Tucked into a quiet little corner of a stately Rose Hill neighborhood is Kirkland's best kept secret. You turn at a white fence and drive very slowly (thank you) on a gravel driveway, past a languishing green house. Suddenly, an enormous lawn - mowed to pristine perfection every two or three days - rolls out like a verdant welcome mat.
You've arrived. The Puget Sound Croquet Club, more than a half-century old but fueled by 32 enthusiastic members, awaits.
But be careful, as the golf-like courts, lazy sunshine and quiescent environs will draw you back to yesteryear. And if you've got a competitive spirit, you may have found yourself a new hobby. "The first time I played, that's when I got hooked," says Bellevue resident Cameron Guernsey, a member since 1985.
Most croquet officianados will compare the sport to pool or chess, two individual-driven sports requiring constant strategizing. As in pool, your turn in croquet will last as long as you don't make a mistake. And, according to American rules, you get 45 seconds to choose from up to 100 different options before you take your shot. That's enough to make your brow bead up.
There are three versions of croquet, the backyard game notwithstanding: golf croquet, American rules and international (or association) rules. Golf croquet, which has six wickets and features a stroke a turn, is an offshoot of the nine-wicket backyard game.
"Golf croquet is fast, aggressive and fun," says Ellen Taves, wife of club president Don Taves, "the players are constantly changing. And the rules are on one page."
With everyone going for the same wicket, a feeding-frenzy atmosphere develops, and players will stop at almost nothing to get through that hoop first. Chivalry is dead. Male or female, young or old, if you're in the way, your ball will be "sent."
The Puget Sound Croquet Club teaches golf croquet to new or prospective members. But for serious play, they abide by international rules which are used for tournament play outside of the United States. The goal is to get through all six wickets twice - the one to do this first is the winner.
These rules were in play for the 2005 National Croquet Championships in early June that was hosted by the Puget Sound Croquet Club. The top 20 United States players and the top three Canadian players attended.
Seattle accountant Carl Uhlman, a 15-year member of the Kirkland club and treasurer for the United States Croquet Association, says that that this event is "very competitive and exclusive" and players need a low handicap to get in. Every five years, the Open is held at a West Coast club; otherwise, it's at the USCA headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida.
There are about 300 croquet clubs throughout the United States, mostly in Florida and along the East Coast. The Puget Sound Croquet Club was established in the 1950s and, prior to coming to Rose Hill in 1990, was housed at the old Seahawks training camp at today's Carillon Point.
The Kirkland club is also hosting the annual Seattle Open from July 6-10, which primarily draws from a regional pool.
A championship croquet court is 84 by 105 feet (the club maintains three courts). Balls weigh about a pound and a good mallet will set you back $250-$300. Wickets are made of five-eighths inch steel rod and allow a dime's width of clearance.
So don't get lulled into a false sense of security when you're only inches from the wicket. Herein lies the challenge, and subsequently, the basis for the heated competition.
Susan Fenner, who followed her husband Uhling's lead into the sport, good-naturedly describes the underlying but palpable competition, "You have to take your lumps. You can't take things personally."
She equates the seriousness and intricacies of the game to fine cooking: "It's like cooks sharing recipes. They'll share a recipe and leave out a critical ingredient. Usually people are very generous, but sometimes ..."
Guernsey agrees: "I played with a guy for eight years and he wouldn't give me any information. But, in general, croquet people tend to be a decent lot," he says with a wink.
On certain Sundays from 1-3 p.m. the club invites croquet wannabees or curiosity-seekers. (See calendar below, check www.pugetsoundcroquet.com or call 453-1561 for more information.)
"The good thing about playing croquet," adds Guernsey, "is you could whup anybody in the backyard game."[[In-content Ad]]
