Auburn Bocce Courts at Les Gove Park
910 9th Street SE, Auburn WA, 98002
253-931-3043
- Do you want to learn a game that has been played for thousands of years by people all over the world?
- Are you tired of being a spectator to a game and really want to be THE player IN a game?
- Is your time spent mostly on the bench instead of being on the field all the time where you belong?
If you've said "YES" to the above, then Bocce is the game for you!
The City of Auburn has four bocce courts at Les Gove Park available for use on a daily basis. Free bocce instruction is provided by the Auburn Bocce Club on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00-6:00 PM mid-April through mid-October, weather permitting.
Bocce can be played by virtually anyone. It is played for fun or competition. It can be played with 2 or more players playing solo or in teams, and can provide many hours of fun for friends and family. Bocce sets can be borrowed from the Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation Administration Building, located at 910 9th Street SE, Monday-Fridays; 6:30 AM - 9:00 PM and Saturdays 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
Bocce is popular today because it's:
- a game of both skill and luck
- a non-contact sport that provides low-impact exercise
- a game for both young and old that brings people TOGETHER
Auburn's Bocce courts were built in 2004 through a partnership between the City of Auburn and the Auburn Bocce Club. The club is responsible for on-going maintenance of the courts.
The Auburn Bocce Club promotes exhibitions at the courts during major community events, including KidsDay in June and Auburn's 4th of July Festival. The club also sponsors and hosts the Washington State Bocce Championship and the Auburn Bocce Club annual tournament.
Bocce Rules: Most who play on the courts at Les Gove Park follow the United State Bocce Federation Open Court Rules.
Bocce History: The game of bocce (phonetically pronounced BOH-chay in Italian, BAH-chee in English) had its origin some 7,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. Pharaohs and aristocrats had first played the game in their courtyards with heavy golden and silver spheres. For many years bocce, like golf, had remained a game solely played by the European elite. In the 18th Century, bocce came with some of our ancestors crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Sailors and immigrants would fashion balls out of old boat ropes to play bocce on ship decks while traveling to America. The balls of old rope evolved to be balls of wood, plastic and metal like those used today. The rocky open courtyards and ship decks have become closed, smooth courts of grass, clay and artificial surfaces.
Auburn Bocce Club: The Auburn Bocce Club is the largest non-profit organization in the Pacific Northwest dedicated solely to the great game of bocce. Founded in 2004, the club has a growing membership of 70 people, as a result of a new enthusiasm for bocce in the Puget Sound area as well as all over the world. The Auburn Bocce Club is an officially registered 501(c)7 non-profit organization, incorporated in the state of Washington. For more information about the club, please contact [email protected].
For more information about Bocce visit the United States Bocce Federation.