Court Care    Croquet Courts require considerable care and maintenance to keep them worthy of championship play.  The bent grass we use is the same grass found on golf course greens and grass tennis courts, like those at the Field Club of Greenwich.  Croquet and tennis courts endure heavier use than golf course greens, and unlike golf, we like our courts absolutely flat.

Court maintenance begins in March and concludes in October, overlapping the playing season from April through September.  The time at the start and end of the growing season allows us to perform tasks best left without foot traffic.  Other tasks can be performed during the playing season.  Depending on the needs of the court, we may seed, fertilize, or add pesticides to control weeds, all in accordance with strict environmental standards required by the Town of Greenwich.  We may aerate the soil with a spiked aerator or slicing machine, and periodically roll the court to a smooth surface.  Like the mowers, this specialized equipment is expensive to own and maintain.  During the playing season, the court is watered daily early in the morning with the sprinkler system.  To stay trim, the court is cut twice a week, and early before each tournament day, using a mower like ones found on golf greens.  

• Wear Soft Soled Shoes.  No heels, golf shoes or running shoes with thick treads.
• Use Foxy Wickets For Practice.  Avoid using the heavy tournament wickets with cross spear shanks for practice.  Rather use the "foxy wickets," the wickets with small rounded shanks.  These install and remove more easily, and disrupt the soil less than the tournament wickets.  See Hole Repair below.
• Use Nail Bottom Pegs  rather than the wooden pointed ones that make very large holes.  See Hole Repair below.
• Divots happen.  Use a divot tool (looks like a short fork with two widely spaced & thick tines), loosen the soil below the divot, and spread the divot over the bare spot and press softly into place.  We have divot tools in the equipment building at Bruce, just please return when finished.  See Hole Repair below.
• Weeds Happen.  So don't be afraid to remove them.  Use the divot repair tool and loosen the soil to remove the weed, carefully.  See Hole Repair below.
• Hole Repair.  When you remove the wickets and pegs at the end of a game or practice, please fill the holes with any displaced earth and sand.  Top off the hole with sand-grass seed mix.  Why both sand and sand-grass mix?  The bent grass seed is very expensive.  Then, press the sand down softly with your shoe to compact and level the surface without raised humps.  Take care to remove any excess or raised humps, as they can damage the mowers.  We have separate containers of sand and sand/seed in the equipment bulding at Bruce, just please return when finished.
• You'll help us keep the court worthy of championship play.

Bruce Park is open for play April through September.

Bruce Park is a public park owned and managed by the Town of Greenwich CT, and our primary venue.    We share a dedicated section of the park with the Greenwich Lawn Bowlers Association.   The park is located immediately south of I-95 between exits 3 & 4, and our white wicket fenced court easily reached from the east entrance of the Park off Exit 4.

When set for croquet, the 125' x 125' court can accommodate two full size sanctioned court or four 3/4 courts.  A small nearby building houses two rest rooms and storage space for the bowlers and us.  In sharing the court, each has some exclusive use, while at other times, we share the court area equally.  See the Bruce Schedule below.

• From the West, take Exit 4 in Greenwich CT, turn right at end of ramp onto Indian Field Road.
• From the East, take Exit 4 in Greenwich Ct, turn left at the end of the ramp and drive under I-95.
• Continue south then turn first right onto Bruce Park Drive
• At first right, bear right on Bruce Park Drive, then bear left on Bruce Park Drive
• At next intersection with ball park or right, turn right.
• Continue around pond on left and you'll see the white picket fence that surrounds the court.
• Park either side.

The Field Club of Greenwich, located at 276 Lake Avenue, Greenwich, is a private club with fine grass tennis courts which we rent for our larger tournaments, including our signature annual Greenwich Invitational in late June.  The courts are configured to accommodate 3-4 full size croquet courts in a fitting and gracious setting.