Bocce or Croquet or ?

We finally have a house with a lawn suitable for bocce or croquet. Decent Bocce sets are relatively easy to find at non-piggy bank breaking prices. Well made croquet sets with decent length handles are not. I prefer croquet but that may be because I've always been better at racquet sports and suck at bowling.

So a household with 2, ahem, mature and childless adults who might enjoy a periodic silly summer adhoc evening game enhanced with the appropriate libation, perhaps with equally silly neighbors and friends, should buy:

a) croquet set
b) Bocce ball
c) ???

Oops, meant to ask everyone to say why they voted for whatever.

Croquet or Petanque, although Petanque is more properly played on gravel, but the steel balls are nice.

Croquet.
That's probably my British upbringing speaking - we had croquet on the lawn at school and university. Very civilised, especially with a jug of Pimm's.

I chose bocce because we played it endlessly when we lived in Italy, great fun and a very social game.

Those games are fun, but I have something MUCH MUCH better!

http://www.laddergolf.com/

My husband made ours, but this is by far a funner and more hilarious game. Especially what people tend to do with the balls while waiting for their turn. This is more addicting and creates a laughing atmosphere!

Check it out!

I think I'd hurt myself . . . how far away are you supposed to stand?

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Originally Posted by Bron

Very civilised, especially with a jug of Pimm's.

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I'm laughing about the combo of "jug" and "Pimms". You know, we have a bottle but I've never tried it. Another goal for this summer.

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Originally Posted by activediva

Those games are fun, but I have something MUCH MUCH better!

http://www.laddergolf.com/

My husband made ours, but this is by far a funner and more hilarious game. Especially what people tend to do with the balls while waiting for their turn. This is more addicting and creates a laughing atmosphere!

Check it out!

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+1 for ladder golf.

It's inexpensive and very addicting. It's a quick game and can be set up in no time. Great thing to do spur of the moment.

I voted for croquet, but only because that is what we have, and DH and I spent many evenings out playing that in our yard last year (also *ahem* mature and childless, btw). I got our set at LL Bean for $99, and it is very good quality.

That said, I am itching for a bocce set now too. This is a really fun game, especially with a margarita or two :)

SheFly

I looked at the LLBean croquet set but the mallet length is only 31 1/8" (per the live chat rep last night). Hubby is 6'2" so I'm thinking this could be a bit short. What do you think? And the shaft to head connection has stayed snug? Mallets heavy?

I prefer bocce, and the court seems a bit easier to maintain, but The Boy loves his croquet. He even mows the court to different lengths with a rough and a green. Silly kid.

Anyway, I think either way will be fun. Growing up we had a permanent badminton court... <3

I voted Bocce but that's because I'm good enough at it to actually compete on the same level with H. We've never played croquet together, but I'm pretty bad at it. Plus, if you leave your bocce equipment out in the rain, it's no big deal...not so much for wooden mallets! :p

My absolute favorite is badminton, though!

Haven't I seen bocce/croquet sets that come together?

Lord, I haven't played croquet since I was a kid.

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

I looked at the LLBean croquet set but the mallet length is only 31 1/8" (per the live chat rep last night). Hubby is 6'2" so I'm thinking this could be a bit short. What do you think? And the shaft to head connection has stayed snug? Mallets heavy?

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DH is also 6'2", and uses these mallets without issue. The connections are snug, and the mallets come apart at that junction for storage. I like the feel of the mallets, and their weight. The good thing with Bean is that if you get it and don't like it, they are great about taking it back.

SheFly

Yes, there are "sets" but they are usually cheap and cheap croquet mallets are very expensive firewood . . . especially when we have a gas fireplace.

You can play bocce on any field of almost any quality (ruts, etc just make it more fun and challenging) but croquet needs a much better maintained field. Whenever I've played croquet people seem to get really anal, p!ssed off, and upset.

So you're thinking our lawn isn't exactly like the All England Tennis Club courts? :p

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

So you're thinking our lawn isn't exactly like the All England Tennis Club courts? :p

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I'm picturing my lawn and assuming that everyone else hates yard work as much as I do! ;)

Good comeback. :D

Actually, right now our lawn is still recovering from the crazy lady/previous owner's dog. No better gift for the next home owner than keeping your lawn pristine until the house is in escrow and then letting the female dog go wild.

We also discovered behind the million potted plants she used to dress the place up for open houses that there was 3 years of weeds. We gave up and hired strong backs. Oy.

Hmm, so maybe I should do bocce ball for now and croquet when the lawn recovers? What do you drink when playing bocce?

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

Hmm, so maybe I should do bocce ball for now and croquet when the lawn recovers? What do you drink when playing bocce?

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Vino of course. ;)

horseshoes

But horseshoes either thrash the lawn or require pits. Is there a lawn version that doesn't destroy the lawn?

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

But horseshoes either thrash the lawn or require pits. Is there a lawn version that doesn't destroy the lawn?

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Remember Lawn Jarts? :p

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

Hmm, so maybe I should do bocce ball for now and croquet when the lawn recovers? What do you drink when playing bocce?

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Besides Vino?

How about these?

http://www.morettibeer.com/images/dolce_beer_bottle.jpg

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._1984_11148961

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Originally Posted by Queen

Remember Lawn Jarts? :p

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LOVED lawn darts! probably can't get them now though - some kid likely poked their eye out with them :D.

SK - my backyard is definitely NOT flat, nor pristine, and we play croquet anyway - makes it part of the challenge.

SheFly (who is going to dig out the croquet set now...)

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

I'm laughing about the combo of "jug" and "Pimms". You know, we have a bottle but I've never tried it. Another goal for this summer.

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I´ve had it at Henley Royal Regatta served in pint glasses too, and if Henley isn´t civilised, then I don´t know what is :rolleyes:
Clearly it has to be drunk whilst wearing stripy blazers and talking in terribly refined accents....

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Originally Posted by MDHillSlug

You can play bocce on any field of almost any quality (ruts, etc just make it more fun and challenging) but croquet needs a much better maintained field. Whenever I've played croquet people seem to get really anal, p!ssed off, and upset.

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Isn´t that the point of croquet? Maybe they hadn´t had enough Pimm´s.

My parents have to chase the geese off the lawn when they want to play, so it´s hardly pristine either.

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

What do you drink when playing bocce?

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I would say anything with vodka....but then that's pretty much my answer for everything. :p

Do I need to find a parasol?:rolleyes:

You mean a little paper one?

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

You mean a little paper one?

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:D:cool::D:cool:

OMG, I think I found a bocce set here in town. Seems that some sporting good shops haven't figured out that Memorial Day weekend is only about 24 hours away.

Bocce does have the benefit of leaving one hand free for other actitivies.

Vodka will be covered at http://www.bendistillery.com/locations.html

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

Vodka will be covered at http://www.bendistillery.com/locations.html

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Woot!:rolleyes:

I'll tell Le Tour Guide. :)

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

What do you drink when playing bocce?

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Now yer gettin' somewhere. I said croquet because it's the game I've actually played. And I'm pretty certain you can enhance the experience with just about any beverage.... Do you get Meyers lemons up there? I seem to recall some sort of lemon drink that people like. :)