Evolving club to celebrate huge milestone

DRYSDALE Croquet Club (DCC) will celebrate its 75th birthday with a special open day on the same weekend as the World Day of Croquet.

The group is encouraging new-comers to try the sport this Sunday, May 4, and seeking out anyone with historical connections to the club.

President Jenny Payne shed light on DCC’s origins.

“The inaugural meeting had 15 ladies present and a few of the ladies were from the Portarlington Croquet Club thus being experienced players and administrators,” she said.

“It was anticipated that the croquet club would form with the assistance of the Drysdale Bowling Club.

“The adjacent bowling club had been formed a year earlier and the membership consisted of men, so the game of croquet which is believed to have commenced in Geelong in 1906, was an ideal past-time for the women folk in the local area.”

Payne said a new brick clubhouse was built in 1990 and a second court was opened in 1995.

“Member numbers for the first 50 years were consistent at around 20, but now the current clubhouse isn’t large enough with around 50 members, with many days of play for the week,” she said.

“There are many more men playing these days when once it was just women, and the age range is much larger.

“The game has also seen a change from the more traditional Association Croquet game to the newer and very popular Golf Croquet (shorter format) which is played at Drysdale.”

The club is located next to the bowling club on Clifton Springs Road.

For more information on the Drysdale Croquet Club, phone Jenny Payne on 0428 740 591.