Lawns closed for autumn renovation
Following discussions with the Council, they have now agreed to undertake a much needed autumn renovation programme including hollowing tining and application of top dressing and fertiliser. They will be using contractors for some of the work and it is likely to start on Sunday, 4 November. This means that all four lawns will be closed probably until the beginning of the 2019 season. Rather than keeping some or all of the lawns open for play until the end of December, as has happened in the past, it has been judged important to undertake a full renovation programme and to minimise compaction through continuing use in order to restore the lawns to as good a condition as possible for next year.
The regular weekly sessions of association croquet and golf croquet are therefore ceasing from Sunday, 4 November.
The Sunday Social scheduled for that day will continue as planned but it is unlikely that there will be any opportunity for informal play.
2018 Lawn bookings and calendar changes
| Tuesday, 10 April, am and pm | NW Level Play Golf Croquet League match Chester Centurions v Chester Chariots (H) – postponed to Wednesday, 16 May |
| Saturday, 28 April, am and pm | Postponed NW Handicap League match v Southport (H) |
| Wednesday, 9 May, am and pm | Longman Cup inter-club competition v Bury (H) – postponed to Wednesday, 30 May |
| Saturday, 12 May, all day | NW Millennium Short Lawn Tournament |
| Wednesday, 16 May, am and pm | Postponed NW Level Play Golf Croquet League match Chester Centurions v Chester Chariots (H) |
| Wednesday, 23 May | NW Level Play Golf Chester Chariots v Southport (H) – postponed to Wednesday, 30 May |
| Thursday, 24 May, 6.30 – 8.30 pm | Dodleston WI, Lawns 1 & 2 and 3A or 3B |
| Sunday, 27 May | NW Golf Croquet League match v Culcheth (H) – postponed to Sunday, 23 September |
| Wednesday, 30 May, am and pm | First round of Longman Cup inter-club competition v Bury (H) and postponed NW Level Play Golf Chester Chariots v Southport (H). Please note all four lawns will be in use. |
| Sunday, 3 June | Social Sunday. NW Short Croquet League match v Southport (H) – postponed, new date to be found |
| Saturday & Sunday, 16 & 17 June | Visit by Carrickmines Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club – postponed t0 Saturday & Sunday, 25 & 26 August |
| Thursday, 12 July | Mary Rose v Bowdon (H), Lawns 2 & 3 |
| Friday, 20 July, am and pm | Women’s Institute croquet day, Lawns 1, 2 & 3 |
| Saturday & Sunday, 4 & 5 August, all day | National Level Play 0 Plus open golf croquet tournament, Lawns 1 – 4 |
| Tuesday, 7 August | Mary Rose v Nottingham (H), Lawns 2 & 3 |
| Thursday, 9 August, 10.00 am – 4.00 pm | Friendly golf croquet match against Craig-y-Don (H), Lawns 1 – 4 |
| Saturday & Sunday, 25 & 26 August | Visit by Carrickmines Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, Lawns 1 – 4 |
| Monday, 27 August | First national Short Lawn Inter-Club Trophy competition (H) Lawns 2 & 3 leaving Lawns 1A & 1B available for short lawn club games and Lawn 4 available for double-banked full lawn club games. |
| Saturday, 1 September, am and pm | MENSA, am Lawns 1 & 2 plus pm Lawns 3 & 4 |
| Friday, 21 September, 9.30 am to about 3.30 pm | Friendly golf croquet match against Tattenhall and Craig-y-Don (H) – postponed to Thursday, 27 September |
| Saturday, 22 September | Hibiscus Tournament – postponed to Saturday, 29 September |
| Thursday, 27 September, 9.30 am to about 3.30 pm | Friendly golf croquet match against Tattenhall and Craig-y-Don (H) – postponed from Friday, 21 September Lawns 1 – 4 |
| Sunday, 23 September | NW Golf Croquet League match v Culcheth (H) – postponed from Sunday, 27 May |
| Saturday, 29 September | Hibiscus Tournament – postponed from Saturday, 22 September |
Lawn usage
In order to minimise wear and damage to the lawns, please use lawns in the order 4, 1, 3 and 2 for all internal club games.
