Laser Surveying Equipment

A comprehensive set of equipment for accurately self-surveying croquet courts is available for club hire from the CA Equipment Committee. A survey at one yard intervals over a whole court (over 1000 measurements) takes three to four hours for a team of three or four people and, after punching the data into a PC, the lawn surface may be seen in 3D.

The computer program is supplied with the equipment and will run on most PCs. it calculates the amount of top dressing required in each yard square to produce a flat (sloping) surface, or (separately) a horizontal surface.

The key instrument, a Robolaser, is self-levelling and transmits a beam that produces a visible spot of light on a target up to 150 feet away (on a dull day). The beam is horizontal to within ¹/₄ inch in 100 feet and is steered onto the target from either end by means of a remote radio controller. In use, the laser is mounted on a surveyors' tripod and the target (on a pole) is held at a comfortable height.

The equipment fits easily into a normal car boot and usually resides with the last user club. Transfer between venues can often be arranged through the tournament circuit. Arrangements to borrow the equipment should be made with the Equipment Committee Chairman, enclosing a cheque for £30 payable to the CA.