By Richard Watson
In 2007, Tom and Betty Anderson and a group of Tega Cay friends headed to the Anderson’s 2nd home in Pinehurst, North Carolina. There, they were introduced to Golf Croquet by Gene Young (a Member of the Croquet Hall of Fame). The Andersons became so enamored with croquet, they decided to form a croquet club when they got back to Tega Cay. There wasn’t a croquet LAWN in Tega Cay, so the group set up wickets on a soccer field under the power lines, near hole 5 of the Grandview course.
Tom Anderson wanted to fulfil the second part of his dream—to have an authentic full-sized croquet lawn. True croquet lawns are very large at 84 x 105 feet, and are generally level within 2 inches. Through bold determination and networking, Tom and his croquet friends were able to finance and have a real croquet lawn installed. Finally, the court was opened in September of 2010.
Croquet lawns are maintained like golf greens; the high cost of regular maintenance is paid for entirely by the 90+ Members of the Croquet Club. Members play every day; on some days, the court is in use for at least 6 hours.
The Tega Cay Croquet Club welcomes newcomers. Special times are reserved for introductory lessons: Every Wednesday evening from 7 – 9 PM; and every Thursday afternoon from Noon until 2 PM.
The Club has a social event every month, with refreshments and fun games. Also, 2 or 3 annual Club Tournaments are held. Please visit our website (TegaCayCroquet.com) and let us know if you want to attend either the lessons or the social events.
