The club’s plans for two specially-made lawns in Whitton Park, beside Glenbrook Panthers Bowling Club, have stalled after three years in the making.

While grateful the Hazelbrook Bowling Club currently allow them to play on their greens two-days-a-week, the croquet enthusiasts are desperate for a place to call their own.

A dedicated home would allow the 40 members to compete on a proper lawn as well as potentially expand their numbers.

Club member Don Smithers said with nowhere to play between Hazelbrook and Merrylands there is a need for new lawns in the area.

He said Glenbrook Panthers is happy for the croquet players to use the bowling club’s facilities while local schools have expressed an interest in students utilising any new lawns.

The delay in receiving council approval to use the land, Mr Smithers said, has resulted in the loss of some funds HCC had secured for the project.

This setback means the club will need some financial assistance from council.

A council spokesperson said the money identified by the club was not enough to fund the two lawns required for competitions to be held at the new facility.

“We made it very clear that we couldn’t fund them,” the spokesperson said.

She said plans presented by HCC last year were not detailed enough for council to consider setting the land aside at the time.

“We asked them to go away (and come back with new plans) and we’ve heard nothing back.”

The club now plans to gather signatures for a petition to demonstrate community support for the project.