History
The “Brussels Croquet Club de Genval” (BCCG) was created in 1994 by John Swabey, English by birth and living in Belgium, who noticed that the lawn in front of the Chateau du Lac in Genval, used by a handful of bowlers would be perfectly suited for the game of croquet, a game that he used to play in the UK. An agreement with the hotel and an announcement in an English magazine of Brussels that attracted a few amateurs led to the birth of the BCCG. The first tournament was played to handicap rules and won by Alex Weiner.
Coincidentally that same year a group of Belgians had the crazy idea of playing croquet together in their back gardens and, in 1995, they approached the English Croquet Association for guidance. The latter informed them of the existence of BCCG and a large fraction of them joined the croquet club.
The BCCG is located at the Genval’s lakeside just south of Brussels and disposes of two lawns. The overall membership has fluctuated over the years and presently the club counts between twenty and thirty members. Almost exclusively the game of “golf croquet” is played. In Belgium the game of croquet is still restricted to a small number of players. As an outdoor game, to be played at any age, male and female alike, harmonizing physical and mental conditions in a convivial environment, croquet is definitely facing a promising future.
In order to promote the game of croquet, the BCCG regularly organises demonstration and initiation sessions. They can be organised on demand on the club premises or elsewhere.
During the whole season individual tournaments are organised at the club level. Different handicap levels permit competitive matches between all members.
Practically, and according weather conditions, the season starts in the middle of April and terminates at the end of October. Club members agree among themselves on the play time hours. Traditionally during the evening of every third Monday of the month a barbecue is organised at the clubhouse.
The club includes players of all nationalities. A true melting pot of cultures! Croquet is really the social sport, the perfect opportunity to make real friends but also offering the possibility to further develop abilities to participate in tournaments abroad.
