Croquet at Eagleby is about to see a new era of popularity following the opening of two new courts last week.
The Twin Rivers Community Mallet Sports Club, as it is officially known, is at Bedford Park, Eagleby, and has spent 10 years growing to a point where it can match rivals in other parts of the state.
Before being able to keep competition-grade courts, club members were forced to travel to Wynnum, Southport or further to play at a “proper” club.
Until now, the club has been hammering in hoops at cricket fields, bowling greens and at Lightning Soccer Club.
“The bowlers weren’t overly happy, and the surfaces weren’t ideal for us,” the club’s event organiser Chris Byrne said.
However, since the club knew they’d be permanently housed at Bedford Park, membership has skyrocketed, doubling since October last year.
There are now 42 members, honing their skills and soon looking to lodge a pennants team in the regional competition which will see them host teams from as far as Toowoomba.
The clubhouse is currently half of a garden shed which is home to the greenkeeping equipment used to maintain the current surface.
But their ambition doesn’t stop here. They’ve already lodged a grant application to build two more courts.
The club already hosts play every day of the week, with the most popular days being Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
After 10 years of toil, Ms Byrne said the opening last Thursday was testament to the hard work of founders and other members who had been tireless in their efforts to grow the club.
“When I was initially asked to play, I thought ‘my goodness, the croquet players are older than the bowlers’,” Ms Byrne said.
“But once I started, I was hooked. It’s highly strategic and takes a good deal of skill. It’s really good for people who live alone, so I encourage anyone to come down to the courts and give it a try.”
Contact the club via trcmscsec@hotmail.com, phone Lesley on 0421 244 406 or Trevor on 0400 426 049.
