In Yarmouth, these seniors keep croquet rolling

 Penny Curtis, of Topsham, sends her ball through a wicket during a game of croquet in Yarmouth on Monday. Curtis and a group of friends meet up twice a week to play croquet. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer) YARMOUTH — Dressed fully in white, the group of eight seniors gathered on the grass and holding mallets is eye-catching to passers-by on Prince Point Road. They assemble twice a week throughout the summer to play croquet. But it’s not the backyard pastime many might remember playing with their grandparents, violently whacking each others’ balls into the bushes. This iteration of the sport, American Six Wicket, is highly technical, requiring strategy and precision.  “It’s like chess on grass,” said croquet player Nan Aliberto, 84, who lives in Topsham. Each player is attempting to whack their colorful ball through six white metal hoops, called wickets, in a specific order before hitting a center stake. In this version of the game, they can gain additional hits by tapping other players’ balls. A board of sliding panels on the side of the court, managed by the referee, signals to players which other balls are available for them to use to get ahead.  When the ball goes through the narrow goal of the wicket, there’s only the thickness of a quarter on either side. Despite this slim margin, players send their balls through the hoops from yards away.  [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43650300_20260622_Croquet-Yarmouth_5.jpg) Penny Curtis, of Topsham, swings her personalized mallet during a game of croquet in Yarmouth on Monday. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F06%5C%2F43650300_20260622_Croquet-Yarmouth_5.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Penny%20Curtis%2C%20of%20Topsham%2C%20swings%20her%20personalized%20mallet%20during%20a%20game%20of%20croquet%20in%20Yarmouth%20on%20Monday.%20%28Daryn%20Slover%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) From mid-May until October, the group meets on Monday and Wednesday mornings to play. While a thunderstorm might stop them, a light drizzle will not. They maintain the tradition of dressing in white. Only rain jackets for summer showers and gloves worn on colder May mornings disrupt the uniform. Advertisement On Monday morning, two games run in opposite directions through the wickets. The four women playing doubles pause to chat and strategize, while the four men consider their game in near silence, save the sound of their mallets — engraved with the players’ names — striking their targets.  “The men play a cutthroat game, we like to help each other,” Ellen Snyder said with a laugh.  At 77, Snyder is considered one of the “babies” of the group.  Related [Older Mainers stay connected with help from community groups](https://www.pressherald.com/2025/10/16/older-mainers-stay-connected-with-help-from-community-groups/?uuid=b407ee28-9479-420e-bf5b-f16c9213675bu0026lid=163328) These eight retired friends make up the Casco Bay Croquet Club. The group’s origin goes back to the croquet courts of Ram Island Farm in Cape Elizabeth, then Highland Green in Topsham, before finding its current home in Yarmouth 11 years ago. Here they adopted the club’s current name, now embroidered on their white polo shirts. Club leader Bob Snyder grew up in a neighboring Yarmouth house playing croquet, and he and his wife, Ellen Snyder, built the gray house that now sits next to the croquet court. The Snyders sold the home long ago and now live in Falmouth, but when looking for a new croquet location after the Topsham court closed, they asked the new owners if they could play on the acre of property.  For the $100 in dues from each member per season, the club buys the homeowners a certificate to a nearby restaurant as thanks and pays a local teenager to cut the grass down to 1 inch on the 49-by-63-foot court.  Advertisement [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43650300_20260622_Croquet-Yarmouth_7.jpg) Nan Aliberto, of Topsham, looks at her options before striking her ball during a game of croquet in Yarmouth on Monday. Ned Douglas, left, of Harpswell, Aliberto and Ellen Snyder, right, of Falmouth, are involved with a group of friends that meet twice a week to play croquet. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F06%5C%2F43650300_20260622_Croquet-Yarmouth_7.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Nan%20Aliberto%2C%20of%20Topsham%2C%20looks%20at%20her%20options%20before%20striking%20her%20ball%20during%20a%20game%20of%20croquet%20in%20Yarmouth%20on%20Monday.