Greens Superintendent Bowled Over with Croquet Hoops Made at the Men’s Shed

First published Shed Chatter Winter Edition 2024.

Worldwide, lawn bowlers and croquet players are often at loggerheads when sharing the same playing surface (greens), albeit at different times. Croquet requires metal hoops to be inserted into the ‘croquet’ greens, whilst ‘lawn bowls’ greens should be flat, level and, more importantly, hole-free. 

Tamborine Mountain Sports Club Greens Superintendent Damian (Damo) Bartlett said that sharing greens is problematic. Therefore, he is grateful to the Tamborine Mountain Men’s Shed for manufacturing a modified set of six croquet hoops, which, owing to their unique design, do not leave indentations in, or damage, the green

Former Sports Club Director Graham Valance designed a flat, knife-blade-like system, that slice and separate, rather than pierce and dislodge, the grass as is the case with existing stiletto spikes, which create 15 mm-wide holes. When the knife blades are withdrawn, there is little or no indentation. An additional feature of the purpose-built hoops is a metal flange set parallel to the ground, which prevents the metal hoop uprights from being pushed below the playing surface.

Graham Valance designed and manufactured one prototype, which received the Sports Club’s seal of approval. However, owing to Graham’s family moving from the mountain, he was unable to complete the set of six hoops required for competitions. The Sporting Club was keen to introduce Graham’s innovative idea, hence the Men’s Shed members were approached to become involved. Men’s Shed Vice President Ray Lee, Brian Hockey and Peter Jaques were happy to undertake the project at the Men’s Shed’s Beacon Road workshop.

Significant to the modifications is that two flat blades are set at 90 degrees to one another. The blades create greater stability than the two existing stiletto spikes, with the hoops now being more robust to the rigours of heavily projected croquet balls striking rather than passing through the hoops. Damo said the design will please the croquet players and be a ‘game changer’. He added that the design would also please the lawn bowlers, who he often overheard cursing after ‘delivering’ a well-directed and well-weighted bowl, only to watch the ‘perfect delivery’ deviate after encountering a croquet hoop indentation.

Croquet Club President David Roberts, on behalf of the Croquet Club Members, is thrilled with the outcome. The Men’s Shed members also constructed a purpose-built wooden crate in which the six metal hoops are easily stored and carried.

Damon and Dave predict that other sporting clubs that share lawn bowls and croquet greens will be interested in procuring this innovative knife-blade-like system of croquet hoops.

For enquiries please contact the Tamborine Mount Men’s Shed