Court Maintenance
This form of court does require care. It isn't hard at all but should not be overlooked.
General
The center area tends to get
the hardest workout with many boules landing there. On the other hand, the
ends get little action and tend to pack over time as players walk over them.
As boules land they displace
some of the court filler material. This tends to dig a hole near the center
of the court. As the court is leveled after each game, there is a tendency
to pull larger material into the center and leave the finer
material near the ends of the court. The fine material packs hard and the
coarse material forms a soft "swamp" near the center.
After each game
The court must be raked or
leveled. An angle iron attached to a pole or the smoothing side of a landscaping
rake is ideal. Drag the "leveler" at a slight angle which assists
smoothing the court and level any depressions that form. If you think of
a common road grader, the blade is not square to the direction of travel
but angled. Some sites drag chains over the court but this does little to
level the court and usually leaves depressions.
As Needed
Use the toothed side of a landscaping
or other rake to remix the material on the court and loosen packed material
on the ends of the court. A very desirable rake can be made by grinding
the heads off of masonry nails and inserting them in holes drilled on a
durable but light piece of wood used as the head of the rake. Do not make
this too heavy! It will tend to make hills and valleys as it bounces on
the court.
Water the court to help settle the material and provide a firmer surface. You don't want a soft surface that the boules burry themselves in!