The club is running an extensive summer program this month at Cramer Street.

The club's publicity officer John Pattison said the group would love to get more tourists involved.

"We had a grant from the city council to try and boost our numbers so what we're doing is running free trials for anyone - holidaymakers and local people - to come up and get a taste of it," he said.

"And if they like it, they can come along and eventually it's five dollars for a game.

"But for the first few games it's free, it's just to get them involved in the game and get them to love it.

"To see the strategies involved, the skill and the fun."

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First-timers will have the chance to play golf croquet which is a popular short-form of the game.

They could progress to try other forms including association (traditional), ricochet or the brand-new razzia.

Sessions are on Mondays from 1-4pm, Wednesday 1-4pm, Friday 4-6pm (with a barbecue) and Saturday at 1pm.

The club may open on Sundays at 10am if there is the demand.

Participants will get a short introduction on how to play the game.

"All they have to do is bring themselves and a sense of humour," Pattison said.

The summer fun is just part of the club's broader goal of increasing its overall participation.

"What we're looking at in the future is playing more croquet and different forms of it after hours so we can get the workers coming along, like they do at the bowls club (City Memorial) which does a sensational job," Pattison said.

Something croquet has going for it is that it's easy on the body.

"We've had people here who have had knee operations and hip operations and they've come back and they're just playing a gentle game of croquet," Pattison said.

"Other sports you can't do that."

Kathleen Roache, who joined the club in the past two years, is finding the game accessible.

"I can't do a lot of walking but I can walk up and down the croquet court no problem," she said.

"I find with ricochet, they do a lot of sitting down as well - letting the other half of the team play until you get your turn.

"So you're not walking all the time."

Another member Neville Benjamin, who has been playing with the club for less than a year, is also a fan of ricochet.

"It's very exciting, very competitive and very interesting," he said.

"I prefer it to golf croquet or association.

"In fact, we're trying to establish a ricochet group."

Benjamin said the club was calling on other south-west clubs to establish ricochet teams so they can have a competition.

Fellow member Bryan Watt, who has played with the club for 20 years, said the doors were also open to experienced players this summer.

"(The club) is also available to visiting croquet players, they might want to play a game of association (Wednesdays), we're not just putting it out to new players," he said.

People who wish to try croquet are urged to contact president Judy Stewart to book in advance.

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