Scotts Valley California's Dave Wilson sends these photos of bocce play in Florida.

"Our first and most difficult task is finding someplace that has hard sand and is relatively flat and parallel to the surf. We groom that area a little with a leaf rake and dig a border all around to catch the balls just in case."

"Sometimes we play a 'one way' game with our backs to the surf. This usually happens when there is a slight grade heading down into the water, too much to play parallel, but not enough to not be able to throw the balls 'uphill', so to speak, and have them stick.""Sometimes we play a 'one way' game with our backs to the surf. This usually happens when there is a slight grade heading down into the water, too much to play parallel, but not enough to not be able to throw the balls 'uphill', so to speak, and have them stick."

"One of the best aspects of playing on the beach is how much you can talk about the game with those who are walking by. Some even ask for a lesson and turn out the next time they see us out there."

"If my wife Jeanie and I go out by ourselves, it doesn't take more than half an hour to get six or more folks down, into the game and having a great time."

"In yesterday's outing (we played about three hours), we met some folks who came down from their condo. They introduced themselves as having watched us last year. They had gone out and bought a light-weight set and were trying to learn the game. We had a great time meeting some new folks and encouraging them regarding the sport."

The tools of the trade.