hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn April 2014 | Page 39

High Wycombe Croquet Club High Wycombe Croquet Club has existed for over 25 years but in April it is opening two brand new lawns at Hazlemere Recreational Ground. The Grand Opening of the new lawns will be on Saturday May 3rd at 2.00 pm when there will be FREE Come and Try sessions. We welcome new members and coaching is available. Croquet is a fun, sociable sport which can also be played competitively in leagues and tournaments. It provides exercise that is not too strenuous; but a full day’s play can involve several miles walking. As an affiliate club of the Hazlemere Sports Association, we have full access to the excellent facilities of the Ken Williams Pavilion including bar, kitchen, toilets, meeting rooms. Further FREE Come and Try sessions: • Bank Holiday Monday 26th May, 11am - 5pm • Sunday 13th July, 1pm - 5pm Coaching Courses Four evenings of 2 hours on Tuesdays during May: 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th; and again in July: 15th, 22nd, 29th and August 5th Croquet is not an expensive game; all you need is some enthusiasm and some flat-soled shoes. All equipment will be provided, but as you get involved you may want to buy your own mallet. We look forward to hearing from you. Cast aside your thoughts of Alice in Wonderland and genteel old ladies... Croquet combines mental and physical skills and though easily started it can take years to be a real expert in the strategy needed. Above all, it can be played and enjoyed by all; young, old, male, female, beginner or experienced. Croquet has a handicap system which allows everyone to compete on an equal basis. Croquet is played on a lawn of completely flat, closely-mown fine grass (similar to bowls), twice the size of a tennis court. There are six cast-iron hoops set into the ground, and a peg. The game is played by two teams which can be singles or doubles, and each team has 2 balls. The aim of the game is for one team to hit their balls through all the hoops in the correct order before the opposing team. There are two types of croquet played at clubs: Golf Croquet in which a game typically takes 45 minutes and Association Croquet which may take 2 – 3 hours. Golf Croquet has the simpler rules and is more interactive (each turn is just a single stroke), but it requires similar accuracy and tactical awareness. The players follow a course contesting each hoop in turn; as soon as one hoop is scored all players move on to contest the next. The winner is the side that scores the most hoops. Association Croquet is the full international version of the sport. The objective is to score 12 hoop-points and a peg-point with each ball before the other side does the same. Through careful play, a player can keep the tactical advantage and make life difficult for the opponent. Good players can make ‘breaks’ as in snooker, sometimes hitting a ball through (‘running’) many hoops in one turn www.hwcroquetclub.com 01494-858202 email: [email protected] | www.hiyabucks.com 39