NEW summer game for the backyard - aka Egyptian Golf Croquet
by Michael Rumbin · 2 July 2013
Here’s another version of croquet for the backyard this summer that is easy to learn, fun to play yet challenging for even the best croquet bullies. It’s like having your own miniature golf course in your backyard or neighborhood park.
Set up the court with 4 wickets making the corners of a rectangle and two wickets in the middle. Put one stake in the middle to remind everyone of the color order of play. It’s not really part of the game; you don’t hit it to finish.
The dimensions are approximate, and like a golf course the “fairways” may have trees , slopes, and hazards along the way. If you have the time and energy you might cut the grass a bit shorter to make “greens” around the wickets.
Play as singles, one ball per person or two balls per person: blue-black; red-yellow.
Play Partners, one ball per person blue-black vs. red yellow.
If you play with six balls you can play with three teams; blue- yellow; red-green; and black–orange or two teams: blue-black-green vs. red-yellow–orange, or just as singles.
Everybody “ tees off” for the first hole (wicket) in color turn.
Once you’re on the green (near the wicket ) the object is to score the wicket before anyone else does.
You can knock or clear a ball off the green by hitting them with your ball. Or you can block them from scoring with your ball. If you are playing with a partner, work together and promote each other so either one of you score the hole first. The tactics can get as complicated as chess moves. The more you play the better you get!
Once the wicket is scored, everybody moves on to the next wicket. Play a game of 9 holes (wickets). If playing singles, the highest score wins. If playing partners, or teams, first to get 5 points is the winner. You can choose to play shorter games to 3 points or longer games to 7 points, time permitting.
One stroke per turn. No bonus strokes. No pushing the ball or hitting the ball with anything but the faces of the mallet.
Golf Croquet is an internationally organized game under the *World Croquet Federation governing body.
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