Welcome to Colchester Croquet Club

About Colchester Croquet Club.

At Colchester you will find a friendly club who welcome and encourage new members. The club’s Lexden home has a welcoming clubhouse and four lawns. These lawns are some of the best lawns in the country, often playing host to national competitions.

Within the club we have members that simply want to have fun, meet people, and get some exercise to those who would like to play in competitions around the county and/or country.

If you’d rather just play socially our Club Days are Mondays & Thursdays when there will always be a friendly face ready for a game. As a member you’ll have access to a lawn booking system and a WhatsApp group to arrange games with fellow members.

If you want to play competitively, we play both individually and as a club in numerous competitions around the country and we also run internal competitions over the summer months for all levels of player from beginner to expert.

If you wish to try it out then come along to one of our Club Days either on Monday or Thursday afternoon when there will always be a friendly face ready to welcome you to the club and the game. All you need is a pair of flat-soled shoes. We have four lawns, a stock of mallets and other equipment for you to try, and we’ll give you the basic instruction you’ll need.

Croquet is one of the finest outdoor sports. It is a friendly game combining ball skills as well as tactics, it’s relatively easy to understand, and it’s fun to play.

We are always pleased to receive new members, of any age or level of experience from beginner to advanced. If you are an experienced club or match player, please click on our club section to learn more about the club and how to get in touch.

If you are thinking of taking up croquet from scratch, please keep reading this section for a brief introduction to the game and its benefits.

Why play croquet?

Croquet is an enjoyable, sociable game that can be played by people of any age and of either sex. In addition, it is generally a mixed sex sport.

There are two principal forms of the game – Association and Golf.

Association Croquet is a game of complex strategy and high levels of skill, and is similar in many ways to games like snooker or pool.

Golf Croquet is a game with a long history and a recent resurgence of interest at all levels has made it the most popular variant today. Compared with Association Croquet it has simpler rules and is more interactive (each turn is just a single stroke), but it requires a similar level of accuracy and tactical awareness.

Both forms of the game may be played as singles or doubles and many people enjoy playing both, as skills learned in one form of the game may be applied to the other.

Croquet’s effective handicap system recognises smart thinking as much as physical skill, so everyone has a good chance of winning.

As with any game, the best players probably start young, but many take it up after retiring from more energetic pursuits. It can be as skilful as you want it to be – advanced players can take it very seriously, but most club members probably see it as a relaxing and friendly way of passing an afternoon.

About the club

The club was formed in 1926, and is based in Elianore Road, Colchester.

Our main season runs from April to October, and membership is open to people of any age. We also have winter access to the lawns when weather allows. New recruits are always welcome, and all members have the use of our equipment as well as access to coaching from our more experienced players.

For both formats of the game, there are internal events and regional and national leagues and tournaments for those who wish to play competitively. These cater for all levels of player from beginner to expert.

Interested in playing?

Before deciding whether to join the club, prospective members are welcome to try the game. See our taking part section for details, and contact us if you want more information.