Most Americans , played with smaller equipment made of inexpensive materials. The game originated in the mid-19th century in England, where six-wicket croquet, a more sophisticated version of the sport, is still popular today. Americans, who have played backyard croquet for more than a hundred years, discovered six-wicket croquet only in the late 1970s. Today most people associate croquet with garden parties, family gatherings and other social events, but the growing interest in the sport has led many Americans to six-wicket competition croquet.
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