Longworth 4 Player

The other reviews had led me to believe this was a quality product so my expectations were sky high. I was delighted to find the quality of the product was even higher than anticipated and far better than the photographs (how often can you say that?). The wooden mallets ooze quality and the hoops are of 10mm solid metal unlike the thin metal 'wires' of a previous toy set that tended to get tripped over as they were so inconspicuous. It comes with lots of pieces to allow playing to 'real' rules however this requires a lawn 35 by 28 yards so some of the additional bits are unlikely to be used. It should be noted the set is very heavy; so heavy I thought they'd sent the wrong set. It felt heavy enough to be in a substantial wooden box. It could not be safely lifted my a child or an unfit adult or hung on a large hook on the garage wall as I had intended. I have noted the weight in case it's of interest however the reason for its weight is purely that it is a substantial, full-size set.I have just two quibbles. (i) the rules are not clear and the diagram of the 'court' incomprehensible with the arrows of play impossible to follow (should I find it's me not understanding the rules, I will amend this). There is no definition for example of how far through a hoop the ball needs to go before the point is scored. It just says 'completely' which could be ambiguous. This is not a serious flaw as I am sure I can find the rules on the internet. (ii) the bag that contains and stores the set is only just big enough and takes some fiddling to get the final mallet in. This is my only real negative and just took the edge off an otherwise perfect set.In any event, my overall impression is of a solid and well made game and well worth the cost on Amazon (which from memory had a 15% or so discount on the RRP).p.s. I agree with other reviewers, this product is not a toy - it's mallet size would suit 11+ but especially adults.

As I think others have mentioned, this is not really a toy, but a full-size adult croquet set, complete with all the trimmings (more than we've found a use for!). The build quality seems pretty good, and all the parts come in a robust canvas carry case, which will come in handy for over-winter storage.My only complaint is that the game instructions are too brief, but a few minutes on Google solved that problem - still a rather strange oversight for what is otherwise an impressive package

I agree with the other reviews rating the actual set as superb. Especially the beautiful, full size, nicely weighted mallets with a good quality grip. The hoops and balls are proper heavy weight, and quality. Just great. So why on earth spoil an excellent product with a zip that's an inch too short?! It's really hard work to get the mallets in and out of the bag - you have to squeeze them in carefully - and for sure the zip is going to break soon as a result. Anyway, my set is heading for Uganda so I'll probably get a local craftsman to make a fancy wooden box! And I would certainly buy the contents again.

Great fun and all started well but within a few weeks of normal sensible play we have had 2 mallets split up the shaft and another with chunks fly off from both ends of the head. Clearly poor wood/ manufacture, very disappointed

For canvas read plastic. For quality the head came off the hammer on the first use. The instructions are written in Martian and the paint comes off the balls easier than a fool is parted with his money. On the plus side the mallets and hoops are very well made and overall it's almost worth the money. With a little more attention this could have been an outstanding buy.

We were impressed with the quality of this product, Everything that you could possibly want is included in the strong carry case. Unfortunately one of the mallets must have had a fault in the wood, because on about the second hit, the handle broke near the joint with the head of the mallet. All the other mallets were fine. When I contacted the company, they were hugely efficient and helpful; sending me another mallet by return, without any quibble. They were a pleasure to deal with and I would not hesitate to buy further products from them in the future. I would recommend this product.

I need to contact customer services as I bought it last year but didn't use it when planned as it was a rainy summer. Opened it two days ago, fell in love with the game, played 3 times and mallet cracked, so I glued it together but then a ball split in half during game 4. There was no misuse. This was not a cheap set!! It should last more than 3.5 games in my back garden.

My wife played croquet at a friend's house recently and was enthusiastic about buying a set. I was sceptical about paying out for something which might be used twice but I was wrong. Naturally, you need some space to set this up and we have involved visitors who have thoroughly enjoyed playing. One good thing about croquet is that it can be played straight away whatever your skill level and by people of different ages, as a team or singly. This set is quite heavy because it is of sound quality and I would say that the canvas bag is better than a wooden box, especially if you propose taking it on holiday. Oh, and it is NOT a toy!