Lawns now closed for the winter
All four lawns are now closed for recuperation until the beginning of the 2018 season
Winter lawn availability 2017 – 2018
Lawns 1 & 2 remain available for play until the end of December
To avoid damage to the lawns please do not play when the lawns are muddy, waterlogged or covered by frost or snow.
All four lawns will be closed for recuperation from 1 January 2018 until the beginning of the 2018 season
2017 Lawn bookings and calendar changes
| Tuesday, 6 June, 6.30 – 8.30 pm | Deva Rotary Club, Lawns 1 & 2 |
| Saturday, 1 July, all day | Mary Rose inter-club competition, three full lawns |
| Friday, 13 July, 10 am – 1.30 pm | Mahiyar Kotwal & Club 42, one full lawn |
| Friday, 28 July, all day | Longman Cup inter-club competition v Bowdon, Lawns 2 & 3 |
| Saturday & Sunday, 5 & 6 August, all day | National Level Play 0 Plus open golf croquet tournament, Lawns 1 – 4 |
| Wednesday, 9 August, am and pm | Postponed Weekend Handicap match against Crake Valley, Lawns 2 & 3 |
| Sunday, 13 August, pm | Sunday social postponed from Sunday, 6 August, including an informal session of Aussie rules ricochet croquet led by Elmyr Hughes |
| Monday, 14 August, am and pm | Postponed Mid-Week Handicap match against Bowdon Griffins, Lawns 2 & 3 |
| Sunday, 20 August, am and pm | Mensa, Lawns 1 – 3 |
| Saturday, 26 August, all day | Secretary’s Shield inter-club competition v Sheffield, Lawns 2 & 3 |
| Sunday, 27 August, am and pm | Postponed Weekend Handicap match against Bury Peelers, Lawns 2 & 3 |
| Thursday, 31 August, am and pm | Re-arranged Short Lawn match against Westmorland, Lawns 2 & 3 |
| Friday, 8 September, am and pm | Friendly golf croquet match against Tattenhall |
| Sunday, 10 September, am and pm | Advanced B Level match against Southport, Lawns 3 & 4 |
| Tuesday, 12 September, am and pm | Friendly golf croquet match against Craig-y-Don |
| Friday, 15 September, am and pm | Re-arranged Level Play Golf match Chester Chariots against Culcheth, Lawns 1, 2 & 3 or 2, 3 & 4 |
| Sunday, 17 September, pm | Golf croquet continuation course for 2017 new members |
Monday association croquet
As Monday association croquet sessions are proving popular with both short lawn and full lawn players, it is important that we all make fair use of the available lawns.
Double banking is not practicable on short lawns so, when the lawns are crowded, please allow for four short lawns and set up and use double banking on two full lawns before considering starting a third full lawn if it is not being used for short lawn games.
Use common sense: if players arriving during the day prefer a different configuration, follow that.
Also, to minimise excessive wear on some lawns, it is sensible to vary the configuration of lawns during the season. For May, please use Lawns 4 a and 4 b as the initial short lawns as these are rarely used as such.
Thank you
2017 Season
Despite intermittent showers the lawns were laid out as planned on Thursday, 30 March, and Saturday, 1 April, and are now available for play.
At all times, to avoid damage to the lawns please do not play when the lawns are muddy, waterlogged or covered by frost or snow.
Lawns now closed for the winter
All four lawns are now closed for recuperation until the beginning of the 2017 season
Autumn and Winter Lawn Availability 2016 – 2017
Following autumn maintenance work on the lawns, Lawns 3 & 4 will be closed for recuperation from Monday, 30 October 2016, until the beginning of the 2017 season
Lawns 1 & 2 remain available for play until the end of December
At all times, to avoid damage to the lawns please do not play when the lawns are muddy, waterlogged or covered by frost or snow.