THE Dalby Croquet Club celebrated World Croquet day on Saturday with a Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

Club Secretary Bev Lanagan said the club wanted to attract new members for a fun day on the lawns.

"We wanted to celebrate World Croquet Day and thought a themed party would be the way to go,” Mrs Lanagan said.

"A dozen visitors came to try croquet and played for an hour and a half on the lawns.”

Mrs Lanagan said the theme seemed fitting for the celebration as croquet is one of the games played in the classic story of Alice in Wonderland.

"The purpose was to profile the croquet club to people in Dalby who may not know that we even exist and show interested people how the game operates.”

The Dalby Croquet Club has existed for 80 years, with 15 current members who play twice a week on Monday and Friday.

Bev Lanagan said she had been playing croquet for 20 years.

"It's a very tactical game like chess, played on a green with a mallet and a ball,” she said.

"It's a game where you can exercise your mind and body at your own pace.”

Mrs Lanagan encourages anyone to come and try croquet.

The club is hoping to extend their reach in the community through offering another game on Saturday afternoon to suit more people.