The targeted response rate was 20%, but this was comfortably exceeded, as a surprising 1020 (45%) responses were received. There was overwhelming support for the aims of the survey and the way in which it was conducted. There was also a good fit geographically in terms of survey responses (on the right in the table below) and CA statistics (on the left).
CA Federations |
Associates |
non-Associates |
Survey regions |
Associates |
non-Associates |
| London & SE | 32% | 28% | London + SE | 36% | 38% |
| Southern | 7% | 10% | South Central | 9% | 9% |
| South West | 24% | 25% | SW + West + Wales | 24% | 25% |
| East Anglia | 12% | 8% | East Anglia | 9% | 9% |
| East Midlands + West Midlands | 9% | 11% | Midlands | 11% | 10% |
| North West | 9% | 10% | North West | 6% | 5% |
| North + Yorkshire | 7% | 7% | North East | 5% | 2% |
The total cost of the survey was £937, most of which were the expenses associates with printing, mailing and Freepost.
We have defined four distinct profiles of croquet players. The numbers are summarised in the following table:
| characteristics | CA Associates | non-Associates | all croquet players | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | low handicap (<4) or potentially low handicap and < 40yo |
24% | 0% | 10% |
| Busy Hobbyists | handicap <=16 and not retired | 12% | 13% | 13% |
| Novices | handicap >16 or no handicap, and been playing for up to 3 yrs | 9% | 31% | 22% |
| Retirees | retired and over 60yo, and been playing for more than 3 yrs | 51% | 45% | 48% |
| (N.B. slight overlap between Stars and Retirees) | 94% | 89% | 93% |
| Stars | Players who have mastered croquet. they perform to a high standard, they read books, they discuss tactics. Most are male. All are Associates. There are three subgroups within the Stars group: | ||||
| Tigers | Top class players, mostly young and very competitive; | ||||
| Young Turks | Fairly young players with the potential to become "Tigers"; | ||||
| BTDIGTTs | Been there, done it, got the tee-shirt - ex-Tigers and Turks who don't make it; they now play more for fun; many are past the prime of their lives, as well as their croquet. | ||||
| Busy Hobbyists | Competent players, but are below Star quality; they regard croquet as an enjoyable hobby; they are working people and mostly male. | ||||
| Novices | Players who are fairly new to the game and who still have a high handicap. This group represents 22% of all croquet players and it is divided fairly equally between men and women. Some of this group will decide croquet is not for them and they will drop out. | ||||
| Retirees | The largest group numerically. We have two subgroups:
Though fitter than the average for their age, a high proportion of Retirees enjoy their croquet despite disabilities. They like to help run clubs. |
There are some significant differences in the behaviour of these four groups. However, it tends to relate to croquet factors, such as helping to run croquet, rather than the "lifestyle" factors covered in the survey. Indeed, there are hardly any significant variations in "lifestyle" between any of the groups of croquet players measured; they seem very homogenous in their outlook.