Booking System
All four courts are available for booking, from April to October (actual start and end dates being controlled by the weather), using the on-line booking system here. During the winter months a limited number of courts will be available for booking too.
There is also a terminal situated in the clubhouse at the end of the notice board on the left where you can view and make bookings.
To use this system you will need to be a member and have been allocated a User Name and Password by our court booking system administrator – see the new member’s welcome pack for details or the Roles and Responsibilities page.
For assistance with any problems which you experience with the on-line booking system please contact the court booking system administrator.
Your membership allows you to play at almost any time from dawn to dusk on any day other than when when blocked out for tournaments, in-house competitions, club days, external bookings and court maintenance.
Courts can be booked in 30 minute increments for Association Croquet, Golf Croquet, or any other forms of the game. Courts can be double banked with the second booking required to use the secondary coloured balls and defer at all times to the primary colours when contesting a hoop.
Throughout the summer the lawns are cut on Tuesday and Friday mornings (weather permitting) but play should be possible by at least 9.30am on those days.
If you are the first to use a lawn, please swish the worm casts before playing. Swishers can be found in the overhang at the front of the shed. Failing to do so can damage the lawns. Also, check the bird-scarer kites to ensure they’re “flying” properly. If they’re tangled, kindly take a moment to untangle them. Additionally, if you are the first on the lawn after mowing on Tuesdays and Fridays, please bang in the hoops before playing. Loose hoops tend to rattle in the holes, enlarging them and exacerbating their movement, which requires them to be hammered further in to remain stable. It also make hoop running more difficult.
If you are last to leave the club please check the wooden dividers in both the top and bottom lawns have been swivelled away from the sprinkler systems. This ensures the sprinklers are not hampered from reaching all sections of the lawns.
To ensure that the on-line booking system works smoothly, will all members kindly note and action the following:
1. If, for any reason, you are unable to play on a court that you have booked, please cancel it so that others may use it. Since this can be done on line it shouldn’t prove too difficult.
2. Golf Croquet and Association Croquet can not be played on the same court. To ensure that your booking is correctly identified, please make the correct selection from the drop-down boxes on the booking page. Please enter the names of all players in the brief description.
3. Bookings should not be made more than four weeks ahead. Exceptions are CA events, tournaments and in-house matches where, because of unusual circumstances (e.g. one player taking very long holidays), there is no other choice.
Weekly Roll-up Schedule
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.
During the winter season Monday & Thursday afternoons have both courts reserved for a Golf Croquet (GC) roll-up.
These are called roll-ups because as a member you can just come along (roll up) and join in; no need to book. They’re great for meeting people and provide a fantastic opportunity to learn from more seasoned players. Just ask for some coaching and you’re sure to improve in no time.
To ensure everyone enjoys their time on the lawn, here’s a few suggestions to help things run smoothly:
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- Please come off the lawn after completing one game and mix with others to form new foursomes. This ensures everyone has a chance to interact.
- Following the standard rules 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 practicing the rules when possible is always beneficial for development.
- 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 secondary colours should wait. 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.