History The National Croquet Association (NCA), founded in 1879, held its first national tournament in 1882. While English lawn croquet was played at scattered locations, an American form of croquet had also evolved into a very different game from the rather sedate English version. It was played on a court of hard-packed dirt, with hard rubber balls, very narrow wickets, and short mallets. The court was enclosed by a wooden barricade to keep the lively balls on the field of play.
In 1899, a new set of rules was standardized for the American version, which was given a new name: Roque, formed by clipping the first and last letters from "croquet." Like billiards and unlike lawn croquet, roque requires skill in making carom shots off the boundary board and in the use of English to change the path of the shot.
During the early part of the century, roque become the dominant form of the sport. A new governing body, the American Roque League, was founded in 1916, while the NCA became dormant for many years.
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Mallets & Balls
Barty Johnson in Levelland, Texas, makes roque and croquet mallets with removable hardwood heads weighing 32 to 34 ounces and shafts ranging from sixteen to thirty inches in length. The mallet heads are banded with brass or stainless steel and can be faced with a black gum rubber tip on one end and either fiber or aluminum on the other end for roque, or either material on both ends for croquet. The mallets range in price from $52.50 to $60.50, depending on handle length. Extra handles are available from $10 to $20 Johnson also supplies hard rubber balls which are very lively in red, blue, black, and white, with green and orange also available for six-ball sets. They are three and a quarter inches wide and sell for $18 each or $72 for a four-ball set. Shipping and handling are extra. For information or orders contact Barty Johnson
BARTY JOHNSON Barty Johnson PO Box 163 Levelland, TX 79336 (806) 894-6652.
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These are a few notes I've picked up on Roque via people mailing information to the Nottingham Croquet Mailing List.
From Garth Eliassen (April 1999) eliassen@open.org
Roque is a great and historical game. There are a few courts still in existence, scattered across the country. Roque is still played at a few locations in the United States, played the same way it has been for over 100 years. It's a version of nine-wicket croquet, usually played on hard sand with a raised border that the balls can carom off.
There is still a national roque organization, but it is loosely run and I have never succeeded in getting a copy of the rules even though I tried for several years.
The strongest group I've heard of is the Angelica, New York, group. Try contacting Paul Gallmann at (716) 406-7676 or David Haggstrom at (716) 466-7930. My phone numbers are several years old.
Barty Johnson in Texas makes roque balls and mallets. He'll probably be able to give you good leads and more information: (806) 894-6652.
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M-002 Lawn Sports. New York: American Sports Publishing Company, 1916. "Spalding's 'Red Cover' Series of Athletic Handbooks, No. 43R" Includes sections on Roque, Croquet, Golf-Croquet, Clock-Golf, Archery, Tether Ball, Garden Hockey, Lawn Hockey, American and British Croquet Rules, and rules for Volley Ball, Pin Ball, Basket Goal, Badminton, Hand Tennis, Hand Polo, Wicket Polo, and Drawing Room Hockey. Green and orange pictorial (archery and croquet) wrappers a bit worn at spine ends and top edge. Pages 136-41 rust stained with small closed tear from a paper clip; small "ding" to fore-edge of pages 170-76; otherwise, illustrated (photos and diagrams) text clean and sharp. A very good copy. $45
To order: E-mail: Wilfrid@deFreitasBooks.com
or
Phone: (514) 935-9581 Fax: (514) 931-8999
Wilfrid M. de Freitas - Bookseller P.O. Box 883, Stock Exchange Tower Montreal, Canada H4Z 1K2### Steinbeck and Roque
When Steinbeck tells the history of P.G.'s "Great Roque War" (Sweet Thursday, Chapter 8), he drew on actual events surrounding the roque courts that used to be located here. (Roque is a croquet-like game played on concrete with short mallets.)
