Croquet mallets and balls in the Sutherland Shire
The short answer: players across the Sutherland Shire can order an Invictus mallet or Invictus X balls online, every mallet made to order. For most club players we would recommend the Invictus Rise.
Croquet in the Sutherland Shire
Requests for croquet lawns reached the Shire council as early as 1967, but the Sutherland Croquet Club itself began from nothing in 1980: no members and no lawn, just nine keen players from other clubs. Volunteers were given a disused, overgrown lawn at the Masonic Bowling Club, cleared and re-turfed it, made their own mallets and forged their own hoops, and about a hundred visitors came to the gala opening in May 1981. For years one lawn capped membership, until 2001, when the bowling club left and two more lawns came free. Today the club plays on three lawns at 1 Rawson Avenue, beside Sylvanvale, with organised games on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and golf croquet its most popular form. A club member won the first Australian national golf croquet title in 2000. The club was a founding member of the Makara competition, runs its Intercept event over the Australia Day long weekend and hosts Croquet NSW tournaments. Visitors can be a guest for a free first game with tuition.
What the Shire's lawns and weather mean for your mallet
Between Botany Bay and Port Hacking, the climate is Sydney coastal: warm, humid summers with storms, mild winters and few frosts. Summer downpours can leave the lawns spongy and slow for a day or two, while dry spells in spring make them quick.
Which Invictus mallet suits Shire players
Invictus Rise, A$990. Our most popular mallet. The head, aluminium, is about 3 lb, and a sweet spot that is slightly larger makes the Rise a little easier to control. The usual recommendation is an 11 inch head.
RF Pro, A$1,980. Our flagship, and the one World Champion Robert Fletcher helped us develop. Composite faces and brass weights sit on a 3D printed aluminium head of about 2 lb 12 oz, so it is lighter and very precise.
Both are made to order: the handle cut to your length, an 11 or 12 inch head, Graphite Black as standard, or Snow White, NRA Blue, Rose Gold or Deep Purple for an extra A$130.90. Our fitting guide helps with length, and compare mallets with the model.
Balls for Shire clubs
Invictus X, approved by the World Croquet Federation for championship play, weighs 450 g and is made entirely in Australia. One set is A$990. With three lawns, Sutherland would follow the guide of three first-colour and three second-colour sets; see how many sets a club needs.
Delivery to the Sutherland Shire
We make your mallet after the order is in, and it usually reaches the Shire within 4 to 8 weeks, an estimate rather than a guarantee.
Questions Shire players ask
I have had my free guest game. Which mallet should I buy? Most new players are best with the Rise, built to their handle length.
What if it does not suit me? Add the free 30-day satisfaction guarantee and play a month of Wednesdays and Saturdays first.
Does a wet lawn hurt the head? No, it is aluminium; dry it after play. See product care.
More places in New South Wales: the state croquet page.
Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.