Croquet mallets and balls in Woodstock, Vermont

The short answer: croquet players in Woodstock and elsewhere in Vermont can order an Invictus mallet or Invictus X balls online, and we ship to the Green Mountain State. On Woodstock's short, dense grass, we suggest most club players start with the Invictus Rise, the most popular mallet we make.

Croquet in Woodstock

Vermont's six-wicket game has its home at the Woodstock Country Club. In the mid-1990s, local players asked the philanthropist Laurance Rockefeller to pay for a proper pitch, and two courts were built between Route 106 and the tennis courts: one at four-fifths of regulation size, the other at three-fifths. The Croquet Club of Vermont plays there, practicing on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, and when VTDigger visited in 2014 it had 21 members and was the only croquet club in the state, a second club at the Equinox in Manchester having closed. Its invitational, played under American six-wicket rules, drew about 30 players that July from as far away as California, Florida, Oklahoma and Massachusetts. In 2015 it lost a 21-player match 7 to 5 to the Strawbery Banke club of coastal New Hampshire.

What Vermont's lawns and weather mean for your mallet

Winters in the Green Mountains are long and snowy, so croquet here is a summer and early fall pursuit. Days are warm, nights cool, and the valley's dew can keep grass damp well into the morning. Woodstock's turf is kept dense and no taller than a quarter inch, so once it dries a ball runs truly and fast, and on smaller courts touch counts for more than distance.

Which Invictus mallet suits Woodstock players

Put side by side, the Rise is the forgiving one and the RF Pro the exacting one. Invictus Rise (US$695): around 3 lb of aluminum head and a slightly larger sweet spot, so it is a little easier to control; we usually recommend it with the 11 inch head. RF Pro (US$1,295): our flagship, developed with World Champion Robert Fletcher, with a 3D printed aluminum head that carries brass weights and composite faces; at about 2 lb 12 oz it is lighter and very precise.

Either one is built for you to your handle length, with an 11 or 12 inch head. Graphite Black comes as standard, and Deep Purple, Snow White, NRA Blue or Rose Gold is US$119. Read the fitting guide and compare mallets.

Balls for Vermont clubs

Invictus X: 450 g, made entirely in Australia, World Croquet Federation championship approved, and US$635 for a set. With two courts, a club like Woodstock's would plan on a first-color set and a second-color set for each. Croquet ball colors explained tells you which is which.

Delivery to Woodstock

Because we make each mallet individually, plan on usually 4 to 8 weeks from order to its arrival in Vermont, and treat that as an estimate. Ball sets are confirmed at a delivered price before any payment.

Questions Woodstock players ask

When should I order for the summer? In March or April, before the courts open.

What if it does not feel right? The optional 30-day satisfaction guarantee (US$99) lets you play club games before keeping it.

Can it sit in a cold barn over winter? Yes; cold will not harm aluminum. Our product care page covers the rest.

Elsewhere in the country: all Invictus US places.

Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.