Celebrate at the NCC!

The clubhouse is the perfect place to host your own private event.  Celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or any special occasion with us!  

 Sandy Coto extension 2!

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Croquet Grill

The Grill will start the season on October 1, Offering lunch 

Tuesday thru Saturday 

11:30 -2:00 

New menu and ordering options are planned to make your lunch time more enjoyable.

The Croquet Lounge is open also during the lunch time hours. 

Thursday Pub Night

1/2 price drinks 5-7 pm

Delicious pub menu!

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Dear Members:

We have sadly lost 3 of our members over  the summer.  

Mary Schuyler Campbell of South Hampton, NY.  An avid player who enjoyed her her    on our lawns every season she came to us.

Joseph Fioretti, who a couple of years ago    at the age of 89 started to play croquet.

Dale Coenen, who with his wife Joan have been members of the NCC this past year.

Many condolences to there families.

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Members Organized Games

Tues: 9:30 am.                                          Ruth Brown-  6-wicket

Thur 3:00 pm.                                             Twilight-Golf Croquet

Sign up required

Garden Committee Notes

The summer has been hot, humid and rainy. But the good part is that plantings have thrived, orchids have bloomed and butterflies have been abundant.  The north side by court #12 is now filled with Passion Vines, Sky Vine, Bromeliads and Plumeria.  All plants have been donated by members. A visiting raccoon has been disturbing some of our plantings by the pond, but Bill Mead and our chef JoJo assisted in relocating him to more suitable surroundings off the NCC property.  Bill  has  also been busy with ground improvements to the far south where red Ixora flowers have been planted and look striking by the taller foliage.  That area also has been upgraded with a nine wicket court!  It will be beautiful when more flowers are added.   Court #1 has been improved by removing trees that have provided too much shade for our court grass. All courts continue to be dressed up with the yellow marigolds at the base of each deadness board. Bill painted the deadness boards dark green and the yellow flowers really “pop” against the dark green.  Adriana Wyckoff has been steadfast in watering the flowers and keeping them happy. Soon they will need to be replaced, however. We do have work to do in the front entrance way.  Begonias need to be cut back as well as the plantings behind them.  One day at a time. We would love to have more volunteers on our team, so if you would like to join us please call Marie and we will find a project for you to work on!

Mary Shields

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SandyJames Fine Food and Productions 

The Croquet Grill will open on Tuesday October 1, 2013 

  Lunch will be served Tuesday thru Saturday 

11:30 am – 2:00 pm. 

Pub night will remain on Thursday evenings offering the

 Pub Menu and Happy Hour pricing from 

5:00 – 7:00 pm. 

“The staff of SandyJames is excited for a busy season and looking forward to serving the members of the NCC” said James Bartle, owner SandyJames Fine Food and Productions.  

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Saturday morning free public lessons in golf croquet

Bring your friends and family to introduce them to this wonderful sport. 

Reservations required!  

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    Pro Notes

Often times our swing abandons us.  You were hitting just fine, nice and straight and then from out of nowhere you cannot hit a ball two feet away.  There are two main causes of this malady.  One is using your wrists rather than your arms/shoulders.  Are you standing too close to your ball?  If you are, you cannot get a full back-swing which causes you to bring your wrists into the swing to achieve distance.  The second cause of a bad swing is swinging too fast – especially “punching” or pushing the forward swing. This typically ruins the line of the shot and causes us to tighten our grip during the swing, which causes the mallet head to turn. This is easily solved; just slow your back swing and your follow through swing – the old saying is true: “Let the mallet do the work”.  When under pressure or attempting long shots we can, and do, try too hard.  Swinging too fast and trying too hard make us lose accuracy.

Here is a suggestion for practice.  Shoot four balls at the center peg from in front of wicket one.  Note your accuracy as to distance and how straight your shots were.  Now return to the same spot and take four more shots consciously slowing your back-swing and follow through.  You may need to follow through a bit more to achieve the same distance.  You ball should roll slower and more accurately to the center peg.

Remember; only stalk the shots you want to be successful.

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Latest News

Have you been having great fun at the National Croquet  Club?  Have you dressed up in outfits you thought you would never wear? Have you danced to a great variety of different music? Have you met wonderful new people?  Have you tried new and exciting food deliciously prepared by SandyJames?  Have you called and emailed your friends telling them about this peaceful sanctuary where you're having more fun than you could have imagined doing something you never thought you would ever do, and then asking them to come join you?

If you answered yes to any or all of the above questions, then you can thank The National Croquet Club and its Social Committee, a group dedicated to making sure your time at the Club is a fun and memorable experience. . And the fun has just begun for new members as well as our more seasoned members.

The August 25 Pot Luck Golf Croquet Classic was a big success, and as summer draws to an end (hard to believe, isn't it?) the Social Committee has already planned events through February 2014.  You'll want to get out your calendars and mark the dates. 

 On October 25, there will be a Country & Western party, complete with a line dance instructor/country DJ.  So start polishing your boots and shaping your cowboy hat.

On November 14, we will welcome back our snowbird members with an Hawaiian Luau, hula girls, leis, and all.  Are you looking for your coconut bra and grass skirt?  You have just enough time to grow a new one.

On December 11, Santa will make an early visit to the Club, and the Holiday Season and all of its joy will abound.  We usually get dressed-up for this one.

On February 13, St. Valentine's Eve, what could be more romantic than a French Cabaret night replete with romance and a young French singer setting the mood.

The committee has more events planned as well...Game Night and Pot Luck Golf Croquet parties among others.

Before the season is over,  you will be able to answer yes to all the above questions. 

And don't forget to say thank you to the Social Committee.

Nanci Hunt                       

Chairperson,  Social Committee

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Dick Brackett’s

The finals of the fifth annual Palm Beach County Summer Golf Croquet League were played in August at the 

The 68 teams (a record number) played during July and August on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

In the Championship division Jim Moyer, Joe Pierotti, Mary Anne Brockley and Barbara Weltner from The Incredibles, winners of the A block on Tuesdays defeated Linda Weisheit, Bill Trower and Rose Williams from Three Dog Wicket, winners of the A block on Wednesdays. 

In the Amateur division, Maxine Bodman, Yvonne Andrews, Noel White and Sue Barnett from Four Lucky Ladies, winners of the B block on Tuesdays defeated Rosemarie Maccario, Danielle Englander and Sandra Lucca from Triple Play, winners of the B block on Wednesdays (6 to 4).

Each of the 68 teams registered a team name.  An award for the best new team name was presented to Cynthia Gofvert, Paul McGinnes, Lara & Kris Esterson for their team, Roquet Science.  Roquet is a croquet term signifying that the striker’s ball has hit another ball.

The Youngest Players Award went to Fritz Heitmueller (7) and his sister Greta (9) from The Despicables team.  Fritz was credited with “discovering” the NCC for his family as they were driving by one day.  Entrants in the Golf Croquet League represented all the other age groups as well, from teens to eighties.

The Team Spirit Award went to the Kiss the Sky team of Randall, Mary, Rachel and Sarah Morgan.  The Highest Finishing Beginners Award went to Sarah Hunter and David Creef from the Penny Foolish team.  The Most Improved Team award went to Shirley Moslo and Paul Calhoun from the Hot Shots team.  A Sportsmanship Award was presented to Rosemarie Maccario from the Triple Play team.

Dick Brackett