If pickleball or golf isn’t your thing, or you just need to get out and exercise your body and brain, the Sarasota Croquet club wants you to give it a try.
Hans Peterson, president of the Sarasota County Croquet Club in Venice, discussed the benefits of playing croquet.
“I think it's something that people can do right up till the end, really…..we have a 12-year- old here who's playing and competing and knocking the socks off of some of them, and then we have people that are 90 or more who are playing…. we have a community here.
“There's the athletic component, where you actually are out there walking around. Some games, you can walk over a mile in a morning or two, just out playing, swinging the mallet. But then there's also the mental part, they call it chess on grass ….you have to kind of determine what's the best approach. So it really keeps the mind active, too.”
“I think that's different for everybody, but it's very competitive,” said Michael Albert, vice president of the United States Croquet Association. “Imagine that you're playing pool and you're playing chess at the same time on a court that is 84 feet wide and 105 feet long. There is a lot of strategy. It's very, very dynamic. You can plan everything out. You can put the balls where you want, and then your opponent knocks your ball into the corner, and you've got to start all over again.”
Backyard croquet has been a popular game for decades. Over a quarter-million sets are sold in the United States every year, according to Albert.
“So that's a lot of people that touch that backyard set when it's in a family environment.”
Tournament-level croquet can see 10,000 to 15,000 players in the United States. And it is growing. In November 2024 the club held the Shark Tooth Invitational at the croquet courts in Venice. They played a version of croquet called golf croquet.
In golf croquet, there are six hoops or wickets on the court. Two competitors play against each other with four colored balls. One player takes two colors, and they go in order of the colors on a post. They alternate between players and colors. The object of the game is to get your ball through the wicket first.
Onetime golfer Laura Hendrick of Ponte Vedra Beach made the switch to croquet to keep her mind and body active, while also enjoying the communal aspect of the game.
“I started playing croquet when I couldn't play competitive golf anymore,” she said.” It's very social. You can play doubles with a partner, or you can play singles, which is the form we're playing today. …. Every golf course is different, but croquet, the six hoops are always placed in the same position, the same distance, and so it makes it really challenging. A lot of people refer to the sport as chess on grass because it's very strategic.”
Hendrick said playing against men or women levels the playing field.
“Women and men, there's no differentiation…. 99% of the tournaments are mixed gender. So we're always playing, you know, against men or with men, or against or with women. It levels the playing field that way.”
Hendrick has worked hard to perfect her skills by practicing or playing six days a week.
“I like doing jump shots successfully…that’s fun,” she said.
Have your interest sparked for croquet? Albert said the game is for anyone.
“As long as you can pick your mallet up, you can pretty much play this game.”
The Sarasota Croquet Club offers free lessons for the public on Tuesdays. The croquet club is the largest public croquet club in the U.S. This month, it will host the under 21 world golf croquet championship in Venice.
“if you're looking for a new group to get involved in, it's good for your heart, mind and soul, then, look us up and come on out,” said Peterson.
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