Welcome to Bristol Croquet Club
Established in 1897, Bristol Croquet Club maintains an excellent reputation as a leading club. We are home to several national and international players as well as lots of members who love just playing at the club. It has grown from very small beginnings and has a membership of around 110. We are a very friendly and welcoming club.
We enjoy three full-size courts, one of which is usually laid out as two half-size courts. The clubhouse has a clubroom, changing rooms, toilets and kitchen, with supplies of soft drinks and snacks available for purchase. There is some car parking space within the grounds and plenty of adjacent on-street parking.
The main playing season runs from late March until late September, though our lawns are open year-round. Annual membership fees cover unlimited use of the courts, which must be pre-booked. There are plenty of opportunities to play competitively within the club, regionally, nationally and internationally! Information for Visitors.
What's It All About? - An Appetiser for the Croquet-Curious
What is croquet all about - and why should you give it a try?
Think you know croquet? Think again!
Croquet is the thinking-person's sport: a competitive game of strategy and skill enjoyed by players across the world - young and old, male and female.
There are two main codes of the game: Association Croquet (AC), and Golf Croquet (GC) - governed by Laws and Rules set by our national governing body, Croquet England
Both forms are played competitively at club, national and international level. Croquet suits people of any gender and any age (though we accept members from the age of 10). Contrary to its public image, croquet is a skilful and complex game, but the handicapping system means that players of all abilities may play against each other.
AC combines elements of snooker with the tactics of chess, GC has simpler rules and uses some but not all of the skills of Association Croquet. Mastery of croquet is as much in the head as in the hands.
Try it for Yourself
Croquet is an ideal sport: you don't need to come along with a partner, you don't need to be very fit, and it can be played almost normally while following government guidelines on social distancing.
All you need is an active mind and a pair of flat-soled shoes (most trainers fit the bill) - we supply everything else.
We'd love to hear from you if you'd like to give it a go. The lawns are open most of the year, but the real action begins each March. If you like what you see, you can join a beginners' course comprising five two-hour sessions, usually held weekly. These introduce you to the strokes and tactics that are the foundation of the game.
You'll then be able to enjoy competitive play with plenty of opportunities to improve your game, make new friends, enjoy our programme of social activities, and wonder how on earth you managed to live without this fascinating sport.
On completion of the course, if you've been bitten by the croquet bug, you can join the club for the remainder of the year at a discounted fee. Why not arrange a free taster session?
If you have a croquet handicap and would like to join Bristol as a playing member, please just contact our Secretary. If you have played in the past but feel a bit rusty, do get in touch and we can arrange a session to see how much you remember and agree where we go from here.
Read more about the club in A Short History of Bristol Croquet Club or have fun exploring this website.