Gillian Porter, secretary of Enfield Croquet Club, invites local people to give the sport a try

Enfield Croquet Club has a wide range of ages

At Enfield Croquet Club we will be running free ‘introduction to croquet’ training sessions in

April.

This is the chance to have a go at a fun, very sociable and mind-challenging sport. Yes, skill and strategy come into it, but you can play competitively or casually. The choice is yours.

When I tell people I play croquet they are often surprised. For a start, I am not a sporty sort of person, but four years ago I joined one of these free training sessions that the club offers and loved it.

A question I am always asked is: “Don’t you have to wear white clothes?”

We don’t wear white when playing a friendly game or at one of our club afternoons, but we do if we are playing an inter-club match. Club afternoons are when you can just roll up and have a game against beginners or experts on one of our three lawns – you don’t have to book.

Another common question is: “Isn’t croquet a sport for older people?”

Some of our members are retired, but the current world golf croquet champion, American Blake Fields, is aged just 18! That leads on to the next question: “What is golf croquet?”

The two most popular versions of the game are golf croquet and association croquet. We play both at the club. Beginners usually start with golf croquet as it has a simpler set of rules. Why it’s called golf croquet, I don’t know, but it was invented in the 19th Century as a game to be played in a garden and it has become the fastest growing version of the game.

“What about equipment?” people also ask. Well, all equipment is provided if you join one of our training sessions. The only requirement is that you wear flat shoes or trainers.

Having answered the most common questions, perhaps I have convinced you to give croquet a try!

Our free training sessions are on Saturday 5th and 12th April, and Tuesday 8th and 15th April, all from 10am-12pm. We are based at Bush Hill Park Recreation Ground in Cecil Avenue, Enfield EN1 1PS. Booking is essential as numbers are limited.

For more information and to book a place at one of the free croquet sessions:
Email [email protected]
Call 07576 235 073
Visit enfieldcroquet.org

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