From the President

Hi Everyone,

Our plans for a grand opening for the summer season all crashed despite the welcome change from Covid Level 3 to Level 2.  However, the weather was glorious on Saturday and 23 members enjoyed two or three full games of golf croquet in the morning, while others enjoyed association croquet in the afternoon.

The council team and Colin’s team had done a great job preparing the lawns.
Caroline and Barry’s refurbished trolleys and spanking clean club house, Alison’s bright new yellow flags combined with the clear blue sky set the scene for a happy return to croquet.

Colin and Marita’s farewell is next Saturday 18 September. Colin has been a blessing to the club for more than two years, both because of his ebullient personality and because of the energy he has invested in developing his game and elevating the skill set of the entire club.

Looking forward to a good summer season.

Mary Stevens

From the Club Captain

Last Saturday was a great way to start the summer season. Special thanks to our ‘Covid Marshall', John Stevens. (Badge to come.)

Welcome to Colette Mackenzie, who has just taken up our introductory offer, and welcome back Esther Prince, who has just become a full member.

I second Mary's thanks to Caroline and Barry for the wonderful work on restoring the carts, and also being a two-person working bee on cleaning the clubhouse, including moving all the furniture and shampooing the carpet.

And thanks again to Colin and the team of helpers who gave up a full day to reset the hoops. The photo below shows the work in progress.

Help keep our hoops in good order

You can help by taking care when dressing/setting up the lawns for play, and when removing the equipment after play.

• Do not use your foot to stamp on the hoops when putting them in place. Use the rubber mallet in the trolley to gently and evenly knock them into place.
• Never wriggle the hoops to remove them. If they are too firm to lift easily by hand, use the lifter in the trolley or the burgundy-coloured lifter in the shed.

Play etiquette reminder

Just a reminder of some things that could earn you a penalty in competition play, and are not good etiquette at any time.

• No talking, making noises, standing or moving in front of a player who is about to play a stroke (except for an intervention that is permitted or required by the Rules).
• Don't walk across another lawn where a game is about to start, in order to get to your lawn.
• Take care not to stand or move so that your shadow affects the person about to play a stroke.
• Keep alert to players' positions when games are double-banked.
• When golf croquet games are double-banked, both groups should be flexible in deciding whether to wait for the other game to play through, or to change hoop order.

Lawns closed for two weeks 4 - 17 October

Because of the Covid lockdown, Wellington City Council's planned winter maintenance of our lawns has been rescheduled to early October, when the lawns will be closed from the 4th to the 17th. There is to be no play on the lawns during this time.

Keep checking our Calendar on the club website

Changing Covid levels in our area and around New Zealand mean that we have to be flexible about planning competitions and events. We are updating the Calendar page on our website regularly. 

• Check the Calendar page of the website

WCA and KMCC competition entries due 

• Wellington Croquet Association Lower North Island AC Teams Event, at Rose Gardens, 20-21 November. Entry is by nomination.
• Wellington Croquet Association Golf Croquet Handicap Singles at Plimmerton, 11-12 November.
• KMCC club competitions entry form. Entries for GC Handicap Singles Ladder close Sunday 19 September.

For KMCC AC competitions (excluding Stevens and grades), please either put a completed hard copy of the club entry form on the left-hand end of the mantlepiece in the clubhouse, or email Jane at this email address -

• [email protected]

Jane Norman

Farewell to Colin and Marita

Here's hoping for fine weather for our farewell to Colin and Marita next Saturday 18 September. 

To help us plan for all contingencies, please click the RSVP button below Colin's photo to let Caroline Townsend Green know whether you will attend the farewell.

Annual subs discount ends in September

A friendly reminder that the discounted annual summer membership subscription of $200 is available only if paid before the end of September. Pay now and keep those chocolate biscuits coming in, folks!

The ‘After' photo of repaired trolleys

A smart line of shiny trolleys, fully rebuilt and repainted by Caroline and Barry.

And below is the ‘Before' 

Finally …

In 1939, a 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth stepped ashore at Dartmouth and it was over the next few days that she would spend time with the man who would one day become her prince.

The 18-year-old once Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was a young naval cadet at the time and he had been assigned the duty of entertaining the young princesses.

Photos of that time are held at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. Among them is one of Princess Elizabeth and Philip playing croquet.

The photo below was published by ITV West Country 9 April 2021.