Bocce ball proposed at McKinley

Already home to sand volleyball, basketball, disc golf and pickle ball, McKinley Park is the proposed site for another group game.

Creston High School junior Quinten Fuller proposed a 12 by 60 ft bocce ball court as his Eagle Scout service project Tuesday at the Creston Parks and Recreation Board meeting.

Bocce ball is designed to be played with two teams of two, but can be adapted to single players or larger teams. The goal is to land four large colored balls, called bocce, closest to a small white ball, called the pallino or jack.

The team going first throws the pallino and the place where it comes to a stop becomes the target. All players should then stand behind a line to make their throws. The team that threw the pallino throws the first bocce. Teams and players alternate throws until all eight balls have been thrown. Players try to make their team’s bocce the closest to the pallino.

Only the team with the closest bocce to the pallino scores any points. The team that is closest, or inside, gets a number of points equal to how many of their bocce are closer to the pallino than the other team’s nearest bocce. If the player’s bocce touches the pallino, it’s called a baci and the team earns 2 points for that ball. A game of bocce is called a round and it lasts until a team reaches a predetermined point value. Common point values are 9, 11, 12 and 15.

Fuller proposed two locations for the long, narrow court — Taylor Park between the sand volleyball courts and the walking trail or south of the bears statue in McKinley Park between the shelter and the road.

Parks and rec board member John Kawa said the bear would be a drier location. Fuller plans to use gravel and tile to provide proper drainage for the court.

Price estimates largely depend on the surfacing used. A variety of materials are used to create playing surfaces, including grass, artificial turf and clay. Professionals recommend using sand, crushed stone or oyster blend. These materials allow the balls to roll fast and track straight.

“We’re thinking about what surface it will be,” Fuller said. “Either artificial turf, crushed stone or oyster shell.”

In order to complete the project, Fuller will have to raise funds. Eagle service projects often require fundraising. “Service to other people is what scouting is all about,” the Scout’s website states. “Your result should be of significant impact in your community to be special, and should represent your very best effort.”

Several years ago, Winterset Rotary put in a bocce ball court. Kawa advised Fuller to reach out to their parks and recreation department to find out what they did.

“Pursue it, try to find a spot up there,” Kawa said. “We’re all in favor of any kind of activities we can get at the park; that’s what the park is for.”