LAWNS UPDATE for March

Those who already play croquet will know what a delightful game it is and what a fine sport it can be for those with a more competitive nature. What you may not know is that Enfield is the only Croquet Club within a nine mile radius.

Interested parties can TRY CROQUET FREE with no obligation and no financial outlay before deciding whether or not to join our Club. You can lose nothing by giving it a go, so why not come along and give it a try? You may be as pleasantly surprised by the game as all of our current members were when they first picked up a croquet mallet.    

What skills are required in a game of croquet? Well in essence just the ability to be able to stand still and to hit a ball with a mallet, ideally with a reasonable degree of accuracy. This is a relatively simple talent that most people can acquire with practice. At its very highest levels you might compare it to the accuracy required for snooker or the putting play in golf. On the tactical side comparisons with the complexities of a cricket or a chess match wouldn't be unreasonable. Combine these with a game played on a decent grass surface and you have the basic concept.

What you don't require is strength, stamina or the ability to run around. Nor do you require fast reflexes or the ability to hit a moving target as you do in so many other sports. You don't even need a competitive edge to play for fun, but it certainly helps if you want to win more often than you lose.    

There are two principal variations of croquet currently played in the UK, differing in the scoring systems and order of shots. Both are played through obstacles called hoops and employ the same course layout. Croquet can be played in back gardens or any flat piece of ground and may be adapted to smaller than standard playing courts. Our club however plays on competition sized lawns of a decent quality and with all the necessary equipment provided for free.