Croquet mallets and balls in Edinburgh

The short answer: Edinburgh players can buy an Invictus mallet made to their handle length, or Invictus X balls for a club, online with delivery anywhere in the city. For the cool, often damp lawns of the Scottish capital, the Invictus Rise is our usual first suggestion.

Croquet in Edinburgh

Edinburgh's croquet story starts early: the Moffat Mallet, Scottish croquet's most famous trophy and the Open Singles prize, dates from 1871. The Meadows Croquet Club, at Leven Terrace, plays on three full-size lawns made after 2000 from two disused greens of the old West Meadows Bowling Club. It is also home to the Scottish National Croquet Centre, opened on 7 June 2003, where the Scottish Croquet Association runs national and international events. Edinburgh Croquet Club, founded in 1950, plays at Lauriston Castle and has run a Festival-week tournament, at Fettes College since 1981. Balgreen Croquet and Bowling Club makes a third.

What Edinburgh's lawns and weather mean for your mallet

Edinburgh's summers are cool rather than hot, and wind off the Forth and the odd sea haar can leave the grass damp well into the day. Lawns that rarely bake hard play at medium or slow pace for most of the season. A head with weight behind it moves the ball on those surfaces without a longer backswing.

Which Invictus mallet suits Edinburgh players

Invictus Rise, £525. The Invictus mallet players pick most often: an aluminium head of around 3 lb, with a slightly enlarged sweet spot that makes it a touch easier to control. Pair it with the 11 inch head, which is our usual advice.

RF Pro, £975. Our flagship, which we refined alongside World Champion Robert Fletcher. Composite faces cap a 3D printed aluminium head that holds brass weights, and the finished mallet sits around 2 lb 12 oz, making it the lighter, very precise option.

Your mallet is made to order at your handle length, and you decide between an 11 inch and a 12 inch head. Graphite Black is the standard finish; Snow White, Deep Purple, NRA Blue or Rose Gold costs £89. No model offers a choice of weight. Measure with the fitting guide, then compare on compare mallets.

Balls for Edinburgh clubs

Approved by the World Croquet Federation for championship play, every Invictus X ball weighs 450 g. They are made entirely in Australia and cost £479 a set. Plan, as a guide, on a first-colour set and a second-colour set for each lawn, so three of each at the Meadows. Read croquet ball colours explained.

Delivery to Edinburgh

Once ordered, each mallet is built and then sent to the UK, reaching Edinburgh usually 4 to 8 weeks later; that figure is an estimate. If you order ball sets, the delivered price is agreed with you before any payment.

Questions Edinburgh players ask

Will a 3 lb head feel heavy for golf croquet at the Meadows? Seldom on Edinburgh's medium-paced lawns; the lighter RF Pro is there if you prefer.

Is there a way to try before keeping it? Yes. Pay £75 for our satisfaction guarantee, an optional add-on covering 30 days.

Does a damp haar affect aluminium? No. A quick wipe of the faces after play is enough; our care page has more.

For other Scottish towns, visit croquet in Scotland.

Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.