Wooden Balls, Metal Balls - Bowling Fever Grips Lamorinda

Growing up in the Midwest – I won't say exactly when, but if the name Ozzie Nelson rings a bell, you're in the ballpark  – indoor bowling was hugely popular. Bowling places were popping up all over, so much so that it was difficult to keep one's mind out of the gutter. Brunswick, maker of mechanical pin-setting machines, was a brand better known at the time than McDonalds… although Brunswick fries weren't nearly as tasty.

Nowadays, bowling alleys are hard to find as cheap real estate in Lamorinda. According to the Yellow Pages, the closest to us is in Costco Country, on Monument Boulevard in Concord. 

Although alleys may be on life support, bowling remains alive and well.  It's simply moved outdoors. Think of the sport of bowling al fresco. Hereabouts, it is being lapped up in two European flavors: French and Italian.

The former is called petanque (PE-tonk, as in "Honk If You Like Petanque"); the latter, bocce (BOCH-ee) ball. In Italian bocce means kiss, or so I'm told. What do I know, I'm Irish. Both derive from a game originated eons ago by Greeks.

The current form of petanque originated in Provence, France, more than a century ago. An estimated 17 million French play the sport in the homeland.

Although the rules differ, as do the playing courts, both petanque and bocce involve teams whose object is to land the ball thrown closest to a target ball, sitting some distance away and masochistically screaming, "Hit me, hit me." Italians call it the pallino ("small"); French, cochonnet  ("piglet"). Both get Anglicized as "jack." In either sport, one witnesses more tape-measuring than takes place in the fitting rooms at Neiman-Marcus.

In observing the two sports first-hand, the biggest difference I noticed was the field of play. In bocce, it's an elongated, framed box with raised borders. A variety of materials are used for the surface -- clay, fine gravel, real or faux grass. Regulation courts measure anywhere from 10 to 13 feet wide and 60 to 100 feet long. The two, placed side by side, at Moraga Commons, are 12 by 85.

The petanque playing field is much freer in form – no out-of-bounds delineating lines, no raised borders. It's more, shall we say, c'est la vie.

Although I find both sports appealing – infinitely better than, say, shuffleboard on the Lido deck, I have played neither.         

Be it petanque or bocce, knocking the opponent's ball away, a la curling or shuffleboard, is permitted, indeed, part of the strategy.

Though tempted to get involved personally, I must remind myself that years ago I was sued – unsuccessfully, I am pleased to report -- by a bowling emporium in my native Ohio where I caused serious physical damage by inadvertently throwing the ball aloft. Upon its return from the ionsosphere, it crashed onto the lane, leaving manhole-sized divots and seriously injuring bystanders pelted by shards of maple.

Lamorindans favoring the French version find themselves gravitating to the petanque court in Lafayette at the Community Center on St. Mary's Road. It was relocated several years ago to its present site, which is shaded by heritage pear trees, the lone remaining stand in Burton Valley.

According to longtime president Mary Albright, the Lamorinda Petanque Club has roughly 60 members. Throughout the summer and into autumn, casual play occurs weekday afternoons. More structured play is Sundays starting at 1 p.m. The court, made of compacted decomposed granite, is considered among the finest in Northern California.

Indeed, come October 9-10, the club hosts a major competition drawing petanquers from near and far. The tournament features singles for men and women each, and mixed triples.

Every weekday evening attracts people of all ages to local bocce action at Moraga Commons. Club president Dom Sidari said that are about 160 members, divided into 20 teams. The courts – there are two -- opened in 1997 and funded entirely by private donations, are dedicated to him.  A plaque signifying his manifold contributions is affixed to a backboard.

Sidari says he has butted heads with the Moraga Town Council in an attempt to build a second pair of "badly needed" courts. The city, he says, is demanding building permits, architect fees and whatnot, all of which puts plans for expansion on hold indefinitely, perhaps permanently.

Meanwhile, he said, the City of Concord has earmarked expenditure of $300,000 to construct additional courts there. All of which will come from city coffers.

By the end of this month, play for the regular bocce season will have concluded. Playoffs involving eight teams commence immediately thereafter, followed by a banquet mid-September at Miramonte Gardens. A trophy will be awarded the ultimate champion.

Both leagues welcome players, male and female, of all ages and all skill levels. For information on future schedules, contact the Parks and Recreation departments of the respective cities.

For details on the history and rules of the sports, go to www.usapetanque.org and www.usabocce.com. Another good source is www.wikipedia.org. Enter keywords "petanque" and "bocce" to conduct searches.