Oyster shell is the gold standard for bocce courts, offering superior playability with a fraction of the maintenance of other natural surface materials. Oyster shell is a time-tested material harvested from a sustainable, renewable source that is safe for kids and pets. The ambiance of an oyster shell bocce court is unmatched, and its classic look blends seamlessly with any style of landscaping.

With regular maintenance, the surface of a properly installed oyster shell bocce court with solidly-built perimeters and adequate drainage should last for a decade or more without needing to add any additional surface material. 

The 3 most common reasons for needing to add additional oyster shell surface within the first decade of ownership are: 

• Loss due to wind, flood, or other weather-related event.
• Loss due to inadequate base layer material. If there are not enough gravel fines in the mid-layer to support the surface layer, the oyster shell material can filter down into the spaces in the mid-layer. [link to court cross section]
• Loss due to moss removal when moss is dug out of the court surface rather than scraped off. [link to moss removal] 

With typical use, and regular maintenance with a lute and broom, our customers find that at about the 10 year mark, they are ready to either add more oyster shell surface material if they are starting to see the gravel mid-layer peeking through, or they are ready to take on a more major overhaul of the surface by scraping up and sifting the oyster shell to fluff up the whole court surface to maintain the excellent playability of their bocce court. 

First off, an important note: the surface layer of a bocce court is only a small fraction of the total cost of the court. In fact, the price difference between high-quality surface materials is relatively minor.

The biggest cost difference between the different types of bocce courts actually comes from what’s beneath the surface. Courts requiring professional installation—such as synthetic or resin bocce courts—tend to be more expensive due to the specialized expertise and materials involved. In contrast, an oyster shell bocce court is DIY-friendly or can be installed by a tradesperson with basic landscaping skills and tools.

Another important cost consideration is durability. Many of our customers have been happily playing on their Boccemon Oyster Blend courts for 10-15 years without needing to add more surface material.

We always encourage our customers to consider the whole picture when they’re planning the budget for their bocce courts [link to planning page] and we’re always here to help [link to contact page]!

We made the decision to change the name of our flagship product to Boccemon Oyster Blend based primarily on customer feedback.

The original name, Rain Country Blend, was meant to create an association with the source of the product (Northwest Washington State is definitely rain country!) but many of our customers had the idea that the product only worked for bocce courts located in rainy climates. 

The new name will hopefully clear up any confusion: Boccemon Oyster Blend is an excellent choice for bocce courts located in a wide range of climates. Although it now has a new name, rest assured this is still the same high-quality, oyster shell blend that Boccemon has proudly offered for more than 20 years.

Boccemon ships to the United States and Canada. Please note that the Canadian shipping process involves additional logistics related to brokerage and customs.

We typically package orders for pickup within 2 business days of receiving payment, and our freight companies estimate that most shipments within the continental U.S. are delivered no more than 7 business days after they are picked up at our warehouse. We also encourage our customers to add a few buffer days to their delivery estimate since freight companies often experience transit delays.

Adding that all up, customers in the continental U.S. can typically expect to receive their Boccemon Oyster Blend about 10-14 business days after we receive payment for the order. If delivery speed is of the essence, we may be able to arrange a guaranteed delivery date for an additional cost.

Since freight deliveries to Canada have the added complexity of customs inspections and duties, we don’t provide a general estimate for shipping time for Canadian orders.

We no longer travel to construct courts but with our free guidance, most people armed with basic trade skills can assemble their own court [link to DIY page]. We also welcome bocce court construction questions [link to contact].

We know DIY isn’t the best option for everyone, so we recommend searching out a landscaping company who installs hardscape features like stone paths, patios, etc. since the tools and materials used to build those structures are very similar to those needed to install a bocce court [link to DIY page]. We’re also happy to help our customers find an installer! Reach out via our contact form [link to contact], or just give us a call at (360) 224-2909.

Yes! Every bocce court, no matter what the surface is made from, needs drainage, although the type and configuration will vary depending on the court surface. 

Oyster shell is a pervious surface (which means it lets water filter through it) and it performs best when it is installed [link to install page] on top of a drain rock base layer and a crushed gravel mid-layer so water can easily percolate through the surface to the base layer and eventually seep out into the surrounding soil.

With that said, different sites may require additional types of drainage (such as adding perforated pipe or french drains) if the bocce court is located in a particularly wet climate, or if it is in the low spot of a yard where water or runoff tends to accumulate. 

We are always happy to answer questions about drainage, or anything else related to bocce court construction. Give us a call at (360) 224-2909 or reach out via our contact form [link to form]. 

Oyster shell bocce court maintenance requires two specialty tools: a metal lute and a 6’ wide broom. The lute is used to redistribute loose material from uneven areas of the court and to fill in any low spots that have developed on the court surface. The broom is a finishing tool that is used after the lute to smooth out the whole court surface. 

One way to think about how to use these tools is to think of them like sandpaper: the lute is a coarse grit for making bigger surface changes, and the broom is a fine grit for final polishing. 

Boccemon Oyster Blend has an extra-fine texture which helps to minimize maintenance by creating a compact, smooth, even playing surface when installed according to our specifications [link to DIY page]. Unfortunately, not all oyster shell mixes are created equally: some have bigger chunks of shell or other materials that result in an uneven surface that is more difficult to maintain and more challenging to play on. 

Newer bocce courts will need a bit more attention while they fully settle and compact. With regular play over a season or two, the surface will harden and become more durable, making it even easier to maintain in top playing shape. In general, the best way to maintain the excellent playability of an oyster shell bocce court is to play lots of games of bocce on it (fun, right?!)

In general, we recommend that players spend about 10 minutes before a game of bocce [link to maintenance article] to spiff up the court by removing any debris, smoothing out divots, and running the broom over the surface. 

Occasionally, you will want to use your lute to break up the surface for deeper smoothing of the bocce court before finishing with the broom. This could be at the beginning of your bocce season, or a few times a year if you play bocce year-round. 

In cool or damp climates, or for bocce courts located in very shady spots, we recommend applying a moss-killing solution a few times a year to deter moss growth [link to moss article] and to use the court regularly - moss hates to be disturbed!

Last but not least, we do not recommend covering an oyster shell bocce court, even in the off season. Allowing rainfall (and other precipitation) to fall on the court can actually help to level the surface by temporarily suspending the tiny oyster shell particles in water and then redistributing them into a level layer as the water drains away. 

According to the United States Bocce Federation, a competition-sized bocce court [link to USBF] measures approximately 4 x 26.5 meters (13 x 87 feet), with allowances for slightly different lengths or widths. 

For casual bocce players, we recommend a more manageable 10 x 60 feet or 12 x 66 feet, both of which offer plenty of court space to satisfy players of all ages and skill levels. Although these are the most common dimensions, recreational bocce can be played in any rectangular area of similar proportions. 

There is no single surface officially sanctioned by the USBF, or anyone else for that matter! Natural surfaces like oyster shell, stone fines, and clay have all been used in national tournaments, as have synthetic materials. Prior to the advent of purpose-built courts, people played bocce on naturally occurring flat surfaces like dirt, sand, or grass for thousands of years.

Besides oyster shell blends, the other common bocce court surfaces [link to court surfaces page] are clay, decomposed granite or sand, artificial turf, and resin-bound or synthetic poured material.