The Bright Croquet Club will mark its 120 year anniversary today with a luncheon celebration planned for tomorrow, Thursday, September 5.

Formed by gold miners' wives in 1904, as they were not granted admission to the bowls club, the croquet club has gone through many changes since its inception.

Thanks to funding from the Bendigo Community Bank and Alpine Shire Council's Community Grant Scheme, recent upgrades to the club have included a new roof, new fencing, the kitchen remodeled and a re-carpeting of the club house, which now has electricity.

Membership has always been the club's main hurdle with many people thinking that the sport is for the elderly.

"The club is open for anyone to join, not just for older people and we would love some new members," Bright Croquet Club secretary, John Hart, said.

"It is a unisex sport; men and women play as equals and it can be played year round, by people of all physical fitness and ability.

"We have a Come-and-Try Day at Easter time each year and we have another during the Bright Spring Festival in October.

"There's also the Seniors' Come-and-Try Day on October 31.

"It's surprising how competitive elderly people get about the game.

"We usually play on Thursdays, in the morning from 9am to lunchtime, but we also meet up on Sundays from 2pm onwards and people are more than welcome to join.

"It's hard to find new players and members when people are otherwise engaged with work or school."

The lawn and surrounds are kept in pristine condition and is reputed to be the best in regional Victoria, however with winter coming to a close, the grass at the moment is a little pale.

There are three types of croquet that are played at the club: association, ricochet and golf.

"Golf is the most popular style of croquet," club president, Joan Thompson, said.

"You're all on the lawn together taking turns, unlike association where you're sitting off to the side, waiting until your opponent makes a mistake before it's your turn to play."

Ricochet style is simpler than association, but still highly strategic.

Liz Grimes, the club's most senior member, switched to croquet after playing tennis her whole life.

"I used to play tennis from the ages of five to 82," Ms Grimes said.

"Then my knees went numb and I was able to take up croquet because I can get around the lawn with my walker and still play through the games.

"It's a good game, we're not terribly serious about it.

"We see passersby watching it from the street and we ask them if they want to join us and they end up playing almost as well as we can because it's only sending balls through a hoop."

Liz's son-in-law Ted Hignett said croquet is a good game to keep your brain and body active.

"It keeps you mobile," he said.

"It's easy to play croquet, because it's played on a perfectly flat surface and here we also have beautiful surroundings.

"Catching up with everyone at the club and playing croquet is better than just sitting at home doing nothing."

Dave Morris said it's a "frustratingly challenging game at times".

"But it is a marvelous game."

When ruminating on croquet, the former Irish croquet champion Dacre Stoker once said: “It's an impossibly difficult exercise, played to incomprehensible rules by venomous and tenacious people who have a tendency to swear under their breath!”

"This may be true but croquet is wonderful game and the Bright Croquet Club will hopefully go on for another 120 years," Mr Hart said.

The Bright Croquet Club is best accessed from the Burke Street car park.