How many sets of balls does a croquet club need?

The short answer for most clubs: one set of first colours and one set of second colours for every lawn.

The reasoning

A set is four balls, which is one game. One set of first colours per lawn lets every lawn be in use at once. Adding a set of second colours per lawn lets two games share each lawn, which is how most clubs cope with a full day.

So a club with four lawns would normally hold four sets of first colours and four of second colours: eight sets, or thirty-two balls.

Half-size courts

If a full lawn is marked out as two half-size courts, each half is a court in its own right and needs its own balls. A lawn used that way needs two sets of each colour, not one.

Spares

Keep at least one spare set for every four lawns. Balls do go missing, especially with hard hitters.

Starting smaller

A club that cannot buy for every lawn at once can start with first colours only and add second colours later. For lawns used for tournament play, we recommend that all the sets are the same age, so every ball plays the same. For club and social lawns, buying for one or two lawns at a time is fine.

Tell us your lawns

If you tell us how many lawns you have, and whether any are played as half-size courts, we will work out the sets for you and send a delivered price with no obligation.