By Paula Pyzik Scott

On a balmy early summer’s day I stopped by to chat and take a gander at shuffleboard playing in Buckeye Park. A flock of cars indicated that something special was going on, but the scene was also exceptionally quiet. 

On the courts, several games were underway with players chalking scores on blackboards. Players pushed weighted discs with long cues, creating a “ssssss” sound and the “tink” of weights striking weights.

At the nearby picnic shelter, waiting players chatted and filled me in on the day’s event, the Steve and Cindy Slaughterbeck Memorial Tournament, and about activity in the sport in Ohio. New Bluffton club president Sandra Little was enthusiastic about the sport’s appeal to players of all ages from all over the state. Little has been playing for 10 years; she discovered the sport as an alternative to “cooking” in the sun at the beach in Florida.

The players emphasized that you don’t need to have experience to join in the fun and competition. They are ready to teach newcomers how to play the game that has elements of billiards, bocce and Sorry (Sorry, I bumped your disc out of play. Sorry? Not really). Weekly play at 10:00 a.m. on Mondays and Saturdays offers friendly games. All the equipment needed is provided for a nominal club fee. 

The Village-owned, tree-lined courts are located off Spring St., between Bluffton Family YMCA and the lake. There are six fenced-in courts with covered benches on both ends. The Bluffton Club has been affiliated with Ohio Shuffleboard since 1995. 

Tournament play is very competitive and brings players from all over the state to Bluffton.

Bluffton is one of nine clubs in the Ohio Shuffleboard Association and hosts play for professional and amateur players. In August three more tournaments are scheduled for Bluffton courts: the August 5 Open Any Draw Doubles, August 8 Open Mixed Doubles and August 15 Open Any Doubles.

For more information, visit https://ohioshuffle.weebly.com/bluffton.html