The nastiest game in the world with the friendliest of people welcomes all to try

Croquet is a strategic game and can be physically strange.

The club welcomes all who wish to participate from all ages.

Members’ price is $5 a game and non-members are $8.

“It is an excellent game,” player Tom Haigh said.

“The game itself is less physical than golf.”

Players from all different fitness levels can enjoy the game and the competitiveness that it brings out of people.

“It’s a very strategic game. You can attack, defend, you can be nasty,” Haigh said.

Brian Polland is one of the club’s newer members, taking to the sport well.

“It’s giving me a second chance at life,” Polland said.

“My knee collapsed 18 months ago and I found out I had no cartilage in my knee.”

Polland used to play bowls, but could no longer get down to the ground, so after driving past the croquet club one day and watching them play, Polland asked if he could bring his little trolley and try playing.

“The first couple of games, I had to take some painkillers,” Polland said.

He is now waiting on a custom-made mallet to play the game.

“It’s a good match for golfers that are stunning with golf,” player Mick Sullivan said.

“There is still exercise and it’s an easy game to pick up.”

The club has picked up since COVID-19 times with an increase of 14 members, giving the club 20 members.

“We compete locally,” president Valerie Mulholland said.

The game is easy to pick up on and is fun to play.