Green spaces

Hamilton East Croquet Club seems to have come in for much unwanted and misleading comment with the council’s discussion on ‘‘green spaces’’ in the city. We enjoy good relations with the city council staff and at no time has there been any suggestion the land we have occupied for 50 years is to be taken from us and sold.

Interest in croquet, particularly the shorter game of ‘‘golf croquet’’, is not on the wane as a recent correspondent suggested but is one of the fastest growing sports in New Zealand, particularly amongst the retired. At Hamilton East we have increased our membership over the past year to the point where if all our members came on the same day, our clubhouse and playing courts would be at capacity. To infer that we are not financially viable or are waning is misleading.

If the city councillors really wanted to achieve the goals and aspirations in its Open Spaces Plan of 2013 they would encourage and help clubs like ours who provide an activity that keeps older citizens, whose numbers are expected to increase from 10% to 20% of the population, active, alert and motivated. Golf croquet is not only played by seniors but also by young people and at Hamilton East we regularly host classes from Hamilton Boys High School and other groups.

I issue an invitation to the mayor and councillors to spend an afternoon at our courts when we could teach them to play golf croquet and they could see what skills and tactics are really needed to dispose of an opponent! They might just enjoy the game and realise the contribution that clubs like ours are making to the city and its wellbeing. Graeme Russell

President, HECC