Mallethead: 10 Reasons Croquet is Better Than Golf

1. More Fun, Less Time
A backyard game of singles golf croquet (13-point) can usually be played out in about 20 to 25 minutes. A round of golf equals what? Three hours? Four hours? More? Check out the USCA Synopsis on golf croquet rules here.

2. One Mallet versus Bag Full of Clubs
Life is full of clutter -- free your mind with croquet.

3. The Sport for Entrepreneurs
They say that a lot of business is done on the golf course. That my be true, but if you want to build a business or win in the market, you need to learn croquet. It's all there -- risk versus reward, long-term strategy, real-time adjustments and corrections, intimidation, bluffing. What it all boils down to is that croquet is the ultimate mental exercise for entrepreneurs. If I could get away with it, I'd pull a Macpherson Robertson and force all of my managers to learn the sport. Golf on the other hand is ... well, see #5.

4. So uncool, it's cool
Because the sport is so misunderstood and poorly characterized, croquet has turned into this ultra-secret club at this point. From the outside, it has this blatantly false image of being played on exclusive courts next to mansions by bored millionaires that are throwing down cucumber sandwiches. Check out the Young Guns issue of Croquet Network Magazine and you'll see a vastly different sport. It's a sport for warriors and yes you should be afraid to meet those guys on a court, but not because of some snobby club atmosphere.

5. Strategy versus Observation
Watch a golf tournament on TV (at your own risk) or venture out to the local course with any "golf buddies" you may know and you may hear the mention of "strategy." It's mis-used. Golf is strictly a target sport and your toughest mental challenge is observation of the weather and course conditions and proper interpretation. I think it would be a stretch to call it tactical. Croquet brings all of the great elements together (skill, tactics and strategy) in a way that no other sport does.

6. Environmental
Let's face it -- they're both pretty serious offenders, but the largest croquet clubs register just 10-12 courts and there are just a handful of those worldwide. Still, even those monsters don't eat up near the greenspace that a golf course does. Also, though I am not a greenskeeper, croquet seems to have a viable chance of minimizing damage with future "green" approaches strictly because it does have a smaller footprint.

7. Croquet Rewards Success, Golf Tracks Failure
You have to succeed in croquet to earn more shots. Golf punishes you when you fail by making you play more golf. That's masochistic.

8. Lost Balls
It's possible to lose your ball on a croquet court, but not very likely. Seriously, think of all the time you have and will spend tracking down those little white balls in the weeds and remember, you can't get that time back.

9. No plaid pants

10. Bigger Balls
Croquet has bigger balls. Bigger is better, right? Not only that, they are multi-colored, so there is no argument of who's Titleist #9 is laying the ditch. I'm blue and black, you're red and yellow. Case closed.