Croquet mallets and balls in Albury-Wodonga
The short answer: players on both sides of the Murray can buy an Invictus mallet or Invictus X balls online, made to order and delivered to Albury or Wodonga. Our first suggestion for most Border players is the Invictus Rise.
Croquet in Albury-Wodonga
The Albury Croquet Club began as a social outing for women while their husbands were at work, and it affiliated with Croquet Victoria back in 1938. By 2016 it had about sixty members, and that September it ran its first golf croquet tournament in more than eighty years: two days on two courts, with 28 players travelling from as far as Wollongong and Traralgon. Albury also fields a team in the Three Way tournament at Wagga Wagga, which it won in 2019. Across the river, the Wodonga Croquet Club holds free come-and-try mornings on Sundays at the Wodonga Tennis Centre in Dalgleish Street, with mallets, hoops and balls supplied and morning tea afterwards. AlburyCity has run free taster sessions of its own through the Seniors Festival.
What the Border's lawns and weather mean for your mallet
Albury-Wodonga gets the full inland year. Summer afternoons are hot and dry, and by February a well-kept lawn runs fast and true. Winter mornings in the Murray valley are often foggy and frosty, and a court that has not dried by mid-morning plays slow and grabby. It pays to have a mallet with enough mass to keep the ball travelling in July without overhitting it in summer.
Which Invictus mallet suits Albury-Wodonga players
Invictus Rise, A$990. More players pick this one than any other Invictus mallet. The aluminium head is about 3 lb, and its sweet spot is slightly larger, so it is a little easier to keep on line. The 11 inch head is our usual recommendation.
RF Pro, A$1,980. The flagship, developed with World Champion Robert Fletcher. A 3D printed aluminium head is fitted with brass weights and composite faces, and at about 2 lb 12 oz it is the lighter, very precise choice.
Every mallet is made for one player: your handle length, an 11 or 12 inch head, and Graphite Black unless you add A$130.90 for Snow White, NRA Blue, Rose Gold or Deep Purple. Start with our fitting guide and the side-by-side comparison.
Balls for Albury-Wodonga clubs
Invictus X is approved by the World Croquet Federation for championship play, weighs 450 g and is made entirely in Australia, at A$990 a set. For two courts, plan on two sets of first colours and two of second. Our explainer on croquet ball colours shows how the two sets pair up.
Delivery to Albury-Wodonga
Mallets are built only once you order, so allow usually 4 to 8 weeks before yours reaches the Border, as an estimate.
Questions Albury-Wodonga players ask
Eleven inch or twelve inch head? If you cannot decide, take the 11 inch; it is the size we usually recommend with the Rise.
Can I play a few weeks before committing? Yes: the optional 30-day satisfaction guarantee, A$99, gives you a month of real games first.
Do foggy winter mornings affect the head? No, it is aluminium. Dry the faces after a damp session and see our care notes.
More towns in New South Wales: the New South Wales croquet guide.
Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.