Association or Golf Croquet ?

(  Refer to Golf Croquet Rules and   Association Croquet Rules  on our Links Page for full details)

Golf Croquet (GC)

Golf Croquet is generally more interactive and take less time to complete than the game of Association Croquet. It has simpler rules but it requires a similar level of accuracy and tactical awareness. There are many Golf Croquet tournaments including regular World Championships, so not just a beginner’s game. It has experienced a recent resurgence of interest at all levels, now players of Golf Croquet far out-number those playing Association Croquet.

As in Association Croquet the blue and black balls play against red and yellow. Games can either be singles or doubles. If it is doubles, then each of the two partners has one ball only, the colour of which is determined prior to the start of play. Each person has only the one stroke in each turn. The balls are played in colour sequence – blue, red, black, and then yellow. The first ball is blue and is played towards hoop one, followed by the other player(s) in the game.

The objective is to get through a hoop before the opponent does and two basic strategies used to achieve this are to:

1. Knock the opponent balls away; and
2. Put your ball between the opponent’s ball and the hoop or even to protect your other ball if it is in a good position.

Games can consist of the best of 7, 13 or 19 hoops. There are skills in playing this version of the game, particular the ability to hit straight either in order to make hoops or knock other balls away. Jumping your ball over an opponent’s ball is a very useful skill to develop. When playing, it is important to remember the sequence of balls, and to plan how to protect your own balls while frustrating your opponent. Club games will usually take 30-40 minutes to play.

In competition play the present handicap system of the weaker player being given 'extra turns' will be replaced with Advanatge GC, a system where the weaker player will be required to score less hoopes than their opponent. This system will be recognised from start of the CNZ 2024-25 season. A table of starting scores and a guide to keeping track of clips required and a system of keeping a record of play will be available to guide in the new system. 

Association Croquet (AC)

Association Croquet is more complex than the Golf Croquet game with a wider range of shots, and takes longer to learn to play. Players attempt to get two balls through ALL of the hoops (twice) before hitting the central peg. There are 6 hoops and players go through them first in one direction, and then in the other. The final shot is to hit the peg in the middle of the lawn.

Players make a sequence of shots by hitting their striker ball onto another (called a roquet). The player then places their striker ball against the hit ball and plays a two-ball shot (called a croquet shot) in order to get their striker ball near another ball, or a hoop. They then play a further shot (a continuation stroke) to try and hit yet another ball or pass through a hoop. Thus, the sequence of shots is roquet, croquet and continuation. In any one turn, a player may use any of the other three balls on the lawn once in making the sequence of shots before making a hoop. When a hoop is made, the three other balls may be used again. By using up to three of the shot sequences, a player may move from one hoop to the next and thus make a whole series of hoops in the one turn – called a break.

Coloured clips placed on hoops are used to mark a player’s progress. The game involves considerable strategy in placing balls in order to make breaks. Players of different skill levels can play together with the use of extra turns (called bisques). Games can take anywhere from half an hour to three hours. ( the usual time limit for club games is 2 1/2 hours.) The player who “pegs out” both balls or is ahead on points at the end of time, wins the game.