U.S. Bocce Championship Draw Coming to Los Gatos

The 2011 United States Bocce Championships tournament draw will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday at .

The event will be open to the public, and organizers encourage everyone to attend. 

The draw consists of selecting the national teams that will play in the upcoming national championships scheduled for June 25-July 2 at Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos and Campo di Bocce of Livermore. The event is expected to have an attendance of more than 5,000 people next month.

"There's going to be thousands of people in both locations," said Thomas Martino, director of marketing and corporate sales for Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos and Livermore. "We have more than 4,000 people that come to our restaurant every week. They're excited about this. They're coming here as spectators of the event.

"Bocce is the oldest ball game ever played ... a small ball hits a larger ball," Martino said when asked to describe the popularity of the sport to a non-playing audience. "It takes five minutes to learn how to play, but it takes a lifetime to master."

Martino explained that about 100 teams will be selected, much like the way teams are selected for the World Cup. It's estimated about 200 players will participate in the championship, he added.

The championship was held in Los Gatos in 2002 and then in Livermore in 2007 and 2009, Martino said.

Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos will supply a live feed of the draw at livestream.com/bocce2. "People will be watching this online ...  Everyone from around the country that is participating in the national championship and can't make it to the live draw will be tuning in," said Martino.

According to Ben Musolf, another event organizer, the tourney will attract the best bocce players in the country to Los Gatos and Livermore. This will be the fourth time Campo di Bocce will play host to the coveted event, he said.

Players from New York, Michigan, Florida, Missouri, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, Arizona, Washington, Nevada, Oregon and California will compete in eight events at both locations, Musolf added.

Two events will qualify players for the upcoming World Championships, he said. The Los Gatos location plans to install bleachers inside the restaurant to accommodate the crowd.

"It's a big national event. It's rare for it to come to the town," Martino added. "We're very excited and we're really looking forward to the championship on the larger scale."

Men's Volo will be played Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 24, 25, and 26. Campo di Bocce is constructing four new Volo courts out in the vineyards in Livermore. The top four finishers in the men's Volo event will represent the United States in Feltre, Italy, this fall.

The women's Punto, Raffa, Volo tournament—a more European style of playing the sport, which requires measuring the distance between the two balls—will take place at the the same time as the men's Volo. The Women's Punto, Raffa, Volo tournament will be a two-women tournament.

Immediately following the men's Volo, and women's Punto, Raffa, Volo championships, on June 27-28, the tournament will move to Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos for the Open A and Open B Championships.

The playoffs for the men's Punto, Raffa, Volo championship will begin at 6 p.m. July 1, with the semi-finals and finals taking place on July 2. Following the Punto, Raffa, Volo finals, the closing dinner takes place on the patio at Campo di Bocce of Livermore. The winning men's Punto, Raffa, Volo team will represent the United States at the 2012 World Championships to be held in Livermore in April 2012.

The championship sponsors are Peroni Beer, Shady Oak Cellars, EFX USA, Nottingham Cellars, Ruby Hill Sales.com, Toolbox Wine Company, Ron and Joann Jacobs, Groth Family Vineyards, Loos Family Winery, Playaboule, Perfetta, Retzlaff Estate Winery, JJ Albanese, Top Grade Construction, Los Gatos Roofing, Los Gatos.com, Boulevards, US Food Service, The Steven Kent Winery, ITAL Foods, Black Tie Transportation, Club Sport of Pleasanton, Heritage Estates, Hotel Los Gatos, Wente Vineyards, Italia American Bocce Club- St. Louis, CH Reynolds, A & R Construction and Santa Christina.

Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos plans to have appetizers and group specials for the crowd watching the championships. "We hope the public will come and watch, and enjoy a glass of wine and be a part of it," Martino said.