%20Ned%20Douglas%2C%20left%2C%20of%20Harpswell%2C%20Aliberto%20and%20Ellen%20Snyder%2C%20right%2C%20of%20Falmouth%2C%20are%20involved%20with%20a%20group%20of%20friends%20that%20meet%20twice%20a%20week%20to%20play%20croquet.%20%28Daryn%20Slover%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) The court is smaller than regulation size, but still demands many steps. According to their fitness trackers, the players sometimes walk up to 2 miles per game. “It’s good exercise for seniors,” said Henry Vaughan, of Brunswick, 87, who served as the game’s referee from a folding chair on the side of the court. “You walk a lot, but you can also sit.”  There are about five regulation courts in Maine and several tournaments for the state’s best players each year. While all Casco Bay Croquet Club members are 77 and older, players of all ages come to competitions. Over 10 colleges in the U.S. have collegiate croquet, a number that is growing, according to the Croquet Foundation of America. Losing two players recently due to health issues, the Casco Bay Croquet Club is looking for new members of any age join them. Penny Curtis, also 77, is the latest addition to the Yarmouth club, joining three years ago after moving to Topsham from Sarasota, Florida. She learned to play croquet there, though she admits she was hesitant at first.  “I saw these people with whites on, I thought ‘Ugh, stuck up and snobby,’” she said.  [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43650300_20260622_Croquet-Yarmouth_2.jpg) Ned Douglas, of Harpswell, takes a turn while playing croquet with a group of friends in Yarmouth on Monday. Bob Snyder, back left, of Falmouth, and Henry Vaughan, of Brunswick, wait for their turn. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F06%5C%2F43650300_20260622_Croquet-Yarmouth_2.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Ned%20Douglas%2C%20of%20Harpswell%2C%20takes%20a%20turn%20while%20playing%20croquet%20with%20a%20group%20of%20friends%20in%20Yarmouth%20on%20Monday.%20Bob%20Snyder%2C%20back%20left%2C%20of%20Falmouth%2C%20and%20Henry%20Vaughan%2C%20of%20Brunswick%2C%20wait%20for%20their%20turn.%20%28Daryn%20Slover%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) Then someone playing approached her and offered to teach her the game. Advertisement “They gave two free lessons, and I was hooked,” said Curtis, who plays golf the days she’s not on the croquet court.  “You get addicted to it,” said Ellen Snyder. Bob and Ellen Snyder and fellow club member Fred Beck are headed to Ellsworth on Wednesday to play in the Woodlawn Croquet Invitational Six Wicket Singles Tournament. After years of cheering on her three sons at their hockey games, Ellen Snyder said it’s now time for them to come cheer her on in the big leagues.  Related [These Mainers are learning to play musical instruments later in life – and gaining unexpected joy](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/02/18/these-mainers-are-learning-to-play-musical-instruments-later-in-life-and-gaining-unexpected-joy/) Last week, Beck drove himself from his home in North Yarmouth to another multiday croquet tournament in Lenox, Massachusetts. Fitting a day of practice in Yarmouth in between, he’s off to another four or five days of tournament games. If Beck makes it to the championship round on Sunday, he’ll be celebrating his 93rd birthday on the competitive croquet court.   [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43650300_20260622_Croquet-Yarmouth_1.jpg) Fred Beck, of North Yarmouth, waits for his turn while playing croquet with a group of friends in Yarmouth on Monday. Beck will turn 93 on Sunday. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F06%5C%2F43650300_20260622_Croquet-Yarmouth_1.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Fred%20Beck%2C%20of%20North%20Yarmouth%2C%20waits%20for%20his%20turn%20while%20playing%20croquet%20with%20a%20group%20of%20friends%20in%20Yarmouth%20on%20Monday.%20Beck%20will%20turn%2093%20on%20Sunday.%20%28Daryn%20Slover%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) Copy the Story Link Tagged: [retirement](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/retirement/), [sports](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/sports/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sophie-burchell) [Sophie BurchellStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sophie-burchell) Sophie is a community reporter for Cumberland, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth and Falmouth and previously reported for the Forecaster. Her memories of briefly living on Mount Desert Island as a child drew her. [More by Sophie Burchell](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sophie-burchell)