Forget the Kentucky Derby and the PGA Championship, some of the most tenacious competitors can be found on the bocce courts at Oak Crest, an Erickson Living community in Parkville, Md. Residents of Oak Crest meet twice weekly to compete, socialize, and relax with friends and neighbors over a friendly game of bocce.

"Bocce is a lot of fun. We just go out and have a good time and it's okay if we win and it's okay if we lose. You make new friends and meet new people. Our team is all female and we do our best to keep it lighthearted," says Polly Carroll, who learned to play shortly after moving to Oak Crest eight years ago.