The Eleventh Year - 2026

April 28th this year is the opening of the Te Aroha Croquet Club’s Winter Series of Tournaments for 2026, playing Golf Croquet.  This is the 11th year this Series has been running in Te Aroha up on the Domain.

The Series caters for players of all levels from the Bay of Plenty, Waikato/King Country, Auckland, Taranaki, Rotorua, Hawkes Bay, and Thames Valley, and brings 40 players into Te Aroha. Each tournament in the Series is played on the last Tuesday of the months of Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug & Sep.  Should a tournament need to be postponed due to the weather it will be rescheduled to October.

Patron and club stalwart, Flora Cameron said “over the last seven years we have not had to advertise The Series”, as all the players have been signing up for the next year’s Series during the final Tournament of the current year. She added: “they do this to ensure that they are back in the draw for the following year and do not have to face a ballot in order to gain entry.”

Committee Member Cerita Craig said, “we hear comments from the visitors like; ‘we just love the Series, the format of the day and love playing here’.  It’s like having a great bunch of friends come back each month.”

Entrants were treated royally all day to that special Te Aroha hospitality and the club gives a big thanks to tournament sponsor Gayle of Aroha Quilts who also sponsors all the ‘grazing baskets’ of goodies placed on each table, for all the five tournaments. 

Special efforts have gone into the lawns over the past few months, presenting the visitors with an excellent playing surface.

When Club Treasurer Cath Hughes was asked who paid for the lawn renovations she said: “The Club did. The funds came by way of grants, sponsorship, donations, etc. and club members also put in a lot of labour.”  She went on to say that “this past financial year Te Aroha Croquet Club has invested $52,400 into the lawns on the Domain.  The work done isn’t just about improving the playing surface, it will also strengthen them and help to mitigate extreme environmental factors that can occur, this benefits the community as a whole”.

Winners & Grinners: 

To be advised as the tournaments matches proceed...