What is Pétanque

Though classic yard games like horseshoes and shuffleboard are well-known, there's another outdoor sport that you may not have heard of with a fan base that's been growing steadily through the years. Pétanque is a game of French origins, dating back to the early 1900s. In the mid-1920s, the game spread throughout the world and has become a popular staple amenity at many Sun RV Resorts in recent years.

It's considered by some to be the French version of the Italian game of bocce ball with the differentiating factor that bocce is traditionally more of a bowling-style game, whereas pétanque is more of a tossing game, like horseshoes. Deriving a number of features from horseshoes and bocce ball, this game has two key components. The "boules" are hollow steel balls that players use, while the "cochonnet" or "jack" is a small wooden ball that serves as the target. The goal is to toss or roll the balls as close as possible to the jack, while standing inside a circle with both feet on the ground.

Pétanque is generally played with teams in a round format. Once both teams have thrown all of their balls, the winner of the round is decided by the team that has the ball closest to the jack. To keep score, the winning team earns one point for each ball that is closer than the opposing team's closest ball. To win the game, a team must earn 13 points in total.

The biggest difference between horseshoes and pétanque is that the jack is a wooden ball that can be hit and moved, while a horseshoe pit is stationary. This tricky component leads to many lively matches, where the score is upset at the last second when the jack is hit.

Though this sport can be played on almost any surface, many Sun Outdoors resorts throughout the U.S. and Canada feature dedicated courts. Whether you're playing in the Florida sunshine at Marco Naples RV Community, or joining a league at Sun Retreats Sherkston Shores, this is one game that you won't want to miss out on!  

Official Pétanque Rules HERE.

Give it a try at one of our resorts by clicking here.