PLAY PETANQUE!

What is Petanque (pronounced PET-TONK ) ? You may have heard of, or
even played Bocce, which comes from Italy. Petanque is played very much
the same way and originated in France. The main difference is the size of the
balls used. Where Bocce balls are large like a softball, Petanque balls are
smaller, like a baseball. It can be played with as few as two or with teams of
up to three a side. The objective is to take turns trying to roll or toss the balls
or boules, as close as possible to a smaller target ball, called the jack. One
point is given to the team for each ball closer than the opponent's closest ball.

MAH members Paul and Jacque Smith introduced the game to the community
about ten years ago and formed a club that plays on two courts they built in
Winthrop’s Heckendorn Park. Petanque can be played by any age or ability,
you don’t need to be young and fit! The hardest part is picking up your balls
after each turn ends. It is very casual and social. The courts sit in a quiet
shaded area of the park, near the river, with a permanent bench at each end
of the court. The two courts can accommodate up to six persons each.

Last spring Paul and Jacque held introductory sessions for MAH members to
learn the game, then started a weekday morning MAH Petanque group.

The MAH Petanque group meets each Wednesday morning at 10:00 AM and play
for about an hour. All are invited to join in, the game is easy to learn.

Equipment will be provided, but players may want to own their own set of
balls. Petanque rules etc. can be found at www.wikihow.com/Play-Petanque

Heckendorn Park Petanque Courts
803 Riverside Ave
Winthrop, WA  98862