Croquet mallets and balls in Canberra
The short answer: Canberra players can order an Invictus mallet or Invictus X balls online, built to order and delivered anywhere in the ACT. For players graduating from the borrowed mallets at the club, the Invictus Rise is where we would point you first.
Croquet in Canberra
Croquet here is older than Old Parliament House. A lawn was laid in 1925 for guests of Hostel No. 1, later the Hotel Canberra, and in 1928 a women-only Canberra Croquet Club formed to share it; men were admitted from 1976. The club still plays on the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Coronation Drive, Yarralumla, on three lawns beside a clubhouse that opened in 1933, and the grounds went onto the ACT Heritage Places Register in 1994. After a 2020 hailstorm damaged the clubhouse, a renovation of about $530,000, largely government funded, doubled its footprint and reopened in November 2022, when the club had 134 members aged 17 to 91. Association, golf croquet, ricochet and gateball are all played. Newcomers can borrow from a range of club mallets, though everyone completes an introductory course before joining. The newer Belconnen Croquet Club, formed to meet demand, is working to establish a court of its own.
What Canberra's lawns and weather mean for your mallet
Canberra's winters are famous for hard frosts and sub-zero dawns, and a lawn still white at eight o'clock plays slow and wet for hours. Summers are hot and dry, and the same lawns become fast and firm. Players here need weight behind the ball in July and a soft touch in January.
Which Invictus mallet suits Canberra players
Invictus Rise, A$990. Our most popular mallet. The aluminium head is around 3 lb, enough to drive through a frosty lawn, and a slightly larger sweet spot makes it a little easier to control. We generally suggest the 11 inch head.
RF Pro, A$1,980. Developed with World Champion Robert Fletcher, and our flagship. Its head is aluminium, 3D printed, with brass weights and composite faces, about 2 lb 12 oz; a lighter mallet, very precise, for those who play the faster summer lawns hard.
Both are built to your handle length with an 11 or 12 inch head. Standard colour is Graphite Black; Snow White, NRA Blue, Rose Gold or Deep Purple cost A$130.90 on top. Our fitting guide and mallet comparison help you settle the details.
Balls for Canberra clubs
Invictus X: World Croquet Federation championship approval, 450 g, made entirely in Australia, A$990 a set. A three-lawn club would usually hold three sets of first colours and three of second. Before ordering, read how many ball sets a club needs.
Delivery to Canberra
Each mallet is made once ordered, and usually reaches Canberra 4 to 8 weeks later. That is our estimate rather than a commitment.
Questions Canberra players ask
I have just finished the introductory course. Rise or RF Pro? Usually the Rise; it is a little easier to control while a new stroke settles.
What if it does not work out? The optional 30-day satisfaction guarantee, A$99, gives you a month of club games before you commit.
Is an aluminium head affected by frost? No. Wipe off the dew after play and see product care.
More on croquet in the territory: croquet mallets and balls in the ACT.
Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.