Gold River and the surrounding areas house a demographic of middle and senior age residents who benefit from the fun, low impact, competitive and social elements of bocce ball. Photo courtesy of Mark Ziegler

GOLD RIVER, CA (MPG) – Inspired by pre-existing bocce ball courts and leagues in locales surrounding Gold River, a grass roots group of Gold River residents began open play bocce ball in early September 2025, hoping to bring this recreational activity to the Gold River community.

Rediscovering the long-abandoned horseshoe pit in the Gold River Park adjacent to the Gold River Discovery School, it was imagined that the space could be repurposed to immediately support open play bocce ball.

“Open” bocce rules are informed upon review of the United States Bocce Federation website. Additional descriptions of more advanced league and professional play include “Punto, Raffa and Vollo” games. 

The United States Bocce Federation is a nonprofit, charitable corporation organized to promote the sport of bocce, and it is a member of the Federation International de Boules and the Confederazione Boccistica Internazionale. Bocce is played worldwide.

According to their rules everyone can play. There is no race, sex, or age discrimination in the sport of bocce. You need a set of 8 balls, and a ninth target ball called a “jack” or “pallino.” Games can be played one-on-one (singles), pairs (doubles), triples or foursomes. Official courts are rectangular 86.92’ in length and 13.12’ in width, however “unofficial" courts are found throughout the United States varying in size. Court surfaces have great variation such grass, carpet, crushed stone, dirt, oyster shells and clay.

Early this past fall, a small local group of bocce enthusiasts confronted the existing defunct horseshoe pit at the park. Constructed 30 years ago, the structure was a very formal concrete curb foundation enclosing a 60 x 45-foot pad filled with decomposed granite. The horseshoe features remaining included a couple submerged deteriorated timbers. Much of the pad consisted of weeds, large craters filled with mounded cobbles and trash.

Observing this obsolete hidden treasure, the group readily determined it was possible to play the center third of the court which was relatively intact. The first challenge was inviting the residing flock of Canadian geese to vacate this section of the park. After completing that task and an hour of raking, hoeing and shoveling, open bocce play commenced in Gold River to the delight and excitement of the bocce players. One of the main benefits realized was the ability to play in our own “backyard” and not have to drive to a remote location.

The group, via communication by an informal growing email list, continued to play on Thursday mornings throughout the fall. Volunteer work by the group was focused on weed and debris removal, cobble stone abatement, ant colony closure and countless repeated episodes of raking and re-raking the decomposed granite surface to get to a smooth surface suitable for bocce play.

Each week the size of the group continued to grow as word of mouth spread. Upon realizing the potential for progress on this project, the group members began to discuss future possibilities for the site. Mid autumn, an email was sent to the Cordova Recreation and Park District explaining the group’s “organization” and informal goals of continued improvements to the bocce court, as well as initiating a discussion to construct real bocce ball courts there.

The next day, three members of the park district development and planning staff, startling a bocce volunteer raking the surface, walked on site to identify this structure which had been lost to park district memory. Having received and reviewed the email request, the district staff appeared pleasantly surprised to learn of the local group converting the lost space to a functioning recreational resource in their domain.

They opined that the site really was ready made to proceed with planning to convert to bocce courts. They shared that the district has recently supported the construction of bocce courts at other parks and appeared interested to hear of this endeavor. Armed with cameras and measuring tape, the staff established an initial project framework to support bocce court development in Gold River going forward. 

A long-abandoned horseshoe pit in the Gold River Park adjacent to the Gold River Discovery School has been reimagined as a space that could support open play Bocce Ball. Photo courtesy of Mark Ziegler

Next steps for the group included scheduling a meeting with the Gold River representative on the Cordova Recreation and Park District Board. On Sept. 29, in the pouring rain, the bocce group met at the park with Mark Matus, Gold River director on the park board. He too was very enthusiastic to hear of the group’s efforts and was supportive of advancing the project toward a board item that could be placed on the July budget planning meeting for the 2026-27 fiscal year. 

Continuing with weekly play has illuminated a growing list of positive revelations. Compared to 30 years ago, the park now provides wonderful shade compliments of the mature trees surrounding the bocce court. What great foresight the district had to plant those and to be the recipient of that resource today. 

Gold River and the surrounding areas house a demographic of middle and senior age residents who benefit from the fun, low impact, competitive and social elements of bocce ball. Gold River Park truly has grown into a space that feels like somewhere you want to hang out with your neighbors and retreat from the day day-to-day routines we all experience. 

The weekly open play Bocce Ball games have started to attract Gold River Discovery School students, creating positive connections between seniors and students. Photo courtesy of Mark Ziegler

One more unexpected lively occurrence is due to the bocce court’s proximity to the San Juan School District’s Gold River Discovery School. When the group is playing, many of the students are at recess or PE class and stop to spectate and cheer on some of our amazing shots! It is amazing how such a simple moment can turn a 70 and 13 year old’s day into a golden encounter.

In the new year, the park district staff once again engaged with the group on progress with improvements to the existing court and updates to plans of constructing formal courts by revising and utilizing the present foundation. The group has introduced bocce play on Wednesdays in addition to Thursdays and would like to put together opportunities for mixed and women’s bocce. 

Webpage development for posting on social media is being considered. The group hopes to share and expand this activity throughout the community.

For more information, contact bocce member Mark Ziegler at 916-549-7975, [email protected].