If you are ever in the mood to try your hand at a new sport, the Marks Park Croquet Club will welcome you with open arms.
All ages are welcome to have a go at golf croquet at the club in Emmarentia every Tuesday from 9.30am or Saturday from 1.30pm.
A fee of R10 applies to non-members and all equipment is provided.
Also read: Come play croquet!
Keith Broad, the club’s member in charge of publicity and membership, explained that golf croquet involved playing in two teams of two, one versus one, or a person on their own.
“Each person gets a ball [in singles each player has two balls] and needs to hit it through the hoops,” he said.
There are 12 hoops placed around the field and once a player hits a ball through a hoop with their mallet, that team earns a point and the game moves to the next hoop.
The first team to score seven points wins but if the game is tied 6–6 then a ‘golden hoop’ is played.
“There is a lot of strategy to it because you have to work out who is next and how you can keep them getting their ball in while helping your partner too.”
Broad said the game could be ‘mean’ when players smashed their opponent’s balls out of the way but it was nevertheless a fun and social game.
“There is always laughter and giggling when a person hits another person far away, and there are ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when they get close to the hoop.”
The sport also offers a fun way to stay fit, as according to Broad it is easy to walk 4 to 5km each time one plays.
The club does have lessons for beginners but golf croquet is an easy sport to learn and the experienced players are always ready to give advice.
Broad invited anyone interested, whether to play socially or to work towards playing competitively at the odd club tournament, to contact him or simply rock up on Tuesday or Saturday.
Details: Keith Broad 076 850 5207.
