We always get to the venue early to groom the courts. Boston based companies can get a permit to use the courts for their corporate event, then hire me and my bocce posse to make sure the day goes off without a hitch.

The three courts are on Commercial St. overlooking the Charles River. You can view the Bunker Hill Monument and "Old Ironsides" from the venue. The place is ideal for passers-by to stop and watch and learn about the game. The stone embankments just invite you to sit down and watch, then maybe play a little.

It was a little cool on this Fall afternoon and the wind kept knocking over our scoreboards - see the wind catching the American flag in the distance. As always, our photo displays are designed to encourage others to "follow the model". If our pictures and captions are clear enough, you could run a corporate outing in your area.

We took the bases off the scoreboards and secured them by driving them into a space between the sideboards and the concrete.

Of course, it all starts with a competent, good looking (and well dressed) bocce posse. These guys not only play well and referee well, they have a knack for making sure everyone in the group has a great time.

Here the boys use a 7-foot drag brush and a lute/scarifier to get the courts ready for play.

After we are done grooming, Salvatore, one of the locals, puts the finishing touches on the courts. The North End is lucky to have such a dedicated volunteer as Salvatore. The man takes tireless pride in his commitment to maintaining the venue.

You'll need a bracket board. This outing was for textbook publishing giant, Pearson Education. We placed 6 players on each of 12 teams (72 participants). Each team was in a pool with 2 other teams (4 pools of 3 = 12 teams). After pool play, the top team in each pool moved on to the "Medal Round."

We randomly assigned players to teams (see our Color Coded system by clicking on the photo above), then gave a short explanation of the game, the rules, and how the afternoon would play out.

Let the games begin! Note the word REFEREE silk screened on the back of each official's shirt. One referee for each court to keep things running smoothly.

Play was often interrupted by thunderous applause.

And sometimes play prompted stupefied silence.

Spirited bocce play prompted the Bocce Guy (yours truly) to comment "I had never seen so many gifted athletes assembled in one location."

Great form! It's no wonder this guy was on the winning team.

The Gold Medal winners.

The Silver Medal winners.

Third place winners got the coveted Joy of Bocce caps (with the striking, embroidered Joy of Bocce logo).

Fourth place winners got embroidered Bocce/Golf towels.