Croquet is catching on in Birmingham—what to know

Think croquet is just a slow-paced backyard pastime? No way! The sport is quickly gaining momentum in Birmingham, and the Mountain Brook Croquet Club is at the forefront of the action. 

Here’s a peek at their latest tournament and why this classic game is making a comeback. 

What is croquet?

If you’ve never played croquet, or have no idea what it is, here’s a quick explanation and more things to know, according to the United States Croquet Association:

Croquet is a lawn game, where players use mallets to hit colored wooden or plastic balls through a series of wire hoops called wickets.

The goal: to be the first to maneuver your set of croquet balls through the course in the correct order and direction. 

Mountain Brook Croquet Club’s 2025 Golf Open

(L-R) Matthew Jackson, Todd Russell and Henry Smith (Pat Byington / Bham Now)

There are different versions of the game, including golf croquet. This simpler, fast-paced version was highlighted in the Mountain Brook Croquet Club’s Golf Croquet Open held on Sunday, July 27, in Birmingham. 

The tournament brought in players from across the Southeast, who competed for prizes.

Here’s who won:

• Plate Championship: Robert Smothers of The Villages, Florida
• $1,000 Grand Prize Championship: Matthew Jackson of Birmingham

Growing croquet in Birmingham

Currently, you’ll find the Mountain Brook Croquet Club playing on the private lawn of Arthur Bagby’s home on Shook Hill Road. The lawn was built 30 years ago and required 3,500 truckloads of dirt.  

The exciting news is the Croquet Club is hoping to grow the sport in Birmingham by adding local public courts. 

“[Croquet] is huge in places like Fairhope and Mobile, North and South Carolina, Florida and California. Right now, we’re the only ones in Birmingham, but we’re working with local municipalities to get a public court so everyone can play.”

Todd Russell, Member, Mountain Brook Croquet Club

The club’s vision goes beyond casual matches. They aim to introduce croquet into local schools and expand programs for special needs students. 

“It’s the great equalizer. Men and women play together and anyone from age 8 to 80 can excel. You don’t need strength to be, good just hand-eye coordination.”

Todd Russell, Member, Mountain Brook Croquet Club

Some more reasons Russell said make croquet stand out include:

• It can be played casually or competitively
• It requires minimal investment and no athletic skills
• Beginners can quickly become skilled players

Ready to give it a swing? Keep an eye on the Mountain Brook Croquet Club as they work to make Birmingham the next hot spot for this classic game.

You can also check out our previous articles about this fun group and game:

• Mountain Brook Croquet Club continues tradition of honoring founding member
• Mountain Brook Croquet Club took on the reigning world champion

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