Croquet in the United States began as a watered-down version of
the courtlier British Commonwealth 6-wicket Croquet
Croquet - A Gentleman’s Sport?
George Gershwin, an early American musical genius, transformed
public opinion on a style of music that was up until that time
found mainly in such “unrepeatable” places as bars and
speak-easies. The uniquely American sounds of early jazz received
a broad new audience with the advent of Gershwin’s phenomenal hit
orchestration, Rhapsody in Blue. Almost single-handedly he
brought a “tavern sound” of ragtime to the mainstream public and
can now be found in high-brow music collections.
Like pre-Gershwin jazz, Croquet in its early days kept some
unruly company. In the 1890’s Croquet at the Boston Common, one
of the United State’s oldest public parks, gathered gambling,
drinking and licentious crowds. Boston clergymen decried this
filthy behavior, which tainted Croquet’s image as a public sport.
Croquet in the United States began as a watered-down version of
the courtlier British Commonwealth 6-wicket Croquet. This posh
sport was and is still played among the Brits on neatly cut
greens similar to those found on golf courses. Heavier wooden
mallets and balls are necessary to obtain high accuracy. Intense
skill and strategy were aspects of 6-wicket Croquet that the US
version did not contain at first. Garden Croquet, as it is known
(among other aliases), has remained popular in the US since its
introduction over a hundred years ago. US players though,
considered it more of a light hearted game than a sport and thus
failed to maintain the high status of the English 6-wicket.
It was not until the late 1970’s that the United States began to
capture on a widespread basis the original essence of Croquet.
Finally it had regained it standing and elegance as a refined
sport through a bit of effort by Jack Osborn in 1977. Despite its
small beginnings, Osborn’s United States Croquet Association has
grown to include nearly 10,000 croquet players playing across the
US and Canada on over 600 well-groomed lawns. While Croquet the
garden game still enjoys a large following in the U.S., there is
also now room for players who are passionate about the more
competitive type of croquet that includes deep skill and focus.
Both versions of the game can be purchased and participated in by
those interested in this British construction. The milder form of
Croquet is great for family reunions, company parties, birthday
parties and other get-togethers. The classy 6-wicket Croquet is
typically played in clubs where membership fees can pay to
maintain the manicured greens. With well documented rules for
both versions one can easily learn how to play Croquet at any
level, although it may be preferable for beginners to start with
a more basic set of rules. A simpler version of the game called
Golf Croquet can be easily learned and game time can be as short
as 30 minutes. Domestic and international rules apply to club and
tournament play and slightly differ from one another.
Croquet has truly transformed into a gentlemen’s, and for that
matter, a lady’s sport, requiring physical skills similar to
those found in billiards and golf, yet the strategic mind of a
chess player. George Gershwin would be proud to see the progress
of Croquet in America and perhaps even respect the mainstream
attention that it has received, I’m sure he was a croquet
enthusiast.
Ryan Mendenhall is a yard game enthusiast with
http://www.Kubbin.com– “The place for the Swedish Game. For more
about Croquet and Croquet Sets please visit
http://www.PlayCroquet.com
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