Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The 6th Annual Buffalo Croquet Club's 6-Wicket Invitational is in full swing this year. Yes, croquet, the game with the bright, colored balls you have to hit through the wickets to hit a multi-colored pole in the ground. However, this isn't your typical backyard game, there are many rules involved.
The field is set. Thirty of the best players from all over the world, dressed in white attire, have come to play in this four-day event, which started Thursday under the lights of the golf green-like croquet courts in Delaware Park, next to the golf course.
Bob Gannon, President of the Buffalo Croquet Club says there is a lot of strategy that goes into the game and is very different from the croquet game we all know and love.
"It's way different. The the setup is different, for one. Backyard is a nine wickets, this is a six-wicket game. This is made more like chess and pool being played at the same time," Gannon said.
"The wickets are much more narrow. They are only about a sixteenth of an inch wider than the ball. The balls are weighted. They are about a pound a piece. The backyard sets are very light and the mallets are weighted, usually at the ends of the head of the mallet. When you do a pendulum swing, on this short cropped lawn, it really propels the ball," Sue Scherer added, Director of the Rochester Croquet Club, who had their tournament the week prior so players of that event who come from out of the area come to play in the Buffalo tournament the following week.
The games are also timed, 75 minutes, and played in doubles or single formats.
Who are these people that play in the event? They come from all over the world, literally.
"It's very serious, although nobody takes it too seriously. We have John Young coming from Bermuda. His family was responsible for bringing croquet to the U.S. His grandfather is considered 'croquet royalty'. We have people from the Virgin Islands, New York City, Rochester, Massachusetts, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, everywhere," Gannon says.
Jodie Rugart, 63, of St. Louis, will look to win her inaugural entry into the Buffalo tournament. Rugart is the No. 2 ranked female in the country, which really encompasses the uniqueness of the sport that has no divisions based on gender or age.
"That's the great thing about croquet, age, gender, it doesn't matter. In our first tournament, a woman came from West Palm Beach and brought her son, Ty and I think he was like 10 and he played really good. He was good," Gannon said.
For almost four years, this tournament has been dominated by one man from Seattle, Washington: Tim Rapuano. However, runner-up of last year's event could make a run to grab the title, Rochester-native and Croquet Hall of Famer, Rich Curtis.
This game has world rankings and handicaps, like golf, but not measured the same. The various variations of the rules can take some time getting used to, but Gannon says spectators should come by Monday evenings to try their hand at croquet golf, which is an easier variation of the game to learn. Mallets are available at the site and all ages are welcome to try their hand at the game.
How did this tournament come to be? A member of the Buffalo Croquet Club, Ryan Thompson, approached Gannon with this specific style of game and tournament that they play in New York City and that got the croquet ball rolling on this event, six years ago.
The Buffalo Croquet Club itself started in 1999 by Gannon and his friend Bill Rupp.
We were playing at different venues like Griffith Sculpture Park and other people's backyard and Bill Rupp saw these lawns weren't being used and he approached the park and they said, 'Sure, use them.' ... We were just playing our silly nine-wicket game and we kept tweaking rules to make it harder and harder and we had like, 20 guys coming out and playing every Monday night until 1 in the morning," Gannon said.
It's free to spectate this event and Resurgence Beer has a spot next to the club and golf course where you can grab a cold one while you watch or play. Croquet is a sport that you can play at any age and that appeals to Gannon.
"It's really a great sport, especially as you age. As you get older, you just can't move as quick. Age in sports definitely plays a factor, here it doesn't. I'm planning on playing this until I'm 90 and the nice thing is, there's so many clubs in the U.S that you can go to all-year round," Gannon adds.
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