Bocce?

[Kid Cossack]

Anyone else here throw some bocce ball? The family and I have been throwing some for the last couple of months, weather allowing. I got turned on to it by a friend of mine from the Marine Corps, he's currently working in Central Asia (in the vastly inferior Republic of Kyrgyzstan, whereas I worked in the vasly superior Republic of Kazakhstan a few years ago), he mentioned it when we were solving all the world's problems by instant message.

That reminded me of watching the old Italian guys play bocce when I was in Monterey studying Russian LO! these many years ago, and I thought about it a little and looked around and picked up a starter set from Academy Sports here in Texas.

Don't know bocce? Here's a very quick primer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bocce

In the same way that I see the kilt as an ur-garment, I see bocce as an ur-sport. I've seen internet articles linking it back to the Roman Empire, claiming that the legions brought bocce back from North Africa, where it was played with coconuts.

I can imagine lawn dart bocce, I can imagine all sorts of bocce. It's basically, "Hey, let's throw something out on a field, and then see how close we can come to hitting it with this stuff" (with "this stuff" being dependent on whatever it is you have to hand, coconuts, acorns, whatever).

I don't know. We have a lot of fun at it, we can go out and throw for five minutes, or for an hour. Needless to say, we don't play by the rules (Walter Sobchak asks "Am I the only one here who cares about the rules?" heh heh the Coen brothers rock) but we have fun. Rules in bocce? HA!

But, um, don't mean to ramble here, I mean to ask if anyone else plays bocce?

[Panache]

K C

My family has a set and we enjoy playing it at the park when the weather is nice. Not terribly seriously, mind you. It certainly is a lot quicker to get started than croquet.

Cheers

Panache

[Kid Cossack]

Panache--I find the world is quite terribly serious enough, most days. We just goof around. The Amazing Miss Masha is sometimes quite good, sometimes she just sits on the lawn and makes bird nests out of grass. The Amazing Miss Lena can only toss the ball about a foot, but she squeaks out "Ai urn, ai urn!" frequently. (That means, "my turn!")

The better half, the wonderful Mrs. Kid Cossack, she's about a shark at the game. Well, she played rugby (scrum half) for nine years professionally, so she's simply a superb natural athlete and that's all there is to it. Me? I can win the occasional game . . . but it's just nice to be out, tossing the balls around, not being terribly serious at all.

As my senior drill instructor said to me during a night march at Camp Pendleton, "Funner'n law school, ain't it kid?"

[Sciuropterus]

I learned Bocce as a kid (I come from an Italian family), I lived in Italy (Florence) when I was seven, I remember the local parks had Bocce courts with groups of chain-smoking elderly men playing if it was a nice day. I should get a Bocce set one of these days.

[chasem]

I've played a handful of times, at family reunions and such. It is quite an enjoyable game.

[Macman]

We used to play it in the back yard when the kids were younger. The two youngest managed to knock an ear off our gargoyle with a bocce ball once, but that's another story. Our set hasn't seen action for a few years, because in the place we're in now the balls tend to roll out onto the road. Thanks for bringing up the topic, KC; it's a good reminder to get the set out this spring and head down to the park.

[ckelly327]

We have a Bocce set and play it with the kids and grandkids in the back yard. Rules? There are no rules! Throw the pea somewhere and try to get near it. One point if you are the closest and two points if both your shots are closest. First one to 11 wins - those are the house rules.

That said we also go to the local Italian Benevolent Society for pizza sometimes and during the summer they have very, very serious Bocce leagues. They have about 10 courts with artificial turf and they are maintained like bowling alleys. I like to compare it to darts. There is playing around in the pub and then there are the people in leagues who take it very seriously.

When I lived in Pinehurst, NC, you wouldn't believe how seriously some people took their croquet. Still, when we have a family gathering, the Bocce balls always come out. My wife's family never played before two years ago and they still ask when we are getting back together to play.

[Navyguy]

Every year at my wife's family reunion, they have a Bocce Tournie. Their idea of the rules, throw the little ball any where, (side of a hill, 50 yards away, soft sand, ANYWHERE) and see who gets closest. The winning team gets to take home a matching pair of cups, and put their name on them. Teams are chosen by pulling a name out of a hat.

[Pour1Malt]

fur the version played in Scotland...

see http://www.tradgames.org.uk/games/Bowls.htm

[Hamish]

I'm afraid I had not heard of Bocce until now. Petanque and Bowls (not that I have ever played either), yes, but not Bocce.

Having been brought up tout seul, and having spent much of my life similarly unencumbered, I suppose the opportunities for such things have been very few and far between.

I tried Frisbee once ......... but that is no fun on your own either!!