Playing bocce ball is a fun way to spend time with family and friends on a day out at the park, on the beach, or simply in your backyard. This game is easy to learn and the level of play can be adjusted to accommodate people of all ages.
If you want to try out the game, you can play bocce ball on almost any surface that’s flat and smooth, such as the grass on your lawn. If you have a large space readily available in your backyard, you can also build your own bocce ball court, or more conveniently, you can hire a contractor to build it for you.
When building a bocce ball court, you must carefully consider the type of surface you’re going to use. Professionals recommend using materials that help the balls roll fast and straight to your target with minimal bounce. Some common materials used to build bocce courts are sand, crushed stone, clay, and crushed oyster shell to top the playing surface but artificial grass turf is another interesting option. Each of these materials has its own advantage and disadvantage over the others. Below we’ll talk about how to build your own bocce court using artificial turf or grass.
What is Bocce Ball?
Bocce is a type of ball sport from the boules family that includes British bowls and French petanque, originating from the Roman Empire. The word bocce is the plural form of boccia or the Italian term for ball. The history of the sport dates back to as early as 5200 B.C. from a discovered Egyptian tomb. The game as we know it now was later developed in Italy and later spread across the world, particularly among Italian communities in Europe and America. This game is played in tournaments or casually among family and friends in your backyard, when you’re out on a picnic or at the beach.
Bocce is played between two opposing players or two teams of two or four players. To start a round, one of the players will toss the jack or pallino into the court. The same player will throw the first bocce ball, then the teams take alternating turns until all balls are thrown. The main objective of the game is to try to roll each of the eight colored balls as close to the pallino as possible. At the end of a round, each ball that’s closer to the pallino than the opponent’s nearest ball scores one point. The first team to get the number of points required (usually 12 or 13) is the winner of the game.
Bocce Ball Court
When building a bocce court in your yard, you must pick a surface material that is easy to maintain and lasts long. The court surface must allow a smooth and fast roll and less bouncing of the ball. You should also consider its drainage capability or you could end up with a flooded court anytime it rains.
Before you build your bocce court, the first thing you must do is measure and plot the playing area depending on the size you can comfortably fit in your free space. The official bocce court size is 91 feet long by 13 feet wide, but a home court can be adjusted to any suitable size for the space in your yard. A residential bocce court is typically 60 feet by 10 feet but you can build yours even as small as 22 feet long and 6 feet wide.
Measure your desired length of the court starting from one corner. Push a stake into the ground to mark this corner then tie a string on this mark to ensure that you’re plotting a straight line. From this corner, use the string and a measuring tape to measure the length of the court up to the other corner, then place another marker here. Tie the string again on this side, then measure the width of the court from either corners. Place the final markers on each side and check to make sure all measurements are correct and straight. You should also take into account the measurements for the court’s border walls as they may add about a foot each to the length and width of the court.
Artificial Turf for Your Bocce Court
Artificial turf or grass is a great choice for your bocce court surface since it’s easy to maintain and lasts long. It is also the only option that gives the area a more fun and inviting appearance, comparing the green of grass to the gray of sand, stone, or crushed shells. The only problem with artificial turf is it often requires a bigger investment, especially if you want to get the highest quality.
It’s always an option to just let natural grass grow on your bocce court surface (like you would see in golf putting greens), but synthetic turf provides a more uniform surface and requires less maintenance. Playing on grass can be a little unpredictable. One cheap alternative for your bocce court surface is sand or pea gravel, which you might also have to mix with various other materials such as crushed stone and oyster shells. The main disadvantage to this option is soft or loose sand is not as smooth and may bury the ball when you roll. You’ll also need to rake the surface to even out the sand after every use.
Clay is also another good choice for bocce court surface requirements, but the installation can also be expensive. Clay is also the least weather-resistant material you can use. Alternatively, one of the most recommended materials for the bocce court surface is crushed oyster shell. A top coat of oyster shell flour provides a hard and porous surface that allows a smooth and fast play while also helping with water drainage.
How to Build Your Own Bocce Ball Court
Once you have decided on the measurements and plotted the play area, you may need to excavate the ground to place the court’s borders and level out the surface. If you are building a regulation size court, you will need to dig up around 3 feet for the artificial turf layer and concrete base.
To start, you will also need to dig trenches around the court for its borders. Use a garden rake or any other tools and equipment available to flatten out the play area and make sure the surface is even. A bocce court should be slightly above ground to allow proper drainage.
Add a base layer of crushed rock or gravel, then make sure to even out the surface. Now that you have the lower layer prepared, it’s time to install the top layer of artificial grass. Synthetic turf as bocce court surface is easy to care for and maintain since it doesn’t require watering, weeding, or mowing and it can withstand any weather condition.
Lay down a layer of landscaping fabric to help prevent weed growth and add drainage. Unroll the turf and lay it flat in place. You can use a rake or brush to smooth out the surface of any bumps or wrinkles. Then, with landscape staples or nails, secure the turf in place.
To install the walls around the court, you can either use concrete or fit some lumber up to 6 inches thick on each side. Most sideboards rise 6 to 12 inches from the surface while the back or end walls are typically lower. Backboards must be supported with hard plastic or rubber that the balls can bounce off of to prevent damaging the balls.
Synthetic Turf Bocce Ball Court Installation:
Synthetic Turf Bocce Ball, Putting Green by Southwest Greens
While you can build your own bocce court in your yard by yourself (with the help of some friends and family, of course), it will likely take a lot of your time and energy. Plus, you’ll need to consider the cost. And in case you make any mistakes, you might end up spending even more. Look for local suppliers of artificial grass and turf to check if they can also help you install your artificial turf bocce court.
Easy Care and Maintenance of Turf Bocce Courts
Using artificial turf for the surface of your bocce court requires virtually no maintenance or additional expense after installation, although installation itself can be costly depending on the size of the court. Occasional maintenance typically involves removing debris from the play area and brooming the surface every week or so depending on how often and how long you play. It’s important to ensure that bocce balls have a smooth surface so the path of travel is predictable.
Despite the synthetic material, weeds can still grow on artificial turf. Remove all weeds and vegetation from your bocce ball courts as they can make the surface uneven and also damage the court itself. If you see weeds growing, remove them immediately. Make sure to also brush and rinse the turf to maintain appearance. This is still fairly low maintenance compared with traditional bocce surfaces.
Summary
Having your own backyard bocce court is a great way to use your free space to entertain guests or spend time with family. If you want to build your own bocce court, you can do so with a few handy tools and equipment and various options to choose from for the best court surface. Artificial turf is one excellent choice for bocce courts, though it can be expensive to install. With the steps we discussed above, you could do the task yourself or hire a contractor.
Once your bocce court is built, proper maintenance is essential in keeping your court in good condition for a long time. By simply removing dirt and debris and brushing the turf, you can ensure that your court looks inviting and facilitates a smooth play so that everyone can have an enjoyable time.
Overall, while they don’t have the traditional look of a bocce court, turf bocce courts make it easy to spend more time getting your bocce ball closest to the pallino, and less time on court maintenance. In addition, with a different set of balls, artificial turf also works great for lawn bowling (this is another fun game with some similarities to bocce, you can find more information here). Lawn bowling is a family friendly yard game that is also a great fit for playing on either natural grass or artificial grass, so it’s a way to get two games for one if you decide to build a court with this type of surface!