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every August, and the game—which is fully as scientific as modern English croquet—has numerous devotees, especially in New England. Roque is played, not on grass, but on a prepared surface something like a cinder tennis-court. The standard ground, as adopted by the National Association in 1903, is hexagonal in shape, with ten arches (hoops) and two stakes (pegs) as shown in 3iagram 2. The length is 60 ft., width 30, and the “corner pieces” are 6 ft. long. An essential feature of the ground is that it is surrounded by a raised wooden border, often lined with india-rubber to facilitate the rebound of the ball, and it is permissible to play a “carom” (or rebounding shot) off this border; a skilful player can often thus hit a ball which is wired to a direct shot. A boundary line is marked 28 in. inside the border, on which a ball coming to rest outside it must be replaced. The hoops are run in the order marked on the diagram, so that the game consists of 36 points. Red and white are always partners against blue and black, and the essential features and tactics of the game are, mutatis mutandis, the same as in modern English croquet—i.e. the skilful player goes always for a break and utilizes one or both of the opponent’s balls in making it. The balls are 33/4 in. in diameter, of hard rubber or composition, and the arches are .33/4 or 31/2 in. wide for first- and second-class players respectively; they are made of steel 3/4 in. in diameter and stand about 8 in. out of the ground. The stakes are I in. in diameter and only 14 in. above the ground. The’ mallets are much shorter than those commonly employed in England, the majority of players using only one hand, though the two-handed “pendulum stroke,” played between the legs, finds an increasingly large number of adherents, on account of the greater accuracy which it gives. The “jump shot “ is a necessary part of the player’s equipment, as dead wiring is allowed; it is supplemented by the carom off the border or off a stake or arch, and roque players justly claim that their game is more like billiards than any other out-of-door game.
The game of roque is opened by scoring (stringing) for lead from an imaginary line through the middle wicket (cage), the player whose ball rests nearest the southern boundary line having the choice of lead and balls. The balls are then placed on the four corner spots marked A in diagram, partner balls being diagonally opposite one another, and the starting ball having the choice of either of the upper corners. The leader, say red, usually begins by shooting at white; if he misses, a carom off the border will leave him somewhere near his partner, blue. White then shoots at red or blue, with probably a similar result. Blue is then “in,” with a certain roquet and the choice of laying for red or going for an immediate break himself. The general strategy of the game corresponds to that of croquet, the most important differences being that “pegging out” is not allowed, and that on the small ground with its ten arches and two stakes the three-ball break is usually adopted, the next player or “danger ball” being wired at the earliest opportunity.
See Spalding’s Official Roque Guide, edited by Mr Charles Jacobus (New York, 1906).
FIG. 2.—Diagram of roque ground, showing setting of arches and 1 and order of play, in accordancewith the official laws (1906) of the Nai Roque Association.
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J Pearce Mitchell Park in Palo Alto has a roque court. The rest of the park offered every game and sport from archery, handball, and tennis to bocce ball, roque (a form of croquet), and shuffleboard, a giant checkerboard for seniors, and checkerboard tables
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Heritage Days (August 3 & 4) are GREAT ! but you can take the VIRTUAL WALKING TOUR today!
Angelica was developed as a planned community, and much of the charm that is Angelica today--the common green called the Park Circle at the center with its surrounding churches and old courthouse and wide, tree-lines Main Street that runs east and west--is the plan of Captain Church for his community.
Band concerts, parades, large political assemblies, lawn fetes, and Heritage Days have been held in the park, as well as Roque tournaments. Roque, an ancient form of croquet, has been played in the park's Roque Court since the 1860s. This picture was taken in the early 1900s.
Roque is played under the lights with spectators still occupying park benches on warm summer evenings.
Enjoy a meander around Angelica: A Town Where History Lives
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Budd park, in the northeast section of Kansas City, has enjoyed an enduring popularity through the years. It is one of the oldest and loveliest of the small city parks.
Judge Azariah Budd died in 1890 and bequeathed to the city 21 acres of farm land. A stipulation of the will called for the city to pay Mrs. Budd, the widow, $3,000 each year for the rest of her life.
This caused considerable controversy over acceptance of the gift, since it made the total price uncertain. However, the ground was accepted as a park. Mrs. Budd lived 18 years, thereby making the cost only $54,000. Mrs. Budd deeded the city five extra acres immediately east of the original park in 1901.
A wading pool and tennis courts and two roque courts were built. Roque is a form of croquet requiring more skill than the ordinary game. For years the Budd park roque courts were used by the Missouri Valley Annual Roque tournaments.
