A Bocce court in your own yard is the dream for many leisure and casual Bocce players. The game has been gaining steady popularity over the years and it doesn’t come as a surprise that many opt to build their own courts. To properly maintain your court, you should know how to level a Bocce court.
To level a Bocce court, start by scarifying the surface with a lute rake. Remove any dirt that’s now at the edge of the court. Then, take out a drag broom to flatten out the surface. If there is dirt at the edges again, remove them. With water or strings, check for any more dents left. Repeat the process if there are any left.
Maintaining your Bocce court isn’t just about keeping the surface level and even. Keeping it clean and free from debris and weed is the number one aspect of keeping it in tip-top shape.
Below, we’ll go over how you can build your own Bocce court from start to finish. And because it doesn’t end there, we’ll also go into detail on how you can maintain your court by keeping it even and level.
DIY Bocce Courts: Build One Right in Your Yard
Bocce is a fun team game that’s slowly gaining popularity across the country. More and more are incorporating the sport in house parties and gatherings.
If you’re one of the millions who are drawn to it and enjoy playing the game every once in a while, it might be a good idea to consider building and constructing your own Bocce court right in your yard. This is tempting especially if you have the space for it.
If you are indeed planning on building your own playing court, you can hire professionals to do it for you. That could be more convenient for you. But if you have the skills, tools, materials, and some helping hands, DIY-ing your way through it might be a good alternative.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on building your own Bocce court right in your yard:
Step 1: Determine the location and size of the court
Before starting to build a Bocce ball court in your yard, you first need to determine the location and size of your DIY court.
For determining the court location, keep these in mind:
- Pick an area you will not use in the future as moving the court will be a lot of work.
- Install it where there is very little foot traffic.
- It should be somewhere it will not interfere with daily activities.
- A flat surface with good drainage is best recommended to minimize the maintenance the court would need.
- It should not be in a low spot where it will collect water.
For the court size, the United States Bocce Federation (USBF) states that an official regulation court is 86.92 inches in length and 13.12 inches in width.
Of course, unofficial courts for casual and leisure games don’t need to strictly stick to this size. In fact, many homeowners who install their own Bocce court in their yards cut down the size because they won’t likely need full-sized regulation courts.
Fortunately, Bocce is a very flexible game regardless of the court size so shrinking it wouldn’t affect the games at all.
Step 2: Plot the court dimensions and excavate the area
Now that you’ve decided on the location and size of your court, it’s time to plot it on the ground. Also, take into account the width and size of the border walls so you end up with your desired court size.
You can start the court installation by plotting the court’s dimensions:
- Start by using a stake to mark one corner.
- Then, use a tape measure to measure the length and drive another stake for another corner. Do the same for the other length.
- For the second width, measure and then drive another stake.
- Use a string of some sort to ensure that the stakes are aligned straight.
- You can also use spray paint to mark your court’s dimensions.
Before you start preparing the ground, recheck the measurements and make sure the lines are straight.
Prepare the ground by leveling the area of the court. Excavate about two to six inches of dirt and set them aside for later use.
Rake the court grounds to flatten it out. Use a rake to do this and remove any loose soil and grass. The court should be slightly above ground to prevent flooding and collection of water.
Step 3: Install the borders of the court
Cut the court borders according to your preferred dimensions. Place them along the markings and screw the pieces together to keep them in place. Then, add a second stack of these borders so they’re above ground.
Step 4: Add the optional French drain
To prevent your court from collecting water, install an optional French drain, composed of an underground pipe with holes.
Step 5: Add coarse stone, washed stone, crushed stone, or gravel as the first layer
The first layer of the court can be coarse stone, washed stone, crushed stone, or gravel. You’re going to need about two to three inches of your chosen first layer.
Put them down on the court’s dimension and level it out.
Step 6: Install an optional weed barrier
To prevent weed growth, you can install an optional weed barrier. If added, this layer will contain the rest of the layers to follow.
Cut the fabric according to your court’s dimensions and staple the edges to the borders.
Step 7: Add the decomposed granite as the second layer
For the second layer, put down decomposed granite. Spread it across the court and level it out.
Step 8: Top off with crushed oyster shells as the third layer
Lastly, top off the court with a ground oyster shell for the third layer. Pack it down and make sure it’s level and even.
An alternative to a crushed oyster shell court is sand or artificial turf.
How to Level a Bocce Court: What Tools You Need
We’ve talked about leveling as you add a layer on top of another layer during the Bocce court construction. But how does one do this, exactly?
You can layer your Bocce court with the aid of various handheld tools.
First, there’s the rake, a basic garden tool. Simply drag the tool across the court to level it out.
If you want an upgraded handheld tool, try your hand at a tamper instead.
And if you really want to level your Bocce court the best way, get yourself a compactor.
In this video from Quality Courts and Outdoors, you can see the workers using all three tools to level the Bocce court they’re working on:
How to Maintain a Bocce Ball Court
Having a Bocce court right in your yard is fun and convenient. But, like anything you build and use, you would need to keep in mind future court maintenance.
Dirt and debris will eventually accumulate on your Bocce playing surface. You’d want to remove those. Weed may also find its way to grow on the court surface so you would want to remove those as well.
How to level a Bocce court
The top layer of the Bocce court will eventually have dents and marks with each game you play and thanks to Bocce balls hitting the court’s surface. To keep your court in even and tip-top shape, you need to flatten and level all those dents out. You can do this by:
- Scarify the court with a lute. This will help break down debris that got mixed with the court’s top layer.
- Remove the dirt that’s now at the edge of the court.
- With a drag broom, flatten out the surface of the court after scarifying.
- If there is dirt gathered at the edges, remove that as well.
- Water down the court with a hose. Determine where water stays longer and this will show you any dents left.
- You can also use strings to determine any leftover dents.
- If you notice leftover dents, repeat the process until the entire court is even and level.
A lute
A drag broom
Conclusion
Bocce is a fun casual game you can play with friends and family, no matter the occasion. If you enjoy regular games, then you must consider a court right in your yard. Part of maintaining one is leveling your court and keeping the surface even.
There are various tools to level and flatten a Bocce court: a rake, hand tamper, and compactor. In maintaining your court, you can level it by scarifying it with a lute. Then, remove any dirt that’s now at the edge of the court. Get a drag broom and flatten the surface. Remove any dirt gathered at the edge again. Use water or strings to see if there are any dents left. If there are, repeat the process.
And that has been our detailed guide on how to level a Bocce court. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us below for any more of your queries!