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Canterbury Croquet Club - welcome to our web pages
Welcome to Canterbury Croquet Club - our membership fee £90pa. To Join call the secretary Yvonne Hill 01227 738219.
The good news is that membership is growing steadily and is now nearing 50.
Most people imagine croquet to be a simple game involving hitting a ball through a hoop in the garden. There is, however, another side to it. Played to Association Rules, it is transformed into a highly competitive sport which not only requires excellent eye-to-hand co-ordination but also a strong sense of tactical awareness.
There are now over 150 clubs in the Croquet Association which organises national and regional competitions. 18 countries are represented in The World Croquet Federation.
THE CLUB
The Club was founded in a garden in the village of Chartham Hatch in 1991. It moved to the Polo Farm site in 1996 where it now has two full-sized lawns and its own pavilion. Most of the activity is during the summer months but play is possible throughout the year.
THE GAME
There are two types of croquet, association and golf, both of which are played at Polo Farm. Golf croquet, the simpler form of the game, is proving very popular, particularly with newcomers to the sport. Association croquet can be loosely described as snooker on grass. Tactics play an important part. Games can take up to three hours to complete and good breakmaking requires sustained concentration. Golf croquet requires quick thinking and concentration but over a much shorter period. Handicap systems allow players of differing ability to enjoy games together in golf or association.
THE SEASON
The main croquet season is from April to the end of September. At Canterbury we are fortunate to be able to play all year.
CLUB SESSIONS
Golf croquet: Tuesdays 5pm (summer) 2pm (winter) and Fridays 2pm. Association croquet: Wednesdays 10am; Saturdays 2pm (summer) 10am (winter). 14pt (half game) association croquet , Sundays, 1030am.
Other key dates: Click here for the 2011 programme of internal competitions and social events. Members will also receive a printed copy of the programme from the secretary.
COMPETITIONS
In spring and summer the club plays in the South East Croquet Federation Unlimited Handicap and B Leagues and in the federation's golf croquet handicap league. It also has internal leagues, knockout competitions and club sessions.
THE LAWNS
The club currently has two competition lawns and two winter lawns. Players must wear flat-soled footwear and must not play on the lawns when they are waterlogged or frosted. Whites must be worn for external matches and for internal competition finals.
Internal league and competition matches must be pre-booked in the club diary, in which attendance should also be noted.
LEADERSHIP
The club’s executive committee meets regularly and its minutes are posted on the club noticeboard. Its members are: chairman, Barry Sales; vice.chairman, Roger Loram; secretary, Yvonne Hill; treasurer, Peter Jones; association croquet captain, Michael Poole; golf croquet captain, Judy Sturrock; Keith Barkley, Frank Hughes.
SOCIAL EVENTS
The club organises several social events, including a finals day barbecue, an open day, an annual dinner and a fun croquet day. Click here for details.
MEMBERSHIP
The current membership fee is £90, which includes the right to use the extensive facilities provided in the main Polo Farm clubhouse. The club has some spare mallets which potential new members can use on a trial basis but players are expected to buy their own mallets once they decide to join the club. Green fees: Four sessions per season are permitted priced at £3 each. These fees are reimbursable if a player subsequently joins the club in the same season.
There is a reduced rate of £30 for members under 17. Coaching sessions are arranged when possible.
PUBLICITY
The club's external, and key internal, league matches, as well as other major events, are featured in Canterbury's local paper The Kentish Gazette.
INFORMATION
Further information can be obtained from the Club Secretary Yvonne Hill on 01227 738219 or by email yvonnefhill@hotmail.co.uk.
THE CROQUET ASSOCIATION:
The Croquet Association is the official body for the sport in this country which also operates a shop selling mallets, books and other items on its website shop at www.croquet.org.uk/shop. The latest South East Croquet Federation news can be found at www.southeastcroquet.org.uk.
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