Croquet

Mind blowing decisions

Welcome to Ember Croquet Club

We are a small, friendly and sociable club, with a full size lawn, in a beautiful and peaceful residential location in Esher.
You are more than welcome to come and have a game, and if you  fall in love with the Croquet, as we all have, then please join us and  become a member! We play both Association and Golf Croquet.

We have roll-ups on Sunday afternoons, Tuesday evenings and Thursday afternoons from March to October. In the Winter months, we use the clubhouse for indoor carpet croquet.
If you would like to play competitive croquet, we run internal competitions, and play matches against other croquet clubs in the South East.
To access our members area (password required) CLICK HERE (opens in new tab)
Have a look at our Join Us page for membership rates and application form.
To find out more, click on each tab below.

FacilitiesMembershipWeekly CalendarCoachingCompetitionsContacts

Lawns

The main lawn is full size (35 yards by 28 yards). We also have the small lawn, which is perfect for beginners and friendly games, measuring 20 yards by 16 yards.
We maintain the lawns ourselves, making use of our own, highly effective, irrigation system, shared with the Bowls club.

Pavilion

We have a small pavilion which overlooks the main lawn and offers seating and tea/coffee making facilities. It is a short walk to the main clubhouse where changing rooms and other facilities are located.

Clubhouse

We share the clubhouse with the other sections of Ember Sports Club. In the winter months, we use the clubhouse for Indoor Carpet Croquet. There are plenty of social gatherings in the clubhouse, and we usually do quite well in the quizzes.

Annual subscriptions are payable from 1st April each year. There is no entrance fee.

New members join the Ember Sports Club, as well as the Croquet Club. We have a very well-equipped clubhouse, with bar, and room for social events. A major benefit of playing croquet at Ember is the opportunity to socialise not just with other croquet players, but also bowls players, tennis players and thespians!
You join the Ember Sports Club, which entitles you to take part in the croquet and social activities. You are most welcome to join other sections for an additional fee.
New members are welcome to join at any time during the year. Scroll down for the Table of subscription rates.

For an application form and more details click on Join Us .
We also hold open days, usually once a year, which are always very popular.

Day Sun Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat
 am Booking  Booking Mowing Booking Booking Mowing Booking
 pm  Rollup  Coaching  Booking  Booking  Rollup  Booking  Booking
 eve  Booking Booking Rollup Booking Booking Booking Booking

Booking: Any member is free to book a lawn, and may bring a guest. Internal and external matches are booked at these times, as well as practice!

  • Roll-up: Turn up and play. Again guests welcome.
  • Mowing: Lawn is closed on these mornings.
  • Coaching: Monday afternoon is the usual slot.

We play both forms of the game: Association Croquet (AC) and Golf Croquet (GC).
We usually play AC on Sunday and Tuesday roll-ups, and GC on Thursdays, but this is flexible.

We hold family barbecues every third Sunday of each month from April to Sept.

We do provide coaching for anyone who wants to get started, or needs time out from friendly games and matches to hone their skills, under the tutelage of our club coach, Roger.

We put aside Monday afternoons for coaching, but Roger is happy to provide coaching at any time, within reason!
Our membership is a healthy mix of newbies and seasoned campaigners, so you will always be learning new shots and tactics! That’s the best way to learn – see you at the rollups! And when you’re up and running, find a quiet morning slot in the Lawn Booking System, come along and practice!

The club is affiliated to the Croquet Association.
Click on the image to watch a short promotional film about croquet.
It is true the game does appeal to competitive players who want to outwit their opponents. You have the chance to do that at Ember. The most important tip is to have fun playing!
INTERNAL COMPETITIONS
AC Handicap Singles

AC Handicap Doubles

GC Handicap Singles

GC Handicap Doubles

AC Open Singles

EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS

South East Croquet Federation (link to results pages):

‘B’ League (AC) – Winners 2019, 2021, 2022

‘S’ League (AC) – Rejoined

Handicap GC League

Handicapping System
At Ember, beginners are able to join in internal competitions as soon as they feel ready to do so. In AC we will probably give you a starting handicap of 28. In play this is translated into extra turns, so if you are playing a opponent who is say a 16, you will get 12 extra complete turns, each tacked onto a normal turn. They are recorded by 12 sticks (‘bisques’) stuck in the ground, one pulled out each time you take one.
In external competitions, the maximum handicap is 20. This does not stop 20+ handicap players from entering, they just have to play well!!
Dress Code
For internal matches, you can wear anything you like, as long as you wear flat soled shoes. For external matches, wearing whites is customary. You are able to purchase tee-shirts and sweat-shirts from the club, which bear the Ember logo, suitable for both men and women.

Chair: Simon Charrington

Simon joined the Croquet and Tennis sections in 2019, having played Tennis at the club several years ago. In 2020, he took over the Chair. Since then he has injected fresh enthusiasm into the club, with new members, associated social groups making use of the facilities, and developing Golf Croquet (GC). 

Coach: Roger Dollimore

Roger is the club coach and a qualified referee. He has been a member at Ember for many years, and in recent years has served as Chairman.
Roger is a very experienced, low handicap player, who encourages positive play and is always on hand to help you improve your game.

Join Us!

For more information or to join, please contact Simon Charrington (07917 017453 or croquet@embersportsclub.org.uk). Simon will be pleased to introduce you to the club and the game.

Have a look at the Club How to Join page for membership rates and application form.

Croquet is very much a sport where all can compete on equal terms.  We have several members well into their eighties, as well as a handful of relative youngsters! Strength is not an issue. The correct swing of a croquet mallet requires the player to use a pendulum motion. You will be surprised how far you can hit a croquet ball!

 

(Membership Rates Image under construction)