IT was a momentous occasion on Sunday when two new world-class croquet courts were officially opened at Dalmeny Sporting Club.
Croquet started in Narooma at the Narooma Bowling and Recreation Club in 2000.
About 30 foundation members played croquet on the bowling greens at the club before they started to raise funds to build their own croquet court in 2003.
The new court at Narooma Bowlo' was built by the members with the help of greenkeeper Wayne Black and officially opened as the Murray Court on April 24, 2004.
"Croquet is one of the fastest growing sports in NSW," Narooma Sporting and Services Club senior vice president and sports director Noel O'Hehir said.
"It's an easy sport and caters for all manner of people and is a great way for people of all ages to meet each other and socialise," he said.
With Croquet Club member numbers growing considerably over the last few years Narooma Sporting and Services Club board of directors decided to move croquet to Dalmeny Sporting Club in 2008.
Croquet was played on the Dalmeny Bowling greens for a while and in 2009 the Narooma Sporting and Services Club Board gave the go ahead to construct two new croquet courts at Dalmeny.
By this time croquet club members had swelled to about 50.
Fill for the new Dalmeny site was obtained from the St Kilda site in Narooma where work on the new Seachange Apartments had started.
"Our greenkeepers Wayne Black and his team have worked hard in achieving a great surface on the two courts," Noel O'Hehir said.
About 60 people including croquet club members and visitors from Moruya, Queanbeyan and Ulladulla attended the official opening of the new courts on Sunday morning.
General manager of Narooma Sporting and Services Club Tony Casu said, "The club has funded another community sporting facility, adding to the communities many facilities and again highlighting what the club is all about, "not for profit, community owned facilities".
"The Narooma Sporting and Services Club is proud of what the club can contribute to the local community, and the benefits to the community that providing sporting and social facilities brings about. With a growing list of sporting and social opportunities that the club provides, the Board believes that the club is helping to achieve a better quality of life for the residents of the Narooma district," Tony Casu said.
"Its amazing the list of local sports that are dependent upon the clubs support this year, and the club is proud of being able to add this world-class croquet facility to that list, and again congratulations to all the many people who contributed to the building of the facility," he added.
At the official opening, Noel O'Hehir introduced croquet club president Robin Shenton who welcomed the official guests and asked Narooma Sporting and Services Club president Graeme Reeves to officially open the courts by trying to hit a ball through the hoop.
He was followed by Croquet Club president Robin Shenton.
After the official opening everyone was invited into the Dalmeny Sporting Club dining room where they had drinks and snacks.
This was followed by a fun afternoon of golf croquet on the new courts.
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