Town of Yountville Unveils Resurfaced Oyster-Shell Bocce Courts and Solar Redwood Arbor at Veterans Memorial Park

Parks and recreation coordinators with the Town of Yountville Parks and Recreation Department and members of the Yountville Bocce League dedicated two laser-graded crushed-oyster-shell bocce courts, a solar-lit redwood timber arbor, and accessible Napa Valley flagstone spectator terraces on Saturday evening at Yountville Veterans Memorial Park at 6465 Washington Street. Positioned at the southern gateway to Yountville's pedestrian culinary district across from the historic 1870 Groezinger Estate, the shaded park hosts weeknight town bocce leagues, weekend acoustic concerts, and picnic gatherings for residents and Napa Valley Vine Trail cyclists.

To restore true roll speed and rapid winter drainage across both 60-foot-by-10-foot courts, specialty court builders excavated the worn surface, laid a four-inch porous volcanic-scoria base, and compacted a three-layer topdressing of pulverized San Francisco Bay oyster shell blended with decomposed granite binder. New pressure-treated Douglas fir perimeter curbs, sloped wheelchair entry ramps, and rubberized end-board cushions allow players of all ages to step directly onto the court bed.

Spanning the central spectator plaza between the two courts, carpenters erected a 48-foot reclaimed-redwood pergola outfitted with a 1.8-kilowatt rooftop solar array that powers warm 2,700-Kelvin Edison-style LED pendant lanterns until 9:00 PM. Handcrafted French-oak wine-barrel stave scoreboards and chilled bottle-filling stations complete the gathering space.

The $185,000 park enhancement program was approved by the Yountville Town Council through the Capital Improvement Program and Tourism Improvement District grants. Yountville residents, senior league teams, and Napa Valley visitors can check seasonal league sign-ups, open drop-in court hours, and equipment lending rules on the Town of Yountville Parks and Recreation Portal.