Boccemon “Rain Country” Blend
We ship our Rain Country Blend (RCB) worldwide. Clients build the perimeter and base and use Rain Country blend to top dress the surface.
Please fill out a request a quote form if you are interested in our product for your bocce court.
RCB is produced in “micro” batches to ensure the consistency of the end product. Its composition is primarily finely rendered shell (oyster flour) that has been blended with other natural materials for increased binding and drainage. The advantage of RCB to most court owners is that it provides a premium playing surface with minimal maintenance compared with other natural materials.
What makes for a premium bocce court surface?
A material that allows the balls to roll fast and track straight while absorbing bounce with minimal surface displacement. While sand will tend to hold a “tossed” ball in a crater, the same ball would bounce high off the concrete. Both are poor qualities in a bocce court. Premium court material would rate somewhere between the two extremes. Both clay and oyster blends would be considered “premium natural surfacing”.
What does “minimal maintenance” really mean?
When we say minimal we mean less than any other natural surface we know of. One characteristic is that the material mostly consists of small particles. Larger particles cause greater difficulty when restoring “flatness” to a dented court. RCB is fine such that a smooth soled shoe can restore an indentation simply and quickly. In locations that experience an occasional heavy rain, the courts will develop some standing water during the downpour. As falling drops hit the surface the agitation suspends shell fragments. When the water drains the surface is essentially leveled.
What other options are there?
People have been playing bocce on “dirt” for about 7000 years. However, the game has mostly been dominated by men. In order to get people to play more than once, most require the balls to actually roll where they directed it. An uneven surface requires skills other than the simple rolling of a ball and many are turned off by it. A majority of natural surfaces require the dedication and upkeep of a Zen Garden. Most people don’t have the time or interest for this amount of work so the courts get used less due their lack of level. People continue to ask us for help with recreational courts because even a badly abused court if surfaced with RCB, will take only minutes with just a few basic maintenance tools.
We use a recycled pallet and sturdy second use bulk bags for packing one cubic yard of Boccemon’s proprietary formula for transport. One cubic yard typically covers 200-300 square feet. The difference is related to location and/or style of play.
We no longer travel to construct courts but with our free guidance, most people armed with basic trade skills can assemble their own court. Contact us with your court construction questions.