Croquet mallets and balls in Gore

The short answer: croquet players in Gore and Eastern Southland can buy an Invictus mallet made to their own handle length, delivered to town, and the club can add championship-approved Invictus X balls. For golf croquet on the Ardwick Street greens, we would point most people to the Invictus Rise.

Croquet in Gore

The Gore Croquet Club goes back to about 1919, when a group of the town's leading women set it up. The Borough Council at first refused them the corner of Ardwick Street and Civic Avenue, but the club got the site in the end, still plays there, and has since marked its centenary.

Papers Past records Gore's best players meeting a combined team from the three senior Invercargill clubs on the Gore lawns in 1929. More recently the club hosted the Croquet Southland association and golf croquet tournaments in January 2024, and in December 2025 the Southland Silver Badge final between Gore, Invercargill and Winton was played on its greens. The club began with association croquet; most play now is golf croquet, with games of around 45 minutes.

What Gore's lawns and weather mean for your mallet

Gore sits inland on the Mataura River, and Southland is known for cool, changeable weather with rain through the year and hard winter frosts. Outside the warmest weeks soft, slow grass rewards a heavier head.

Which Invictus mallet suits Gore players

Invictus Rise. Our most popular mallet. Its aluminium head carries roughly 3 lb, and the sweet spot is a bit larger, so it is a little more forgiving on a heavy Southland lawn. Most people do best with the 11 inch head.

RF Pro. Our top model, created with World Champion Robert Fletcher. A 3D printed aluminium head holds brass weights and composite faces, about 2 lb 12 oz in all: lighter in the hands and very precise.

Both are built only after you order, to your handle length, with a choice of 11 or 12 inch heads. Graphite Black is standard, and Snow White, NRA Blue, Rose Gold or Deep Purple cost extra. Weight is fixed by the design. See our mallet fitting notes.

Balls for Gore clubs

Invictus X balls carry World Croquet Federation championship approval, weigh 450 g and are made entirely in Australia. As a rule of thumb a club needs one first-colour and one second-colour set for each lawn; choosing croquet balls for a club walks through the decision.

Delivery to Gore

Each mallet is made for its owner, and reaching Gore usually takes 4 to 8 weeks from order, which is an estimate rather than a promise. Prices are on each product page.

Questions Gore players ask

Does a frosty morning hurt an aluminium head? No. Cold does no harm; wipe off the dew after play and keep it inside overnight.

I only play golf croquet. Which mallet? Start with the Rise; its forgiving face suits the steady, short shots that decide most golf croquet hoops.

Can I see how it plays before I am committed? Yes. Add the optional 30-day satisfaction guarantee and use it in your own club games first.

Nearby: Invercargill and Dunedin. All towns: croquet mallets and balls across New Zealand.

Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.