The cocktail that started it all... And what about your financial plan?

The Classic Old Fashioned. Its history dates back to the early 1800s. Bourbon or rye whiskey. A sugar cube. A little water. Clear ice with a dash or two of bitters. And don’t forget the orange peel. But what about the ingredients in your financial plan? There’s a lot more to it than investments.

You have tax and estate planning, risk and cash flow management, trust and fiduciary services, and don’t forget about plans for retirement. Better yet, let us help you create a complete financial life plan. We’re Patton, Albertson & Miller. Give us a call. And...”Cheers!” Atlanta / 404.917.2727 Chattanooga / 423.414.2100 Macon / 478.742.5554 friendships and made numerous new ones out on the croquet court.” He and his friends turn a game into a social occasion by bringing food and drinks to share and enjoy the day at the regulation half-court he restored to its original 1920s glory in his backyard.

Bocce

The earliest known documentations of ancient games similar to bocce include stone spheres from a Neolithic city in modern-day Turkey dated around 7000 B.C.E., reports the Federazione Italiana Bocce, and a painting from around 5200 B.C.E. discovered in an Egyptian tomb, according to the World Bocce League. From there, the game was eventually picked up by the Greeks and passed on to the Romans, where it gained great popularity. The name bocce comes from the Latin word for ball, bottia. Bocce actually became so popular that in 1319 C.E., it was banned for everyone in the Roman Empire except the nobility because it was seen as a distraction from more important tasks. However, as time went on, the game gained more and more approval, and by the 15th century, some doctors in France were even convinced it was the cure for rheumatism.

Still widely beloved today, bocce is the third most popular sport in the world, behind soccer and golf. The first world bocce championships were held in Italy in 1948, and it’s been an event at the Special Olympics since 1991. A regulation bocce court is 91 feet long by 13 feet wide, but you can change the dimensions for a more casual game in the backyard, park, or beach. The game can be played with up to eight players split into two teams of even numbers. Bocce balls are typically made of resin or hard plastic, though originally they were made out of solid wood.

As local bocce lover and tournament organizer, Frank Knight, explains, bocce is so prominent because it’s a relatively accessible game, and competitiveness can range from family fun to international competition. “It’s a great combination of luck, skill, and camaraderie among bocce players. I’ve certainly made lifelong friendships in the bocce club,” Knight says.

P Tanque

Pétanque is a version of French lawn bowling (boules) that came from Provence in southern France. In the early 1900s, a style of boules where players took three steps before throwing their balls was very popular. One of the game’s great former champions, Jules Lenoir, had rheumatism and couldn’t take the required steps anymore, so his friend, Ernest Pitiot, suggested that they shorten the pitch by half and stand stationary in a designated circle instead of running up to throw the ball. This is where the game gets its name – pieds tanqués in the original Provençal dialect, which means “feet planted” – and because of this rule change, pétanque is very accessible. As local pétanque devotee Kenneth Chance reiterates, “There are no barriers of age, gender, or athleticism.” It’s addictive to play, and “pétanquers usually become fast friends, since it is a bit of a rare sport in the U.S.,” he shares.

Though there are a lot of similarities to bocce, pétanque has a few key differences. The balls used in this game are made of steel and are a bit smaller, about the size of an orange, versus a grapefruit-sized bocce ball. Bocce is rolled with an open hand, palm up, but pétanque is thrown with the palm facing down. Instead of requiring a flat smooth surface, pétanque can be played on rougher ground like baseball diamonds or fine gravel. Rougher terrain may even provide a welcome challenge for some players. Because of the relative ease of finding a place to play pétanque, Chance explains that avid players “will always have your boules with you in the car, and you will have your eyes out looking for new suitable places (pistes) to play. You may even find yourself building your own piste at your home!”

BEGINNER’S LUCK

Garnet Chapin

I learned how to play croquet while visiting my grandparents almost every Sunday. The Chapin, Patten, and Wells youngsters would be sent to the front yard laid out with croquet stakes and wickets while the adults were out on the backyard patio enjoying refreshments and the view.

Chris Lusk

I liked throwing horseshoes when I was a kid. Cornhole looked like mobile horseshoes to me, so I was pretty interested from the beginning. As far as why I continue playing, it’s just so much fun throwing, and there’s so much variety – you can play indoors or outdoors, with friends or strangers, for pleasure or competition!

Frank Knight

Andy Calvanese was one of those old Italian guys who ran the bocce tournaments at the courts at Bluff View, and he taught several of us how to play. Our bocce club holds an annual tournament named after him, the Calvanese Singles Bocce Tournament. It carries a $500 prize plus bragging rights, and we’ve done it for 19 years.

Ken Chance

I learned to play pétanque initially from my neighbor Joe Zajac. He and I had often played bocce ball together, but once we started playing pétanque, we never looked back. We started going to tournaments and getting to know people in the pétanque community. Sometimes you would meet well-known people like actors, winemakers, humorists, and musicians, or meet champions from all over the world – often you could play impromptu matches against them!

Where To Play Locally

Croquet

The nearest official United States Croquet Association club is in Nashville, but you can play right here in Chattanooga with the Lookout Battleground Croquet Club, headed up by Chapin. As he says, “Croquet can be played by virtually anyone at any age. All it takes in order to play is a little coordination, some decent equipment, and a nice flat lawn.”

Cornhole

There are many opportunities to play in cornhole tournaments for charity around Chattanooga, and many local bars and restaurants feature cornhole boards on their patios for casual play. For local leagues, check out North Chattanooga Cornhole League & Social Club or Chattanooga Sports Leagues.

Those interested in bocce should consider joining the Chattanooga Bocce Club. The club hosts recreational play as well as tournaments, and it welcomes beginners and players of all ages and skill levels.

Pétanque

Though many flat, gravel areas are suitable for casual play with family and friends, you can also join the River City Pétanque Club, where players of any age or skill level are welcome. As Chance says, “Once you start playing, you will play for the rest of your life. ‘Beware of obsession’ is really true for pétanque.”