Bocce Court?

[nobbyv]

Anyone put one in? Have a coworker that has a court and love it. I also have a spot on my side yard where I am struggling to grow grass, so I figured I might as well use it for something else. I was thinking of using 5/4" 6" width cedar decking (maybe doubled up in thickness?); there's a local guy on CL that has some dirt cheap. Leaning towards stone dust for the base, though the idea of the artifical surface is intriguing. If it gets dirty, dust vacuum it.

Anyone play?

[smittyATL]

I've always just played on the lawn. Seems like bocce is getting popular of late with the cornhole crowd.

Google turned up a very nice looking court someone made for about $600.


http://www.ibocce.com/court_pix.html

[Papa Dras]

That's a cool idea for the yard.

I'm used to playing anywhere you can throw the pallino. We go back to a tourney in toluca, Ill every year and there are about a thousand people all over town using anywhere they see as a court.

[nobbyv]

Finally got around to putting in the bocce court. Haven't finished the surround and planting more grass yet, but had the inaugural tourney last weekend and had a great time.

This court measures 12x48'. Was going to go 60' long, but underestimated how out-of-level the ground was there and got sick of digging. Used PT 4x6's to frame it. I half-lapped the joints, and used 3' 3/8" metal rods driven through the half-lap joints and into the ground to anchor them. I then spread about 4 of the 6 yards of stone dust for fill over weedblock fabric. Levelling it took awhile; I wish I had used the frame and run something on top of it hanging down, like I found someone do online after I finished. Once it was level I compacted it w/ a plate compactor, wet it down, and then compacted it again. I then spread the remaining 2 yards, re-levelled, and re-compacted.

It plays very well; its a quick court as the compacted stone dust is almost like concrete. I think it will loosen a bit as people walk on it and I drag it to smooth it.

All together, I spent about $750. It broke down this way, in case anyone's interested:
(16) 12' 4x6' $320
(6) yards stone dust $200
Weedblock fabric $50
Plate compactor rental $70
Bocce ball set $100

A few pics:

[spockcat]

Live large! Put in your own home curling rink!

[Harv]

Live large! Put in your own home curling rink!

Fill that court with water in the winter and use it for curling..