Home › Find a Club › Pétanque in the United States › Central and Gulf Florida
Pétanque in central and Gulf Florida
Five federation clubs from Sanford through Sarasota and Tampa to Gainesville and St. Augustine, plus venues where the game runs without one. The country’s largest tournament is played in northeast Florida.
Five FPUSA clubs cover central Florida, the Gulf coast and the northeast, from Sanford through Sarasota and Tampa up to Gainesville and St. Augustine. Sanford is the busiest.
The largest pétanque tournament in the United States happens in northeast Florida every November.
Pétanque, once a month
Club spotlights, new court listings, equipment notes and events across the US, Canada and Mexico.
Free. One click to leave.
Clubs and venues
Clubs and venues
Five federation clubs, plus three venues where the game runs without one.
| Name | Where | Status | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohlala Orlando Pétanque Association | Sanford | FPUSA | Sylvan Lake Park, 845 Lake Markham Road | The Orlando-area club, run by Frederic Penaranda. Hosts a full season of its own tournaments |
| Manasota Boules | Sarasota | FPUSA | Lakeview Park, 7150 Lago Street | Thursday and Sunday mornings from about 9am with a lunch break. Formerly the Sarasota Club de Pétanque |
| Tampa Boules Club | Tampa | FPUSA | Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N Boulevard | Most Sunday mornings 9am to noon or evenings 4pm to 6pm, by season. Loaner boules provided |
| Gainesville Pétanque | Gainesville | FPUSA | Gainesville | The north-central Florida club on the FPUSA Southeast roster |
| Boules de Leon Pétanque Club | St. Augustine | FPUSA | Lighthouse Park, Anastasia Island | Affiliated since 2010 and a past host of FPUSA regionals. Sundays from noon on its last published schedule, so check its Facebook page first |
| Buster’s Bistro | Sanford | Venue | Historic downtown Sanford | A Belgian beer hall running a free monthly tournament on the third Sunday. Confirm the address before going |
| Cypress Cove | Kissimmee | Venue | Cypress Cove resort | Six courts with a shelter, at a naturist resort. Day pass or guest reservation required |
| Seaside Pétanque | Seaside | Informal | Seaside Town Center, by the chapel | A Panhandle park opened June 2013, with an informal group playing most afternoons |
Federation status governs sanctioned tournament entry and nothing else. Buster’s Bistro and Seaside both take anyone who turns up.
November
The Amelia Island Open
The largest pétanque tournament in the United States is played at Fernandina Beach, on Florida’s northeast coast.
The 2026 edition
Set for November 13 to 15 at the rebuilt downtown waterfront on South Front Street, with 136 doubles teams playing across 68 courts. Entry is $250 per team and it has sold out, with a waitlist.
The Amelia Island Pétanque Club organizes it. Its own permanent facility is sixteen courts.
How it got here
Philippe Boets founded the event in 2009, having moved his company Pétanque America to the town that June. He is no longer the organizer.
The event peaked at 93 courts in 2018 and drew around 400 players in 2016, so the current footprint is smaller than it once was.
The year it did not happen
There was no 2025 edition. Construction on the waterfront park put the tournament on hiatus for a year.
Describing it as continuous since 2009 is wrong, and the 2026 edition is the return.
2026
The 2026 calendar
Sanford carries the club calendar and Amelia Island carries the headline event.
| Date | Event | Where | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 25 | Chili Bowl | Sanford | Club |
| February 22 | Pétanque Charity Challenge | Fernandina Beach | Club |
| March 29 | Spaghetti Tournament, open doubles | Sanford | Club |
| May 30 to 31 | Sanford Open, singles and select doubles | Sylvan Lake Park | Club, $40 per person |
| November 13 | Women’s Doubles Compact Tournament | Fernandina Beach | Club, 32 teams maximum |
| November 13 to 15 | Pétanque Amelia Island Open | Fernandina Beach | 136 teams on 68 courts |
The Sanford Open ran at Sylvan Lake Park Pavilion 3 at $40 per person. The full national calendar is on our events page.
First visit
Where to start
Near Orlando
Sylvan Lake Park in Sanford, about half an hour north of the city. The club there runs a full season and the park has parking, shade and facilities.
Buster’s Bistro has run a free monthly tournament on the third Sunday, which is about as low-pressure an entry as the sport offers.
On the Gulf coast
Manasota Boules at Lakeview Park in Sarasota plays Thursday and Sunday mornings and welcomes newcomers without a fee. Many members are French or French-Canadian.
