Booking Lawns

To avoid disappointment courts should be reserved in advance through our online booking system. You can access the booking system either from home or via the terminal in the clubhouse. From April to September, all four courts are available for booking, while from October to March, only two courts are open. Please note that courts may be unavailable during Croquet Association or EACF tournaments, club matches, or internal competitions. To ensure availability, check the club calendar or court booking system for scheduled events.

Please note that lawns are typically mowed on Tuesday and Friday mornings, with play available from around 9:30 am on those days. If you’re the first to play on a lawn on a Tuesday or Friday, please remember to check the hoops. The contractors remove them for mowing, so they may be loose or missing and will need to be replaced before play begins. A blue mallet is kept just inside the clubhouse door for this purpose.

If you’re the first to play on a lawn, please take a moment to swish away any worm casts. They can affect the run of your ball, and treading them in risks damaging the surface and creating muddy patches. Swishers – long, flexible yellow poles – are stored in the eaves of the shed’s front overhang.

During the summer season, when leaving a lawn, if its partner lawn (i.e. Lawns 1 & 2, or Lawns 3 & 4) is also not in use, please turn the two central boundary boards between them 90 degrees. This allows the two sprinklers located there to operate effectively.

If you’re playing on Lawn Three and the Short Croquet hoops are also set out on part of the lawn, please use the hoop lifter – located on the outside of the shed at the front – to remove them. This is to help prevent injury, as lifting the hoops by hand can strain your back or hands.

To use the booking system, you will need a username and password. Please contact Michael Manning by phone or email at nathilda.mike@gmail.com to receive your login credentials.

Roll-ups

During the summer season Monday afternoons have all four courts reserved for a Golf Croquet (GC) roll-up. On Thursdays, in the summer, courts one and three are reserved for the whole day for a GC roll-up. At present there is no AC roll-up.

During the winter season Monday & Thursday afternoons have both courts reserved for a Golf Croquet (GC) roll-up. 

A croquet roll-up is an informal gathering where club members (and occasionally guests) come to play without pre-arranged games. A well-attended, friendly roll-up helps build a strong sense of community and makes new members feel welcome. To ensure an enjoyable experience for all, please follow these guidelines:

Forming Games

• The primary goal is to ensure all players have a fair opportunity to play with a variety of members, fostering inclusivity and engagement.
• Games are initially arranged based on arrival order, with players rotating onto courts as games finish.
• Try to vary partnerships and opponents to keep play engaging and inclusive.
• Pre-arranged games are not in the spirit of a roll-up and should be booked separately through the club’s booking system.

Game Format

• Games are usually doubles to accommodate more players, but singles can be played if numbers allow.
• To minimise waiting time at well-attended roll-ups, games should be played with a time limit (e.g., 30-45 minutes) to allow for multiple rounds.

Rotation and Waiting Players

• If players are waiting, they take the place of those finishing a game.
• Those not currently playing are welcome to watch, socialise, or practice on the practice area between the shed and the clubhouse.

Etiquette and Sportsmanship

• Be ready to join a game with any player, regardless of skill level.
• Encourage fair play and show good sportsmanship in both victory and defeat.
• Avoid excessive coaching unless assisting a beginner.
• Be mindful of noise and distractions while others are taking their shots.
• Follow the standard rules as it is a great way to build skills and prepare for competitions, especially when it comes to key rules like the “wrong ball” rule. That said, in social games, the occasional mishap can add to the fun, but practising the rules when possible is always beneficial for development.

Double Banking

• Please follow the standard route through the hoops to avoid double-banking delays.
• If starting second, allow the first group to clear hoop 2 before beginning your game.
• If delayed by a group playing in the opposite direction, the first to the next hoop takes precedence. If waiting is impractical, skip to your next hoop without altering your overall route.
• If delayed by a group playing in the same direction at your next hoop, ideally wait. Alternatively, replay your previous hoop (e.g., if delayed at hoop 5 after running hoop 4, hit back to replay hoop 3). Please avoid altering your route unnecessarily.

Tea Break

• A 15-20 minute tea break at 3:00 PM is a great opportunity for all players to take a break, chat, and socialise.

Traditional Dress

• It is traditional to wear whites, if you have them, when playing following a club lunch in the summer.

Ending the Roll-Up

• Players may leave at any time, but it’s courteous to ensure even numbers remain for ongoing games.
• All equipment should be returned, and the lawns left in good condition.

Following these simple guidelines helps keep roll-ups enjoyable for everyone. 

Security

• If first to enter the grounds ensure the chain is wrapped around a gate, the padlock fastened and the numbers rotated. This will ensure the expensive chain and padlock is not stolen.
• If last to leave the club grounds ensure that:
  • during the summer season, boards should be moved away from the pop-up sprinklers,
  • all taps and lights in the clubhouse & shed are switched off,
  • the clubhouse is locked,
  • the shed and the shed padlock are locked,
  • Ensure the gates are closed and the chain is wrapped around both gates, the padlock secured and the numbers rotated. If, for health reasons, you feel unable to secure the grounds, please ask another member to stay behind to do so.