Northland students try golf croquet at Maungakaramea Croquet Club

Students and teachers after a fun day learning about golf croquet at the Maungakaramea Croquet Club on Thursday. Photo / Tania Whyte

Sixteen Northland school kids had a great education in golf croquet on Thursday at Maungakaramea Croquet Club.

In what was the last Northland Secondary School Sport Association event for the year, pupils from Maungakaramea Primary, Tauraroa Area and Matarau schools came together to learn more about the simpler version of the traditional croquet code, often called Association Croquet.

From left: Kurtis Ryder, 12, and Nick Merry, 11, from Maungakaramea Primary School get pointers from Northland representative Jonny Halton, 15. Photo / Tania Whyte

Golf croquet removes the more technical rules of Association Croquet such as bonus shots.

In golf croquet, each side plays alternate strokes and each tries to be the first to score the next hoop.

Pupils were split into eight teams of two and played four 13-hoop games which saw teams from Maungakaramea Primary and Tauraroa Area schools finish equal first with three wins.

Maungakaramea Primary School's Pippa Ryder, 9, keeps an eye on her ball. Photo / Tania Whyte

Those teams played-off with the Maungakaramea winning by one hoop.

Players were assisted throughout the day by Northland and New Zealand development squad representative Jonny Halton.

Also on Thursday, Kerikeri Croquet Club held a similar training session for students from Bay of Islands College and Kerikeri High School.

George Whittaker-Cook, 9, from Matarau School ticks off another hoop. Photo / Tania Whyte

Northern Advocate photographer Tania Whyte went along to Maungakaramea to catch the action.

Tauraroa Area School's chargers (from left) Carter Green, 12, Kerry-Lee Lemon, 13, coach Sharie Cook, Madison Johnstone, 12, and Kendall Hucker, 11. Photo / Tania Whyte

Cooper Wallace, 10, from Maungakaramea Primary School executes a clean shot. Photo / Tania Whyte

Matarau School's Florrie Whittaker-Cook, 11, lines up the hoop. Photo / Tania Whyte

Twelve-year-old Skye Sayer (left) keeps an eye on his Maungakaramea Primary School classmate Troy McGough, 12. Photo / Tania Whyte