It is not what people expect to hear, when I tell them I have joined a Sports Club in Elwood. Me being a reasonably active guy who likes anything from sailing to football. People turn their attention to what I am saying using the familiar “a-yeah” sentence (Melburninan for “really” or “is-that-so”) and expect to hear something like the-local-football-club or perhaps a-sailing-club. “Yes, the Elwood Croquet Club”.
I like the responses I get. More often than not it takes people a few moments to realize what I just said. They run through the sentence in their head thinking that being a foreigner perhaps I meant to say Cricket or something, anything that is more familiar. When they finally realize I really meant to say “Croquet”, and see the amusement I get out of their confusion people give a chuckle and ask “Croquet?”. Interestingly enough most people eventually admit that they actually quite like Croquet. Many even ask that I take them to play a game sometime, which I of course happily consent to do.
Yesterday I became a full member of the Elwood Croquet Club. The club is set in a quiet park near to the beach. The lawns are green and the surrounding trees are old. There are Magpies and other bird life in the trees and around the clubhouse making the ambiance quite tranquil and relaxing. Yesterday there were four of us playing. We started of with a game of Ricochet followed by Aussie and then Golf croquet. All these games are based on the same course layout as Association rules but with simpler rules making the games more social to play.
Sadly I lost all my games that day. Until that is, finally me and Ian played a game of Association Rules. This is the only game we used to play in Iceland. Although the lawns and equipment were substandard back in Iceland we must have been doing something right. I played to old tactics that me and Haukur used to use and lo and behold, I won the game! My first win as a single player and my first game of Association Rules. It was a combination of luck and some bad shots on Ian´s behalf but my strategy actually worked out.
It was a good day on the lawns. With a bad weather prediction hanging over us we were pleasantly surprised that it did not rain as predicted and there was even some sunshine. We played from 11am to 6pm. Tuesdays and Saturdays are game days at the club but now that I have my own key I can go play any time I like, and guest are welcome.
+ Valberg’s croquet bookmarks
+ Association Rules
+ Elwood Croquet Club
