What Arizona’s unofficial croquet ambassador wants you to know about the sport
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Most people have one of two opinions about the game of croquet: it’s either a backyard past time, played with family and friends, or, it’s a game enjoyed by more of the "Gatsby" set.
Paul Bennett, Arizona’s unofficial ambassador to the global croquet community, wants you to know neither of these stereotypes are accurate.
Bennett is heading to London, where he’ll be competing at the 2023 Association Croquet World Championship this month. He’s also the president of the Arizona Croquet Club. It coalesced in the 1970s around a small group of enthusiasts who organized an annual event — the Arizona Croquet Open.
Over the years, members of the Croquet Club came and went — mostly went — and the tournament left Arizona for Florida and, later, Virginia where it continues to be an annual event.
Its roots in Arizona are preserved in its name — now called the Arizona Croquet Closed, and it still attracts players from around the world and some of the original Arizona Croquet Club members.
The Show visited Paul Bennett at a backyard court in Paradise Valley to talk more about it.
