From grandparents to grandchildren, croquet is bringing generations together on the lawn.

For Bay of Plenty Croquet Association president Gretchen Benvie, croquet is more than a game – it is a passion she has enjoyed for more than 40 years and is now sharing with her 11-year-old grandson, Brayden Goodhue.

With Gretchen’s husband Grahame joining them, the trio recently headed to the Mount Maunganui Croquet Club at Club Mount Maunganui for a family outing on the lawn.

It was Brayden’s third session learning the game, and Gretchen said young players can take to it surprisingly well. “They’re just so accepting of the game.”

Unfair reputation

Getting more young people involved is one of the challenges facing croquet, which Gretchen believes still carries an unfair reputation as an older person’s sport.

“It’s not an old person’s game by any means,” she said.

Brayden Goodhue, 11, enjoying playing croquet at the Mount Maunganui Croquet Club at Club Mount Maunganui. Photo / Kelly O’Hara

Croquet is a sport for all ages, with players able to enjoy a casual social game or test their skills in competitive tournaments. Gretchen said she’d seen reports of players reaching 100 and still enjoying the game.

As president of the Bay of Plenty Croquet Association, Gretchen helps oversee six clubs in Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Katikati, Whakatāne, Rotorua and Gisborne.

She is a life member of the Tauranga club and an associate member at Mount Maunganui, and she and her husband regularly travel to tournaments together. Their croquet adventures have taken them as far afield as Dunedin, Auckland and the Waikato.

There are several forms of croquet, but Gretchen said golf croquet had helped introduce many newcomers to the sport.

Bay of Plenty Croquet Association president Gretchen Benvie enjoying a game of croquet with her grandson Brayden Goodhue, 11, and husband Grahame Benvie at the Mount Maunganui Croquet Club at Club Mount Maunganui. Photo / Kelly O’Hara

Played on a croquet lawn using mallets, balls and hoops, golf croquet is relatively easy to learn and more interactive than traditional association croquet. Players take turns trying to score each hoop before their opponents, with the first side to win seven hoops taking the game.

For those wanting a greater challenge, association croquet offers a more technical game that rewards accurate shots and strategic thinking.

Try this summer

Croquet also has an international following, with players able to compete at the highest level.

The Bay of Plenty will have a world-class event to look forward to when the Golf Croquet World Championships come to New Zealand in 2028.

Families can play croquet at the Mount Maunganui Croquet Club at Club Mount Maunganui. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

But for Gretchen, the appeal starts much closer to home.

“You can play together just as a family,” she said. “You can play as competitively as you like or play socially.”

It is also an affordable sport to try, with equipment provided initially and players needing little more than their own mallet as they progress.

Whether it is a family outing, a new social connection or the beginning of a competitive sporting journey, croquet offers a welcoming place to start this summer.

Anyone interested in playing croquet can email Gretchen at [email protected]