CROQUET NEWS:  Summer Games You Can Play with a Drink in Hand

23 July 2006
by Christina Breda Antoniades in The Washington Post, Washington, DC, USA
photo by Corbis

If the only activity you're getting these days is the mad dash from one air-conditioned building to another, and the beverage you reach for most is water, you're not alone. It's summer, after all, which means soaring temperatures and life-sucking humidity, a combination that may have hydration at the top of your mind and athletic endeavors at the bottom.

Still, you don't have to give up all non-essential movement or limit your liquid intake to H2O for an entire season. Instead, why not get out and play a game or "sport" that scores low on the sweat-o-meter, has a high fun factor and is leisurely enough to enjoy with a fruity summer cocktail in hand. Below are some old favorites. Grab a shady spot, a cool drink and let the games begin . . .

Croquet and these other old-school games have just the right combo of competing, socializing and imbibing.

BOCCE. ...

CROQUET. We have the British to thank for this garden classic, which involves using a wooden mallet to knock balls around a grass court, proceeding through wickets and hitting stakes in a prescribed order. The game is played by two to eight players and, despite its image as a genteel sport, "it's not a slow game," says three-time U.S. Croquet Association champion John Osborn. "It really is a race. The first team or player to make their way around the court is considered the winner." Going through wickets, hitting the appropriate stake or hitting other players' balls entitles you to more shots, which gets you through the course more quickly.

Of course, the more players, the more beverage breaks you can take, which means that even if you assume a less-than-leisurely pace, you can still enjoy the game and an icy concoction. Still, you'll need two hands to hit properly, so unless you have one of those drinking hats tricked out with cup holders and straws -- which we don't recommend for aesthetic reasons -- you'll have to put down your cocktail when it's your turn to play.

Gear up: Grab a set at a sporting goods store (they start around $30) and hit the lawn.

Drink up: We recommend something to honor the game's founding nation. How about a Pimm's cocktail (Pimm's No. 1 and lemonade dolled up with a cucumber slice and a sprig of mint for good measure)?

DARTS. ...

HORSESHOES. ...

SHUFFLEBOARD. ...