July 12, 2015, at Miller Park in Winston-Salem, NC

Shirley on 7/12/2015-- the day before her birthday!

We played at the new terrain at Miller Park in Winston-Salem, NC, on Sunday.  We anticipate that the new 6"x6" timber surrounds will be installed on Monday, so this was our last "unstructured" play.  It will be quite a relief not to have to carry and place our own timbers at the foot of the courts.  The new terrain has slopes and undulations, in addition to being very firm; so, the boules will often travel a considerable distance unimpeded down into the horseshoe area of the park when timbers are not used.

Our plan is to play on the courts "as is" once the timbers are set before deciding whether or not any top-dressing will be necessary.  I like the challenge of a fast, uneven terrain, but there are others who would prefer a softer, more level playing surface.  Time will tell which approach will be preferred by the majority of members.

Gary