Beware of Imitations: Authentic Rain Country Blend by Boccemon - Learn More
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    Resources

    Concrete Perimeters for Bocce Courts

    Concrete Perimeters for Bocce Courts

    A frequent question we get is whether or not to “line” a concrete perimeter with wooden or composite materials.

    Side Rails – “No”

    End Walls – “Yes”

    Bocce balls glance off the perimeter side rails but collide with the court end walls. Our suggestion would be to consider applying some type of protection to the court ends only, where the impact is most powerful. A ball tossed with speed - traveling the length of the court and hitting concrete will eventually (if not immediately) break the ball or the concrete.  Cheap bocce balls manufactured in China will fracture into pieces risking injury. Buy bocce balls made in Italy! We recommend www.playaboule.com or www.davincibocce.com. The density of the concrete could send the ball halfway back up the court potentially interfering with other balls and the match.

    North American Bocce Championships

    Photo Caption: North American Championships. Note the backstop. hanging with heavy rubber pad to lessen the noise created when the balls clang on the steel. On the side rails, they attached wood but then attached a dense composite strip to the wood.


    The Side Rails.   

    We DO NOT Recommend attaching wooden planks to concrete side rails. The reason for lining a concrete bocce court is to eliminate the abrasive effects of “stone on plastic”. Concrete is porous and will file down portions of the bocce balls when the balls make contact with the side rails - eventually changing the spherical shape intended by the manufacturer.  Since the balls are approximately 4” in diameter they will make contact with rails about 2” above the surface. By painting a line 2” wide from 1” to 3” above the court playing surface with exterior latex paint (2 or 3 coats) one can eliminate the reshaping of the balls. Concrete has a greater density than wood so has greater reactivity.  Wood rails attached to the concrete lessens the bounce off.

    The End Rails.  

    We DO RECOMMEND attaching pressure treated wood to the concrete with both anchors and adhesive on the end walls. Then attach a soft composite to that material (some use rubber).  The logic here is that wood attaches well to concrete and the composite attaches well to the wood. Frequent impact with the end rails will destroy the wood in a few years. The composite protects the concrete, the wood, and the balls.  BE SURE that the screws on the composite are not at 2” above the surface as that is where the balls will make contact.

    Court Stop for Bocce Courts

    "Court stop" is a hanging steel plate with a rubber pad to deaden the sound of the balls hitting the steel.

    Pressure treated backstop damage

    This photo shows how beaten up the pressure treated backstop took before they put a piece of protective composite material to take the impact.

    Bare timber rails with protective composite backstop

    Shows bare timber rails down the length of the perimeter but with a protective composite backstop.

    This is a great example of concrete sides with a composite backstop.

    Excel on the Shell!

    Excel on the Shell!

    Rain Country Blend can be installed by most any competent person who understands the terms “level”, “plumb”, and “square” plus why they are important.

    Boccemon promotes the use of local contractors (or neighbors) to build courts. We recommend easy to locate materials so our clients support businesses local to them. We can deliver our shells to your local landscape supply yard or to most driveways. If you use a “local” to build the court you will likely create a local source to help maintain it as well as contributing to your community. Of the 2000 bocce courts surfaced with our Rain Country Blend over the past 17 years, 85% have been installed by homeowners and/or contractors who had never constructed a bocce court before.  It is that simple!
     
  • “Synthetic” equates to “FAKE”
  • Boccemon Rain Country Blend can be installed by most any competent landscaper
  • You generally don’t need a permit to install a Boccemon court
  • If your Bocce court needs a “system” you are likely spending too much!
  • We can deliver to you in a matter of days
  • Receive the Rain Country Blend on Thursday and be playing by Friday
  •  

    The image above was a brand new court in Tempe Arizona. Imagine what that court would look like in Washington, Oregon, or anywhere it actually rains.

    The zero maintenance pitch translates to a bocce court with permanent defects.

    A small imperfection due to a variation in the density of the turf or a “bubble” in self-leveled rubber will always affect the direction of the ball. Every game! The ability to fine-tune a natural court with minimal effort provides a superior ownership experience when compared to an expensive fake court.  In fairness, synthetic courts seem to have superior qualities for many indoor applications due they are not affected by weather nor do they require occasional water to maintain bonding of the blend but we do not recommend them for outdoor use. There is not enough history to suggest with certainty the longevity one can expect from the modern synthetic bocce surfaces outside of a few warm weather climates.

    In the photo above the lighter green turf court got too damp and sprouted moss. The homeowners association happily replaced the synthetic with Boccemon Rain Country Blend. A synthetic surface with fill could take a couple of years before the rot is evident but by then it is too late.

    Our goal has always been to provide the best ownership value available in a natural bocce court surface.  From Dubai to Costa Rica. Hawaii to Maine to Florida to California… people like Boccemon’s commitment to the player experience. The simple requirements of maintaining our court material are generally not considered burdensome.

    Contact us if you have any questions or read some of our customer reviews to learn more.

    Boccemon in the news

    Boccemon in the news
    Boccemon has been featured on some pretty neat places on the internet. Here is a short list of some of the great articles!

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    Interview with Landscape Radio

    Interview with Landscape Radio
    Tom McNutt talks with David Maas from Landscape Architecture about planning a bocce court on the pilot episode of a new Podcast called Landscape Radio.

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