Whack the balls through the wickets for party fun

Fri., Sept. 24, 2004

Stacy Downs Knight Ridder

How to play

Here's how to play a four-ball game of Golf Croquet, according to the U.S. Croquet Association:

The sides: Blue/Black plays against Red/Yellow in this rotation: blue, red, black, yellow. In singles, one player plays both balls on his or her side. In doubles, each partner plays the same ball throughout the game.

The course: Set up the nine wickets and two stakes according to directions.

Starting out: A coin toss determines the starting player, who will be playing the blue ball. Each ball is played in turn from any point within a mallet's length of the center wicket.

The turn: There is only one stroke per turn. No bonus strokes are earned when your ball hits other balls or scores wickets.

Scoring: Each wicket or stake point is scored by only one ball, and the wickets must be scored in the order of the course. The first ball of either side to pass completely through the first wicket wins the wicket point for that side and the score is then 1-0.

A ball may take one, two or more turns to pass through the wicket to score the point, whether that ball is stroked through or hit through by another ball of either side.

The Turning Stake counts as a point, as does the Finishing Stake. It's permissible to score two points in one stroke.

Winning: The first side to score eight points wins, when the entire course is played.

Penalties: There are no penalties for faults, fouls or strokes out of turn. All balls are replaced, offending strokes are replayed and play continues in sequence.

For more information: Go to www.croquetamerica.com.

You can wear white after Labor Day to this party. In fact, it’s required.

Croquet takes its cues from the attire of the Algonquin Roundtable, an elite circle of writers and performers who met to lunch, gossip and occasionally play the sport in the 1920s. White linen pants, skirts and blazers were expected – think Gatsby and Daisy.

Traditional costumes aside, croquet is easygoing physically, although the nuances of the game are challenging for novices. If you want to throw a party centered on the sport in your back yard, have guests wear white, but go for simple.

Bob Alman, consultant for the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., suggests playing low-maintenance “Golf Croquet.” Each game typically takes 30 minutes.

“It’s very interactive,” Alman says. “There aren’t extra strokes, so that solves attention-span problems. It can be played on any terrain, which is good because yards are lumpy and bumpy.”

Here’s how to get started:

Equipment

You need one croquet set. A set traditionally includes nine metal wickets, six mallets, six balls and two stakes. Each mallet contains a color that corresponds with a ball.

Go online to Brookstone ( www.brookstone.com) to pick up a set that comes with a wheeled caddy for $135. Target ( www.target.com) sells a version that features four mallets and four balls for $60.

To play at night, consider battery-lighted wickets. Sound Design and Products of Mercer Island, Wash., sells sets from $40 to $75 at www.wonderwicketlight.com, (206) 236-2579.

Or, using the same Golf Croquet rules, people can play Toequet: Balls are kicked rather than hit with a mallet. The Toequet Co. in Terre Haute, Ind., sells sets for $144 at www.toequet.com, (812) 235-5284.

Or try MalletBall: Giant mallets, wickets and soccer balls are used in this extreme version of croquet. The Toequet Co. sells sets starting at $340.

Inviting guests

Call or send invitations at least two weeks in advance. Keep in mind each croquet game can have two to six players, depending on how you want to organize each match-up. A four-ball game, with two or four players, is the easiest to play at a party.

Food and drinks

Cheryl Shields, manager of Better Cheddar restaurant at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo., suggests sophisticated picnic food on the patio.

“Finger food that doesn’t stain works best,” she says.

Nutty-flavored cheeses taste good during the transition from summer to fall, she says. Red Hawk sells for $18 to $20 for 8 to 10 ounces. Mt. Tam, similar to Brie or Camembert, sells for $16. Serve them on multigrain crackers.

Snack mixes also make good accompaniments, she says.

White grapes, Spanish almonds and olives would fit in for nibbling between croquet games. But pretzels and beer are best for Toequet and MalletBall, Alman says.

Flavored lemonades, with the sweetness cut by fizzy club soda, make refreshing beverages. For dessert, serve champagne or sparkling white wine poured over sorbet.

Playing

Make sure everyone gets a chance to participate. And remember to inject a bit of friendly competition into the game. Knocking an enemy ball out of scoring range is the type of wicked move that makes croquet famous.

It’s all part of the game.