensure the lines are level and even.
Step 2: You need to prepare the ground by excavating and raking about 2-6 inches of dirt to flatten out the court’s area.
Step 3: Place the weed fabric and secure it in place.
Step 4: According to your court’s dimensions, cut the court borders. Place them according to your markings and screw the pieces together. Do this two times.
Step 5: Fill in the first layer with paver base, coarse stone, washed stone, or gravel. Pack and level them down.
Step 6: Decomposed granite goes in as the second layer. Pack and level it down as well.
Step 7: Crushed oyster shell goes in as the third and final layer. Ensure it’s packed down and level.
Having your own Bocce court is pretty low maintenance but make sure you maintain it by keeping it level and removing dirt and debris.
And that has been our guide on how to build your own court and some Bocce ball court ideas!