Croquet & Bocce
Folks arrive, often times generations apart, to share a game that developed generations ago. Throwing balls (or polished, worn rocks) toward a target is considered the oldest game to mankind. As it continues to be played in the same vein of Italian and French squares, bocce is played here informally at Wilson Lawn & Racquet Club - and along the riverfront adjacent to Buffalo's - by people of all ages.
Our croquet lawns have encouraged the likes of unlikely croquet players. It has turned the curious into contestants, the uncomplicated into strategists. This game, involving both billiards and chess wasn’t always as a mild-mannered as it feels today. Croquet, when its popularity began in the 1890s, brought along with it a great deal of drinking, gambling and other behavior that alarmed the local Boston clergy enough for them to seek a ban on the game. Today's game and its rules, however, resembles more the affection of the 40s and 50s Hollywood types, with many still choosing to wear the traditional 'all-white' when playing.