Croquet mallets and balls in Wollongong and the Illawarra
The short answer: Illawarra croquet players can order an Invictus mallet or Invictus X balls online, built to order and delivered. Our usual first suggestion is the Invictus Rise.
Croquet in Wollongong and the Illawarra
The Wollongong Croquet Club traces its roots to 1934, when the Woonona Croquet Club began with twenty players on a lawn in the middle of Woonona. It moved twice as land was sold, ending at Pendlebury's Brickyard until 1999. The new Wollongong club held its first meeting on 16 June 2000, played its first game at 4 Towradgi Road in 2002, near Towradgi Beach, and marked twenty-five years in June 2025. Golf croquet runs on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings, with association croquet on Thursdays. South of the lake, Jamberoo Croquet Club plays at Keith Irvine Oval, under fifteen minutes from Kiama. Volunteers formed it in 1997, and its lawns were laid between 1998 and 2010, the third paid for by the club itself. About 85 players now share three full-sized lawns, with sessions every day of the week.
What the Illawarra's lawns and weather mean for your mallet
The coastal strip under the escarpment is humid in summer and mild in winter, with frost a rarity by the sea. What changes a lawn here is rain: the escarpment pulls in heavy falls, and after a wet week a court can be soft, lush and slow. Through a dry run the same lawn tightens and speeds up.
Which Invictus mallet suits Illawarra players
Invictus Rise, A$990. The mallet we sell more of than any other. Nearly 3 lb of aluminium head gives the ball momentum through damp, thick grass, and with a sweet spot a shade larger, the Rise is a little easier to control. We would normally fit the 11 inch head.
RF Pro, A$1,980. Our flagship came out of development work with World Champion Robert Fletcher. Its head is 3D printed from aluminium, with brass weights and composite faces, about 2 lb 12 oz overall, which makes it the lighter of the two and very precise.
Your handle length decides how each mallet is built, and you choose 11 inch or 12 inch for the head. Graphite Black costs nothing extra; Snow White, NRA Blue, Rose Gold or Deep Purple is A$130.90 on top. Go through the fitting guide, then compare mallets.
Balls for Illawarra clubs
Invictus X is a 450 g ball with World Croquet Federation championship approval, made entirely in Australia; one set is A$990. A club with three lawns, as Jamberoo has, would plan on three sets in first colours and three in second. More on WCF approval.
Delivery to Wollongong and the Illawarra
We start building once you order, and a mallet usually reaches the Illawarra 4 to 8 weeks later. That is an estimate.
Questions Illawarra players ask
Association on Thursdays, golf otherwise. Which mallet? The Rise, unless you want a lighter, more precise head.
Will damp sea air hurt it? The head is aluminium, so it will not swell. Wipe the faces down after play; see product care.
What happens if I order and change my mind? Choose the free 30-day satisfaction guarantee when you order, and play real club games with it before deciding.
More towns across the state: New South Wales croquet mallets and balls.
Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.