Originally developed in Italy, bocce ball is a sport similar to lawn bowling. With its common ancestry coming from ancient games played in the Roman Empire, bocce ball is played throughout Europe as well as overseas in areas that have received Italian immigrants. These areas include Australia, North America, and South America. With the popularity of the sport catching on in the San Francisco Bay Area in the northern part of California, many businesses are opening allowing more people to enjoy this exciting game. If you want to play bocce ball, and not deal with the crowds at these businesses, the crew at O’Neill’s Green Services can make it happen. They can design and build a court for you similar to the synthetic bocce ball court in Walnut Creek, California they constructed.
The sales person from O’Neill’s Green Services met with the client at his home in Walnut Creek to discuss the plans regarding his Walnut Creek bocce ball court. He was given the choice of materials that could be used. He decided against the traditional crushed oyster shell or compacted rock surface and instead opted for the more maintenance free synthetic turf. The next step was to choose a location for his synthetic bocce ball court in Walnut Creek, California. He wanted it built directly off his backyard patio. He could have chosen a concrete border for his court, but decided a wood border would complement his yard better.
Once the post was set and the 2×12 boards were installed to complete the border, it was time to start the base for the synthetic surface. This involves installing a 3-4 inch combination of ¾ inch crushed drain rock and decomposed granite also known as “DG”. The rock is then compacted with a plate compactor to achieve a perfectly flat surface. After getting the surface as flat as possible it is ready to install the drainable nylon turf which is cut to fit inside the border. Once the turf is laid out and secured, the surface gets coated with a fine 30 mesh sand which allows for a smooth fast roll.
Prior to installing the court the homeowner mentioned he enjoyed playing golf. The sales person for O’Neill’s Green Services let him know he could have the only hybrid bocce ball court on the market. This process is only done by O’Neill’s Green Services and involves setting a golf hole at each end of the court. Now the homeowner can work on his golf game, and simply insert O’Neill’s Green Services proprietary foam cup plugs leaving a smooth surface for his bocce ball play. Talk about having the best of both worlds.