Clay County’s centennial marble sport can now continue year round thanks to a new insulated yard.
Rolley Hole Marble player Brian Cherry said the last several yards were outside and maintenance was difficult.
“It’s important for us to actually have a community that actually threw events and stuff,” Cherry said. “Marble is a big thing in this area, in Clay County and in Southern Kentucky. It’s a tradition for everyone.”
Cherry said the new 40-foot yard gives marble players accessibility every evening. The yard is located at the county fairgrounds. He said since the facility is insulated it’s easier to flatten the dirt playing ground.
Players range in age from eight to eighty. Cherry said anywhere from five to twenty residents play rolley hole marble.
“You got three holes in the ground and they’re ten foot apart,” Cherry said. “The object of the game is you got two players, and each player’s got to try to roll the holes. You gotta go up and down three rounds in order to go out. Whoever goes out first after the three rounds is the winner.”
Rolley hole marble was in decline for several years but Cherry said it’s become more popular the past three or four years.
Construction for the fairgrounds yard began late last year and finished this spring.