Sport
18 February, 2024
Players are in boules and all
TIME to get your ‘boules’ out and take in the tropical views, the Mission Beach Pétanque Club is looking for new members to join the social club and enjoy a friendly competition by the sea.
With the slogan, ‘If it’s not fun we’re not doing it’ the Mission Beach Pétanque Club want to encourage bowlers and bocce players and absolute beginners to join the most easygoing sport club in the Far North.
Now a 10-year-old institution with 65 members, the club prides itself in having one of the best pétanque fields in the world and a friendly environment that attracts players that enjoy the competition with a side of friendship.
“Pétanque is a bit like French bocce so you have a couple of players playing each other and you have a set of three boules each, the metal balls we use, and the idea is to get the boules as close to what they call the cochonnet (small wooden ball) and the person who has the most boules close to it wins the game,” club treasurer Lynn Jahnke said.
“The field is called terrain and we play in one of the most magnificent sites in Australia in Ulysses Park, overlooking the sea, and we have a shelter there, a fantastic place to play and beautiful views.
“We’re a very friendly club, very social and our motto is, “If it’s not fun we’re not doing it.
“We meet regularly with other clubs like Palm Cove, so it’s a lot of fun, we have some members that are more serious about pétanque and will go off to competitions, but our main focus is to enjoy gentle exercise, friendly competition and have a good time.”
Players can try out for free and there’s an annual fee of $30 to join with all equipment provided.
“We play once a week, every Sunday at 3pm, and anyone is welcome to come along and join us. It’s a very easy game to learn. If it’s for you, we charge a fee of $30 for the year with a $2 contribution towards the Sunday games,” Ms Jahnke said.
“So, if you have a bit of a competitive spirit, enjoy gentle exercise and want to be a part of a social club, this is the place for you. We always socialise for half an hour after the games.”
To join, visit the Mission Beach Pétanque Club Facebook page, or pop up for the Sunday game at Ulysses Park.
