A lively game with roots in ancient Rome, bocce is played on a long, narrow court. The goal is to get your team’s balls as close as possible to a smaller ball called a “pallino” or “jack.” It’s an excellent choice for social gatherings, whether played casually or competitively. Bocce originated in Europe and has gained popularity in the United States, where there are around 1 million players.

Tom McNutt – also known as “Boccemon” – is a central figure in the local bocce scene. In 2000, while managing a project on Crane Island, McNutt and a colleague came across an old bocce court at a neighbor’s barbecue. Inspired, upon returning to Bellingham, McNutt built a bocce court in his backyard. His innovative use of oyster shells in the court sparked interest and led to the construction of more courts, including courts in Barkley Village and Fairhaven. To market his bocce court materials, McNutt launched boccemon.com to sell materials and construction know-how.

“Boccemon would never have been launched without the support of my friends and local businesses,” says McNutt. “We have shipped over 2,000 court surfaces over the last 22 years, not only to the United States, but also to places like Greece, Dubai, Canada, Jamaica and Costa Rica.”

In 2005, the Boccemon company even shipped 12,000 pounds of material in flat-rate boxes to a base in the Sunni Triangle of Iraq for the Combat Bocce Club.

McNutt says bocce has spread in Whatcom County since the first commercial court was built in Barkley Village. He’s seeing more and more people familiar with the game as they walk by his Sehome-area bocce group that plays on Wednesday afternoons. McNutt’s court is not open to the public, but people are welcome to play on Wednesdays after 3 p.m. at the corner of Carolina and Iron streets, weather permitting.

During these Wednesday sessions, people from Skagit County to Custer come to play, representing a variety of professions and backgrounds. “They’re people who have come by to ask a question or two, and we inevitably convince them to join in for a quick game,” McNutt says. “Some have been coming for 21 years, others have joined recently.”

In addition to McNutt’s courts, bocce is also played on beaches and lawns throughout Whatcom County, and games are held regularly in Lynden as well.

Suzan Brawnlyn oversees the bocce ball program at the Lynden Community and Senior Center. “Currently, the bocce ball program is simply for play,” Brawnlyn says. “Lynden has a well-maintained sunken field at Bender Sports Fields, where the Community Center and Senior Center meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon.”

Brawnlyn has watched with joy as bocce ball has grown in popularity in Lynden over the past few years. “Lynden has kept the bocce ball boom going,” she says, “and we’ve opened it up to all of Whatcom County’s senior centers and the public who want to play.”

She noticed that seniors are coming from Bellingham, Everson and occasionally Blaine or Ferndale – and people are starting to put together their own teams.

In nearby Anacortes, there is a bocce court at Anthony’s Restaurant, and in Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, there are two public courts with a Boccemon-coated surface.

“You can play it anywhere, you need minimal equipment or experience,” says McNutt. “And court bocce is great because when you play it on a well-maintained court, you can predict where the ball will land.”

And whether you’re nine or 90, it’s easy to play on a bocce court. “People should just play because it makes them feel good!” says McNutt. “It’s a low-impact game that gets people outdoors. Smiles and new friendships are good reasons to play.”

Bellingham hosted Washington’s largest bocce tournament for 18 years before COVID-19, with all proceeds going to local nonprofits. Today, major tournaments are held at Seattle’s Festa Italiana in late September, and the Seattle Bocce Club hosts regular games and tournaments at Woodland Park.

Looking to the future, McNutt sees potential for more local parking in Bellingham and in Whatcom County’s cities, wineries, breweries, neighborhoods and country clubs.

McNutt and Brawnly are confident that bocce will continue to grow in popularity in Whatcom, keep going and become more popular as players try the game for the first time or continue to enjoy it with friends and the community.

More about bocce in Bellingham and Whatcom County

Boccemon

For more information about bocce in Whatcom County, visit the Boccemon website or Facebook page.

Boccia at the Lynden Community Center

Bocce court at Bender Sports Fields

Boccia area

Anacortes

Anthony’s Restaurant Bocce Court website:

Seattle

The Seattle Bocce Club can be found on its website