Courts 1 & 2 are made available for winter croquet. They are 80% of a full size court and rotated 90 degrees. This is to give the regular hoop locations some respite. Hoop one has the blue cross-beam so position yourselves to start at the yellow flag.
Do not play if the ground is frozen or frosty. The reason for this is all to do with the moisture inside the grass blades and roots. Frosty grass is particularly vulnerable to damage, as the blades are brittle and easily crushed underfoot. When that moisture freezes, the water molecules expand and can rupture through the cell walls and cause serious damage to the grass. When players tread on a frozen court, the compaction can cause such ruptures as the barriers between the cells break and the grass is killed from the inside. This can leave lasting marks or dead patches on the lawn, which may take weeks or even months to recover. In addition, as the temperature rises and the lawn thaws, the dead compacted down grass turns brown, creating thatch which covers the grassroots starving them of light and water which can in turn cause problems too. Even if the lawns appear clear, there may still be icy patches around the grounds. To protect the lawn and ensure it stays in good condition for future games, it’s best to wait until the frost has thawed and the grass is more resilient.
In frosty conditions, extra care is needed, especially on the slope from the car park to the veranda and the veranda itself.
Please swish away the worm casts before starting a game. They’ll affect the run of the balls. Treading them in can ruin the lawn creating patches of mud. The swishers are located in the roof of the shed’s veranda.
Do not attempt Jump Shots. Jump shots and hammer shots are totally prohibited, as any damage caused (cuts or deep indentations) won’t recover over the winter, as it’s too cold.
Booking is via here. If a primary court is booked you can still play by booking the secondary court and using the secondary colours. The order of play for secondary colours is Green/Pink/Brown/White. Please do not book a secondary court if the primary is booked for an Association Croquet (AC) game. AC is not sequential like Golf Croquet (GC) and requires the entire lawn at all times.
When sharing a court please be cognisant of the other players location and that of their balls. Both sets of players are to be courteous, considerate and respectful of each other, avoiding interference and distractions and deferring to primary court players in matters of priority.
