Most bocce ball courts are made with natural materials, making them susceptible to damage from use and weather. It’s all fun and games until the state of your court gets out of hand. In this guide, you’ll learn how to stay on top of court maintenance with this essential bocce maintenance equipment list.
The essential equipment list for bocce ball court maintenance includes three must-have tools: a drag broom or maintenance broom, a heavy-duty roller, and a 2-in-1 scarifier/lute tool. If you’re feeling a little extra, you can also get your hands on a rake, leaf blower, and shovel.
Of course, each bocce ball court owner has their own practices of maintaining their courts. What we have below are only the essentials that could help anyone get started.
Below, we’ll go over a complete list of all the essential bocce court maintenance equipment. We’ll also guide you on how to maintain your court.
Bocce Maintenance Equipment List: The Essentials You Need
For any huge fan of bocce as a sport, it truly is a dream come true to have your own bocce ball court right in your backyard.
It provides easy access to a playing surface every time your hand itches for a game. It also provides the perfect excuse to host friends over for barbeque parties and a round (or ten) of bocce ball.
While your own backyard bocce court will provide you years-long of fun and entertainment, you also need to keep in mind that it will require regular upkeep and maintenance.
Don’t worry though, maintaining a bocce ball court is not labor-intensive, but you have to keep at it if you want the best for your court and bocce ball games.
Before we get into the right ways to maintain your own bocce court, you should first know what maintenance tools you might need.
Here are the essential bocce court maintenance tools and equipment you should consider keeping:
- Drag broom or maintenance broom
A drag broom, also called a maintenance broom, is a staple in bocce court maintenance and upkeep. This works by pulling it along the length of your court to maintain an even and leveled surface.
This type of sturdy tool is typically 6 feet long and designed to level and manicure your home court. This comes in handy every time you use your court as it is highly suggested that you broom and groom your bocce court after each use.
Even if you don’t use your court regularly, it’s still suggested that you broom it at least once a week to keep the playing surface level and to keep the weeds away.
- Heavy duty roller
A heavy-duty roller, hand roller, or lawn roller is useful to even and level out the surface of a bocce ball court after a day of delightful games.
Using one of these rollers after playing on your bocce court will ensure that the surface is even without low and depressed spots. With this, you can touch up low spots before (and after) a game to make sure the balls roll smoothly for a fair game.
- Scarifier/Lute
A scarifier/lute is typically a double-sided bocce maintenance tool used for scarifying and leveling the bocce court surface. It can also be helpful in removing loose granules on the court’s surface.
A scarifier-lute comes in handy in removing weeds and moss that have accumulated on the court’s surface. Additionally, this 2-in-1 tool can help in spreading new top-dressing material along the width and length of the court for occasional upkeep needs.
- Rake
Another must-have in bocce court maintenance is a bocce court rake. This is perfect to level and even out the surface of the court before and after a game.
A rake is also helpful in removing all kinds of debris and accumulated dirt on the court surface for balls to roll smoothly during games.
Lastly, it can be useful in spreading out new material on the surface as well.
- Leaf blower
Though not exactly a necessary court maintenance tool, having a leaf blower might just make upkeeping chores much easier for you.
A leaf blower can help you remove dust, leaves, and debris from your court’s playing surface. This stands up to the test if there are a lot of them on your court and using a broom or rake may take a long time.
Simply blow all the debris to one corner of your court to make the task light on your shoulders.
- Shovel
A shovel not only comes in handy in the initial construction phase of your backyard bocce court. This handy tool is excellent for occasional maintenance and upkeep when you need to pour additional material onto the court for an even playing top surface.
Bocce Ball Court Maintenance: How to Maintain Your Court
Now that we’ve got all the essential tools out of the way, how does a bocce court owner maintain their own bocce ball court?
Regular maintenance and upkeep
After every game, you should brush the surface of your bocce court, from one end to the other end by dragging the long drag broom along the length of the court. This will groom the surface of the court while maintaining a uniform and even surface.
You may also regularly water the surface of the court after grooming to ensure an even more uniform surface and eliminate dust.
Occasional maintenance and upkeep
Aside from regular maintenance, some occasional upkeep will also help maintain your bocce ball court.
When a court has been used for some time, there may be low or depressed areas along the court, creating an uneven playing surface. You’d want to patch up the court in this instance. You can do this by brushing and redistributing oyster shells, clay, dirt, or whatever court material you used to level the playing surface.
Lastly, your bocce court can and will accumulate dirt and dead material from its natural environment. Letting these materials sit on your court can affect the quality of your games. You will want to remove them by scraping them off your court and discarding them.
Conclusion
Having your own bocce court is fun and perfect for entertaining guests. But as a bocce court owner, you should be ready to do the work and pay the price of maintaining your court. Lucky for owners, bocce courts are fairly easy to maintain, especially with the right tools to help you.
The most essential items are a maintenance broom, a heavy-duty roller, and a scarifier/lute. Some other tools that can come in handy (and if you don’t mind the additional quantity of tools to have in stock) include a rake, a leaf blower, and a shovel.
Hopefully this detailed guide on bocce maintenance equipment has inspired you to keep your court in tip top shape. Reach out to us below if you have any questions about maintaining your court.
