Croquet mallets and balls in the Hamptons
The short answer: players in Westhampton, Quogue, Southampton and across the Hamptons can order an Invictus mallet or Invictus X balls online and have them shipped to the East End. For a summer game on well-kept Long Island grass, the Invictus Rise, our most popular mallet, is where most players should begin.
Croquet in the Hamptons
The East End holds an important place in the modern American game. The Westhampton Mallet Club was about seven years old, with 24 members, when Sports Illustrated covered it in 1967, the summer London's Hurlingham Club came to Long Island for a return match. A decade later it was one of the five founding clubs of the United States Croquet Association, alongside the New York, Palm Beach, Green Gables and Bermuda clubs, which together wrote the American Rules. Southampton, then the focal point of Long Island croquet, played English rules only and would not take up Westhampton's challenges. Southampton's Meadow Club, founded in 1887, is known for tennis, croquet and dinner dances. More recently the Westhampton Mallet Club asked Southampton Town to let it build three courts, at its own cost, on town preservation land at Alden Lane and Main Street in Quiogue, offering public equipment and free weekly lessons; town staff raised concerns about reserving courts for club matches.
What East End lawns and weather mean for your mallet
The South Fork has a maritime climate: summers are warm but tempered by ocean breezes, humidity is high, and morning dew can sit on the grass. The season is short, roughly Memorial Day to early fall, because winters are cold and windy. A close-mown court runs fast once the dew lifts.
Which Invictus mallet suits Hamptons players
Invictus Rise, US$695. An aluminum head of around 3 lb and a sweet spot a shade larger than standard make it a little easier to control. Pair it with an 11 inch head, our normal advice.
RF Pro, US$1,295. This flagship came out of our work with World Champion Robert Fletcher. Brass weights and composite faces are set into a 3D printed aluminum head; the mallet weighs about 2 lb 12 oz: lighter and very precise.
We make each mallet to order for your handle length, with an 11 or 12 inch head. Standard is Graphite Black; Snow White, NRA Blue, Deep Purple and Rose Gold add US$119. See the fitting guide and the side-by-side comparison.
Balls for Hamptons lawns
Invictus X carries World Croquet Federation championship approval, weighs 450 g and is made entirely in Australia; a set is US$635. Clubs should allow one set of first colors and one of second colors per lawn. See ball colors explained.
Delivery to the Hamptons
Allow usually 4 to 8 weeks from order for a made-to-order mallet to reach Long Island; this is an estimate. Ball sets ship after you have agreed the delivered price we confirm.
Questions Hamptons players ask
Can I have it delivered to my summer house? Yes; give us that address and order in spring.
Can I try it before I commit? The free 30-day satisfaction guarantee lets you play with it for a month first.
How do I store it over winter? Dry and indoors; see product care.
Elsewhere in the country: croquet mallets across America.
Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.