Croquet & Bocce Balls

[DiscGo]

My wife gave me money to pick up a croquet set and a bocce ball set. I have a combined budget of $150. I bought a boccie ball set at Target that was Eddie Bauer (which I expected to be nice) but the case sucked so I took it back.


Are any of you avid players of either sport? I love croquet and broke a couple of pieces of my old set last year, so I am looking to get a new set of both games but I have not purchased either before, so I don't know where to start. I have done some searches and nothing has really stood out to me.

[trackrunner]

As you have discovered don't go with Eddie Bauer croquet set. Nice looking but it can't take a beating, in-laws have a set.

Avid player, no. But it passes the time on a pleasent summer evening.

[Redpb]

I've broken many a set in my day. I'm currently working with my wood working uncle on building a good quality set. I'll let you know how it goes.

[DWayne27]

nothing helpful to post, but i have tried to buy an expensive croquet set from sports authority because i didnt want a cheap crappy one. bought the most expensive one there with a shiny case. i had an 8 year old nephew break 2 mallets within an hour and i broke a third, all were broken just by playing, using the mallets as intended...

[Sombeech]

I play bocce quite a bit. An 8 ball set at WalMart for $13.

[sparker1]

Have you looked at http://www.croquet.com/?

[DiscGo]

I've broken many a set in my day. I'm currently working with my wood working uncle on building a good quality set. I'll let you know how it goes.

I am curious. Good luck!

As you have discovered don't go with Eddie Bauer croquet set.

The Eddie Bauer Croquet set looks nice, but the bocce set was so poor I figured the quality would carry over

Avid player, no. But it passes the time on a pleasent summer evening.

I couldn't agree more.

I had an 8 year old nephew break 2 mallets within an hour and i broke a third, all were broken just by playing, using the mallets as intended...

It makes sense that a cheap set would break as easily as an expensive set, but I have the ignorant consumer mentality that you get what you pay for, so if you pay more, you get more. Sometimes that is true and sometimes it isn't, and I seldom know which is which.

I play bocce quite a bit. An 8 ball set at WalMart for $13.

I'm sure a 13 dollar set works fine. I really probably should check that out.

Have you looked at http://www.croquet.com/?

I did. I have been leaning towards a 36" mallet set, because I am tired of hunching over when I play. I just want to make sure I enjoy this set.


Thanks for the feedback guys.

[Sombeech]

We play bocce at every bbq I have at my house. Everybody seems to like it better than croquet, you don't have to set everything up.

[DiscGo]

And it's nice that you can just play bocce ball as long as you want. I love croquet (especially my family's annual thanksgiving croquet game) but some times when you are in the back of the pack you just want the game to end. Where as bocce ball is a game where you can just play round by round and not even keep score if you chose (my wife is the worst sportsman ever, so I often choose to not :)).

[accadacca]

I have played bocce ball quite a bit. Kinda fun. I saw a group playing it on the beach the other weekend. That was interesting to watch in the sand.