Peter joined his local club five years ago, looking for something to do on Tuesday mornings. Five years later, he's played croquet in Toowoomba, Noosa, Cairns, and across the Tasman in New Zealand.
It started with a casual conversation at tea. Another member mentioned a tournament on the Sunshine Coast, a weekend away with a few games. Peter went along. The weekend turned out to be more about the dinners and conversations than the croquet itself, and he discovered that croquet people are easy to travel with.
Croquet clubs exist everywhere, and players love hosting visitors. Each of Peter's trips has followed the same pattern: show up, introduce yourself, play a few games, get invited to stay for lunch. The clubs are different, the lawns are different, but the welcome is the same.
"You look up the local club, send an email, ask if you can join a social day," Peter says. "They always say yes. You walk in and it feels like you already know people."
These days, Peter takes his mallet on holidays as a matter of course. His tip for new players: visit other clubs early. You'll be surprised how welcome you are.
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