Tampa Boules Club provides loaner boules and plays at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park by the river.
What to bring
Accuracy
Listings to treat carefully
Several central Florida entries circulate widely without holding up. Worth checking before planning around one.
Court counts at Sylvan Lake Park
Eighteen courts is the figure in circulation, but it appears in a single user-edited source and Seminole County’s own park page does not mention pétanque.
The club is real and active. The number is what needs confirming.
Buster's Bistro
The monthly tournament is well documented, but the reporting refers to the original Buster’s location, meaning the venue has moved, and the current events page lists no pétanque.
Check directly before turning up for a third Sunday.
Cape Coral and a Tampa phone number
The Cape Coral group’s own listing says it has no courts and is seeking a location, and nothing has surfaced since. A Tampa phone number in wide circulation carries a Hawaii area code and appears on no club-controlled page.
Both are worth ignoring until someone confirms them.
Common questions
Questions about pétanque in central and Gulf Florida
Where can I play pétanque near Orlando?
Sylvan Lake Park in Sanford, 845 Lake Markham Road, about 30 minutes north of Orlando. The Ohlala Orlando Pétanque Association plays there and runs a season of tournaments.
Buster’s Bistro in historic downtown Sanford has run a free monthly tournament on the third Sunday, family and dog friendly.
What is the Pétanque Amelia Island Open?
The largest pétanque tournament in the United States, held at Fernandina Beach each November. The 2026 edition runs November 13 to 15 with 136 doubles teams on 68 courts. It has sold out, with a waitlist.
Philippe Boets founded it in 2009. The Amelia Island Pétanque Club runs it now, on the town’s rebuilt waterfront.
Has it always been that size?
No, it used to be bigger. The peak was 93 courts in 2018, and around 400 players in 2016.
There was no 2025 edition at all, because waterfront park construction put the event on hiatus. The 2026 running, in November, is the return.
Where can I play in Sarasota or Tampa?
Manasota Boules at Lakeview Park, 7150 Lago Street in Sarasota, Thursday and Sunday mornings from about 9am with a break around noon. Park on Hand Road and walk toward Lago Street.
Tampa Boules Club plays Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N Boulevard, most Sunday mornings 9am to noon or evenings 4pm to 6pm depending on season. Loaner boules are provided.
Does Sanford host the national championships every year?
No. It hosted the FPUSA National Men’s Triples in 2024, and that is a rotating championship.
The 2025 edition went to Sonoma in California, and the 2026 edition is set for October 24 in Thibodaux, Louisiana. What Sanford does host regularly is its own club season and Worlds qualifiers.
Is there pétanque in the Florida Panhandle?
One place. A pétanque park opened at Seaside Town Center in June 2013, in front of the chapel, and an informal group plays most afternoons.
It is about an hour from Fort Walton airport, and it is the only documented Panhandle venue.
What about Cape Coral and Fort Myers?
A group called Equipe Pétanque de Cape Coral has been listed for years, led by Larry Gillis, but the listing itself says the group has no courts and is still looking for a location.
No activity has surfaced since. Treat southwest Florida as uncovered unless you can reach the organizer directly.
How big is Sylvan Lake Park?
The park is large, with tennis and racquetball courts, soccer fields and lake access. Court counts for pétanque circulate at eighteen, but that figure appears in only one place and the county’s own park page does not mention pétanque at all.
Contact the club before relying on a number. The play itself is well documented.
When is the season?
Year-round, with tournaments concentrated October through May. Mild winters bring seasonal players to Bradenton, Sarasota and Tampa.
Summer from June to September shifts everything to mornings because of afternoon heat and storms.
Elsewhere in the US
Other American regions
Twelve regional pages cover the United States.
Playing on the Gulf coast and not listed?
Southwest Florida in particular has no confirmed active group. Send the details.
Pétanque, once a month
Club spotlights, new court listings, equipment notes and events across the US, Canada and Mexico.
Free. One click to leave.
Overview
- FPUSA clubs: five
- Busiest club: Ohlala, Sanford
- Largest US tournament: Amelia Island Open, November
- 2026 Open size: 136 teams on 68 courts
- Free monthly event: Buster’s Bistro, third Sunday
- Panhandle venue: Seaside, one
- Peak season: October to May
- Summer play: mornings only
Boule selector
Six questions on hand size, throwing style and budget return the specification that suits you.
Free Starter Kit
The rules, a boule sizing chart, court dimensions and the glossary in one printable PDF.