The well-shaded lawns made the park popular for family picnics, and this 1908 post card shows a Sunday school group enjoying the sunshiny day and a circle game, with a long-skirted teacher in charge.
Kansas City Star
October 31, 1970
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January 10, 1984, San Diego Tribune. Leisure-1. A day in the park --- what’s going on?
Just about everything, by Nancy Cleeland.
It is an 1,100-acre playground, a green belt through the heart of San Diego. On sunny weekends, thousands of visitors stroll along the walkways of Balboa Park, past the elegant Spanish colonial buildings of the Prado, past gardens, fountains, courtyards and reflecting pools.
Museums describe the physical and cultural history of human beings, and explore But there is much more going on in the 115-year old park, so much that no one person can keep track of it all. "That would be a full-time job," said Park Manager Dave Seyfarth. "Someone would have to bird-dog all these groups to make sure they sent in their activities."
For instance, competitive sorts can find tournaments in golf, tennis, Frisbee golf, horseshoes, shuffleboard, lawn bowling, petanque (a French game similar to lawn bowling), boccie ball (an Italian variation of the lawn game), roque (similar to croquet), archery, badminton, table tennis, chess, bridge, volleyball and basketball.
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excellent directory of resources and croquet equipment
Mailing List croquet@wyoming.com Message #208
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From: "Stuart Lawrence" Subject: Re: [CROQUET] Re: Suggestion Box Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2000 09:32:30 -0400 To: "The World of Croquet" ----- Original Message ----- From: > Boundary line -- great to be able to run down the line -- ride the line -- > fun added dimension -- boring Association measurement. WEM 1) Who are you, WEM? 2) Have you considered taking up roque, where you can really perfect your technique of bouncing off the boundaries? Stuart stuartwl@walrus.com###
PINEHURST
Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina
Located in the Sandhills of North Carolina, Pinehurst is golf and Pinehurst is history. But Pinehurst is also a vacation haven of porches with old-fashioned rocking chairs, quaint storefronts and shops, croquet courts, lawn bowling, sailing, paddle-boating, beach volleyball, and carriage rides. Yes, you can spend plenty of time on one of eight golf courses, but what Pinehurst has to offer is more than a day on the links.
AMENITIES
Newest addition to the resort: Course No. 4 — “Tom Fazio’s Tribute to Pinehurst.”
Best view: Looking down Carolina Vista, you’ll experience a magical view as the tree-lined road leads to the historic, stately clubhouse.
Best room or suite: Jasmine Suite of the Holly Inn.
GOLF Most intimidating tee-off: Hole No. 1 on Course No. 2. Just try to stay focused as you tee off from hallowed ground played on by such greats as Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson.
Most hazardous hole: Hole No. 13 on Course No. 8 is a 209-yard, par-3 with the green surrounded by sand bunkers.
Biggest golf challenge: Hole No. 5 on Course No. 2. Designer Donald J. Ross opined that the second shot on this 482-yard, par-4 hole, with its slight dogleg to the left, is the most difficult on the course.
FOOD & SPIRITS
Most refreshing frozen drink: Cherries Jubilee.
Sunniest Summer Chardonnay: ZD Wines’ Napa Valley Reserve Chardonnay.
Best Local Brew: Pinehurst Double Eagle Golden Ale from the Pinehurst Brewery.
Tastiest summer entrée: Asian Sea Bass.
Best summer appetizer: Bay scallops in puff pastry.
Best breakfast buffet: Carolina Dining Room.
Sweetest summer dessert: Mocha Paradise.
TENNIS
Best court to meet your match: No. 1.
Best gift in the pro shop: Putterboy statues.
Best buy in the pro shop: Pinehurst logo caps.
RECREATION & ACTIVITIES
Best way to appreciate nature: A walk on the golf courses.
Best fishin’ “hole”: The pond at the 11th hole on Course No. 5.
Best place to float your boat, canoe, or kayak: Lake Pinehurst.
Best way to while away a summer evening: A horse-drawn carriage ride through the historic village or relaxing in a rocking chair on the front porch.
