Whakatāne Croquet Club is inviting people to put their sporting skills to the test at its Baywide open days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The open days will run from 10am to midday each day, giving people a chance to learn the basics of croquet and see if the game is for them.

I was given the chance to have a go myself, spending about half an hour learning the basics from club member Carol Ainsworth.

At first, I thought it was going to be easy, but I quickly realised there was a lot more strategy involved.

The basic idea is simple enough, getting your ball through the hoops, but there is more thinking involved once you start playing against another person.

Ainsworth taught me how to line up a shot, where to position my feet and, most importantly, to keep looking at the ball when making the swing.

I quickly learned that hitting the ball too hard could send it well past where I wanted it to go.

After a few attempts, I started getting the hang of it and managed to make some decent shots.

I was surprised by how competitive the game was.

You’re not only trying to score with your own ball but also figuring out how to stop your opponent from scoring.

The club plays several different forms of croquet, including golf croquet, ricochet croquet and association croquet.

Ainsworth said golf croquet was the easiest version of the game to learn.

“Golf is easy to play and it’s nice and relaxing,” she said.

In golf croquet, players are each given a ball and compete to be the first to get through each hoop. The first player to seven hoops wins a 13-hoop game.

Ainsworth said the game could be as competitive as players wanted.

“You can take it as serious or as fun and laid back as you like,” she said.

The club has about 55 members, with Ainsworth saying it would like to attract more players.

She said some people thought croquet was a sport for the older generation.

“That’s a natural [misconception], but it’s not only for old people.”

It is more that retired people have more time to play croquet, rather than the game being unsuitable for younger people.

The club is keen to see more younger players get involved.

People coming along to the open days do not need any previous experience.

Ainsworth said all they needed was a willingness to give the game a go and a pair of suitable sports shoes.

The club has mallets of various sizes and balls available.

Club members will be on hand to teach newcomers the basics, including how to hold and swing the mallet, judge the weight of a shot and position the ball.

Ainsworth said that was part of what made the game enjoyable.

The club is located on the corner of Short and Francis streets in central Whakatāne.

Ainsworth encourages anyone who is unsure about trying croquet to come along to one of the open days.

“You’ve just got to come out and enjoy yourself really,” she said.

If people enjoy it, they can continue playing with the club after the open day, with newcomers able to receive further help from Ainsworth or other experienced players.