Gloucester Croquet Club will be looking much sharper thanks to a cash injection courtesy of a state government grant.
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The club has received just under $11,000 through the state government's Local Sport Grant Program which will be used in a number of projects to assist in the refurbishment of the club.
The funds will be used to purchase new carpeting for the clubhouse as well as installing a new roller door.
Money will also be used to purchase a set of stainless steel quadway competition hoops to replace the ageing hoops currently in use.
The Local Sport Grant Program aims to increase regular and on-going participation opportunities in sport in NSW, providing grants of up to $20,000 for individual projects.
The Gloucester Croquet Club currently has a roster of 25 members who enjoy the facilities at the picturesque spot within Gloucester District Park, with anyone interested in joining the club encouraged to come along.
Despite the sport having an image of being populated by those more senior in years, Gloucester Croquet has sought to introduce the game to a younger generation.
"We have done schools in the past and every year around Spring we go to the public school and ask if they want to put croquet in their sporting calendar," club president, Ashleigh Hickson said.
"Sometimes it happens but it hasn't for a couple of years now and I think COVID was responsible for putting it on the back burner."
Regardless of the age of participants, Ashleigh say that mastering the sport is a lifelong commitment.
"You're always learning it, like any sport you've just got to keep at it," she said.
"The rudimentary things aren't particularly difficult, it's just being able to approach the ball and get it to hit another ball away and then run your hoop.
"But there's lots of tricks and different things you've got to learn."
