Broomall Rotary Sponsors a Bocce Court

Broomall’s first Bocce Court came one step closer to completion this week as  Rotary Club representative Paul Quintavalla presented a check from the Broomall Rotary Club to Marple Township Manager Anthony Hamaday. The club raises funds for community projects through private and corporate donations and events such as the Firecracker 5k held on July Fourth. 

Every Rotary year, each incumbent club president selects a project for the betterment and welfare of the community. Recent projects have included a bus shelter on West Chester Pike and restoration work at the 1696 Thomas Massey House. The Bocce Court is a project of past president John McCoy who recognized the sport’s popularity among men and women of all ages. 

Work on the bocce court is well under way and is expected to be completed before August. The construction is being carried out by the Marple Township Department of Public Works. According to a Rotary spokesman, “We are very impressed with the quality and workmanship of the work crew is building the court. Their attention to detail in ensuring that the court meets the highest standards is very impressive. When we learned that Roy Wagner, a Public Works employee, took time to visit and study bocce courts in the area, we knew that we could not ask for a more professional group of men. They take justifiable pride in their work.”

The court is ninety feet long, twelve feet wide, and is bordered with heavy lumber. The foundation consists of three levels of gravel that are of graduated sizes and topped with crushed stone dust. The bed is finished with red clay for a smooth, hard, and uniform surface. The Public Works personnel also laid a system beneath the full length of the court to ensure proper drainage and to prevent frost damage. 

A bocce court has been compared to an outdoor pool table because it is so uniformly flat and level. It will take a year or so for the court to fully settle in. And, just like a ball field or tennis court, the bocce court will require some amount of ongoing repair and maintenance. However, it ought to last for many decades to come.

The Broomall Bocce Court is located in Veterans Memorial Park next to the Horse Shoe Pitching Pit. It is open to the public during normal park hours. Everyone is invited to bring their bocce ball sets and enjoy the fresh air, sunshine and ------ bocce!

For more information about Brooomall Rotary Club, visit http://www.rotary7450.org/Broomall/