The Jamberoo Croquet Club is inviting the community to discover the sport of croquet at their Come and Try Twilight Croquet event on Wednesday 5 November from 5pm to 7pm at Keith Irvine Oval.

Established in 1997, the club has been in the same picturesque location for almost 30 years and currently has 78 members, both men and women, who play seven days a week across three lawns. Jamberoo Croquet Club’s (JCC) publicity officer Glenda Gutierrez says the come and try event is designed to showcase the sport and welcome new members.

“It's just to show them the sport, let them have a hit with the mallet and the ball and see what they think,” she said

“And if they wish to pursue it, they're more than welcome to come and we will offer formal coaching then.”

The free event provides all equipment and coaching, with JCC members guiding participants through the basics of croquet.

For those interested in pursuing croquet, JCC offers three free coaching sessions with no obligation to join, but it allows people enough time to know if it’s the sport for them.

“It's really hard to get an idea of whether you think this sport is yours unless you actually physically pick up a mallet and hit a ball,” she said.

“I've been playing for quite a while now, once I hit a ball that was it, I was in. It was really the sport for me.”

Last year’s come and try event drew in participants from 12 years old to seniors, showing that croquet is for anyone curious about the sport and willing to participate.

“Because it's not overly physical, it is very much targeted for the more senior members of the public or those who may have some sort of limitation,” Glenda said.

“People can play socially or if they are very competitive, most definitely they can enroll themselves in a competition.”

Bookings are essential as spaces are limited, contact Jamberoo Croquet Club Secretary Jim Cook at [email protected] to reserve a spot.