The Best Backyard Games You’ve Never Heard Of.
ENTRY NO. 87
CROQUET [/krōˈkā/]
What you need to play:
- Minimum 2 hardwood mallets
- Minimum 2 balls (poly-resin is today’s standard)
- 9 wickets (the hoops through which the balls need to be smacked)
- 2 end posts
Chip-chip-cheerio, blokes and lassies! Ok, so you’ve probably heard of croquet before (or at least seen it in a couple of Tommy Hilfiger ads), but do you actually know how the game is played?
After the mosquitoes and ticks have been kicked out, croquet can be played by a minimum of 2 players. The object of the game is to hit your ball through the course of wickets (A.K.A. hoops) in the right sequence in each direction and finish by hitting them against the center peg. The team that completes the course first wins. Actually sounds fun, doesn’t it? Also, an extra five points is given out to each player wearing a varsity sweater and khakis (that’s not in the official rules, but we play it that way).
Fun Fact: Extreme Croquet is a variation on croquet that doesn’t factor in any out-of-bounds or field specifications. Instead of backyards, Extreme Croquet is played on weird terrains like hills, sand, mud, or moving water, surely testing the quality craftsmanship of your croquet equipment.
For more information, check out the United Stated Croquet Association.
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Laura M.
Jim B.
