Court care
Bocce Court Maintenance
What it takes to keep a court playing true, from the daily brush to the resurfacing you will do every few years. Written for the conditions across Texas, the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast.
Daily care
Most of what keeps a court true is done in a few minutes after play. Brushing redistributes the surface before it packs into ruts, and water binds it back together.
Brushing and grooming
- Drag broom the court after each session
- Pull in more than one direction
- Work until the surface reads level
- Clear leaves, twigs and debris
- Push material back into low spots
Watering
- Water evenly across the whole surface
- Frequency changes with heat, shade and season
- Colour is your moisture gauge
- Damp enough to hold, never soft
- Steady pressure, no washing out
Inspection
- Check for depressions before play
- A string line finds what the eye misses
- Watch for dead granules and debris
- Check edges and borders for weeds
- Watch how it drains after rain
Brush first, then water. Brushing redistributes the material and watering binds it. Doing it the other way round sets the ruts you were trying to remove. Scuffing the surface weekly keeps it from compacting and holds the roll speed steady.
Weekly and monthly
The jobs that do not need doing every day, but that decide whether you are resurfacing in one year or in three.
Every week
- Deep clean the full surface
- Clear organic matter before it breaks down
- Check the drainage runs clear
- Inspect the edging for damage
- Treat weeds while they are small
Every month
- Walk the surface looking for low areas
- Patch anything holding water
- Clean and check the border material
- Pull established weeds, roots and all
- Sweep off dead granules
New courts
- Roll more often in the first season
- Builds the firmness a new court has not set yet
- Improves how it holds moisture and drains
- Cuts erosion while the surface knits together
- Match roller weight to the surface
Equipment
- Wipe balls with a soft damp cloth
- Check them for cracks that affect roll
- Store tools out of the weather
- Replace worn brooms before they tear the surface
Care by region
The court is the same wherever it is built. What changes is what the weather does to it through the year, so the calendar below is written for the four regions we ship to rather than a generic season.
Texas
Heat and clayLong hot spells dry a surface out fast, so watering moves from a routine to the thing that decides how the court plays. Clay soils underneath swell and shrink through the year, so keep an eye on the edges and level low spots early. After a heavy storm, check that the court sheds water the way it did when it was built.
The Southeast
Rain and humidityFrequent rain does the watering for you, and the work shifts to drainage and to what grows. Clear perimeter drains ahead of the wet season, and stay on top of weeds and organic matter, which take hold quickly in humid heat. Let the surface dry before brushing so you are not moving mud.
The Midwest
Freeze and thawWater held in the surface over winter lifts it as it freezes, so go into the cold with the court draining freely and no standing water. Cover with a breathable tarp rather than plastic, which traps moisture. Expect to spend the first weeks of spring levelling what the thaw moved.
The Northeast
Hard winters, short seasonThe same freeze and thaw rules apply and the playing season is shorter, so the work is front and back loaded. Open up in spring with a full inspection and a topdress if the winter was hard, and close down with the drains clear and the surface groomed rather than left rutted.
Care by surface
Guidance for the surfaces we supply. If you are not sure what is on your court, the colour and the grain size usually tell you, and we can identify it from a photo.
Oyster shell
- Brush and water daily under heavy use
- Shell redistributes easily when groomed
- Level indentations before they set
- Top dress with oyster flour to tighten the surface
Bocce blends
- Holds a firm, consistent roll when kept damp
- Water binds the fines, so do not let it dry out
- Patch low areas with the same blend
- A stabilizer helps on high traffic courts
Decomposed granite
- Compacts well and stays stable underfoot
- Roll after patching to bring it back level
- Watch for washouts at the low end after storms
- A stabilizer extends the time between resurfacing
Resurfacing
Most courts want resurfacing every one to three years, depending on how hard they are played and what the weather has done. The order matters more than the speed.
Assess
Walk the court for wear and unevenness. Let the surface dry out completely before anything else starts.
Scarify
Loosen the compacted top and pull out dead granules so new material has something to bond to.
Patch
Fill depressions and worn sections, bringing each patch level with the surface around it.
Topdress
Spread new material evenly across the whole court, matching what is already down.
Level and compact
Lute or drag it flat, water lightly, let it set, then roll to firm it up.
Groom
Final brush and water to bind the surface, then clear the excess along the borders.
Drainage and edges
The two things that quietly decide how long a court lasts. Neither shows up in a photograph, and both are cheaper to maintain than to rebuild.
Drainage
- Check for blockages on a schedule, not after a problem
- Clear perimeter drains before the wet season
- Confirm the slope still matches the original build
- Deal with standing water immediately
Borders and edging
- Timber: check for warping, splintering and rot
- Sand and seal timber to buy it years
- Steel and concrete: check for cracks and separation
- Secure edging is what stops material walking off the court
Drainage is not optional. A court without it is unplayable after rain and will not stay level, whatever you do to the surface. Well drained courts are back in play the same day.
Keeping a court, or building one
We supply the surface material, the stabilizers and the tools, and we can point you at an installer for the work you would rather not do yourself.