Requisite day trip: Seagrove Pottery, home to more than 100 potters and artists who — often on homemade kick wheels — mold the famed North Carolina clay into stoneware and original creations.
Most nostalgic vacation activity: A game of “roque” on the lawn. Similar to croquet, this sport was popular in the late 1800s and a favorite pastime of Pinehurst founder James Walker Tuft.
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LEGENDS: PINEHURST PHOTO ALBUM
Golf was not James Walker Tufts’ game. Pinehurst’s founder preferred a game similar to croquet called “roque.”
The Carolina Hotel, which opened on New Year’s Day, 1901, was constructed on the highest ground in the village.
The University of North Carolina tennis team visited Pinehurst from Chapel Hill.
When land was needed to expand golf, the “old” tennis courts were moved to the other side of the clubhouse. Today, the first hole of Pinehurst No. 3 is located on this spot.
We’re looking for “Legends” from Associate Clubs and ClubCorp Resorts. Please send photos and information to “Legends,” Private Clubs, 3030 LBJ Freeway, Suite 350, Dallas, TX 75234.
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The Club was constructed by the City in 1917 at the behest of Al Mercer, a regular visitor to the city from Toronto, Canada who suggested the use of Marl-surfaced roque courts in St. Petersburg as bowling rinks. The grasses used for lawn bowling did not thrive in Florida, and the Marl of the roque court - a game similar to croquet - seemed to offer a suitable alternative surface.
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The roque mallets, put in here for the winter, are arranged in a two-tiered rack. You pull one mallet out of the rack and hold it in front of your face, studying it. The handle is a bit shorter than its closest relative, a croquet mallet, but that isn't the only difference between the two. Instead of being all wood, the roque mallet's head has one wooden end and one end made of hard rubber. You swing the mallet through the air and it makes a vicious whoosing sound. Satisfied (and a little uneasy), you place it back in the rack.
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Roque in the Stephen Kings' Shining
"Yes. Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold . . . except the Overlook. He funneled over a million dollars into it before the first postwar guest ever stepped through its doors, turning a decrepit relic into a showplace. It was Derwent who added the roque court I saw you admiring when you arrived." "Roque?"
"A British forebear of our croquet, Mr. Torrance. Croquet is bastardized roque. According to legend, Derwent learned the game from his social secretary and fell completely in love with it. Ours may be the finest roque court in America."
"I wouldn't doubt it," Jack said gravely. A roque court, a topiary full of hedge animals out front, what next? A life-sized Uncle Wiggly game behind the equipment shed? He was getting very tired of Mr. Stuart Ullman, but he could see that Ullman wasn't done. Ullman was going to have his say, every last word of it.
. . .
"I have been coming to the Overlook Hotel since 1955," she was telling the smiling, shrugging clerk. "I continued to come even after my second husband died of a stroke on that tiresome roque court--I told him the sun was too hot that day--and I have never . . . I repeat: never . . . paid with anything but my American Express credit card. Call the police if you like! Have them drag me away! I will still refuse to pay with anything but my American Express credit card. I repeat: . . ."
. . . many more references to roque in this website
From a website on "The Shining"
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Roque's only gold medal winner at the 1904 Games
Question: Who won the Roque's only gold medal in 1904?
Answer: Charles Jacobus - Roque is a form of croquet played on a hard-surfaced court with a raised border for banking shots.
Source: Olympic Gold CD-ROM
published: Cooee 11 August 1997
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http://www.whittierbiz.com/entertainment/parks.html
BROADWAY PARK - 12816 Broadway Ave; 3 acres
(Developed 1912-20) Whittier California
Picnic facilities, 12 tables (approximate capacity - 100) under shad trees,
barbecues, restrooms. Recreational facilities include play equipment, 6
shuffleboard courts, 2 tennis courts (lighted for night use), 1 roque court,
2 horseshoe pitches, amphitheater with fire ring (capacity - approximately 75,
use by permit only), Girl Scout House.
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Robert Barnett 281-328-3298, 78 years old, who lives near Houston, Texas dreams of having his own roque court some day. He said they once had a national tournament in Greenville, Texas.