CroquetNews Grand Prix Winner
Randy Cardo
The Official Magazine of the United States Croquet Association | 2018 Volume 1
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CroquetNews
Features
United by Croquet Stories
courtside
2018 Volume 1
12 | 2018 USCA Club Directory 18 | Lighting a Croquet Court 22 | 2018 USCA Club Teams 26 | 2018 Collegiate Nationals 28 | 2018 AC Laws Nationals 30 | 2017 GC Nationals 31 | 2017 GC Club Teams 33 | 2018 Florida GC Regional 34 | Club Profile: Mission Hills Croquet Club 36 | Member Profile: Randy Cardo
Departments 03 | Courtside with Sara Low 05 | The Clubhouse 08 | New Membership 38 | Let’s Talk Tactics: Hoop 2 40 | The Inbox 43 | Events Calendar
Credits On The Cover: USCA Player of the Year Randy Cardo. Photo by Bev Cardo. Publisher: Dylan Goodwin | uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com
We received many letters thanks to the Winter 2018 issue of Croquet News. History of the USCA sparked comments from readers who took pleasure in learning about our past, reliving the early days and growth of the organization and adding stories or facts that we did not cover. Isn’t it wonderful that croquet can be enjoyed on the courts as well as from an armchair? The USCA story brings out my own. My first lesson in American Six Wicket Croquet took place in Central Park. Green grass, white clothing, the four colored balls placed just so. There was a stillness on the New York Croquet Club lawn that muffled the sound and activity being played in the park outside the club gates. Two courts were set: The one for my lesson with gleaming wickets pounded into the ground; tall, heavy mallets of the sport standing nearby and colorful flags in each corner – blue, red, black, yellow. I was excited. Introduced to an indoor wicket shoot during the previous winter, I had waited weeks for the season to open so croquet lessons could begin. As I took in the sights and sensation, my eyes were drawn to the other court. Set differently and yet the same: green grass, six steel wickets, but all the corner flags were black. My instructor, the President of the New York Croquet Club, Michael Charrier, had set the court this way, the only time in the club’s history, in honor of Jack Osborn, the man responsible for bringing modern croquet to America and for founding the United States Croquet Association. A historic occasion in croquet, this was the day that Jack Osborn had died.
Editor: Julie Jantzer-Ward
Even if I hadn’t been taken by the sport, its many rules and complex strategy, I fell in love with croquet first for its traditions and then the beautiful experience of honoring the man who had made the game possible for us.
Art Director: Brandy Ferguson
Forty years ago, Jack Osborn and a group of people who became legends gave us a game and an organization.
Contributors: Joyce Baillargeon, Micah Beck, Cheryl Bromley, Bev Cardo, Randy Cardo, Chris Clarke, Bob Kroeger, Sara Low, Carlton H. Maybee, Leo Nikora, John C. Osborn, Jennifer Othen, Ursula Peck, Eric Sawyer, Jeff Soo, Rich Watson, Linda Vavra, Terry Vavra
Today the organization has grown to include three other games of croquet, the sport is played at all levels of competition and we are looking forward to 40 new years of history. Croquet News made note of all this and encouraged its readers to add their own experiences.
Inquiries
Keep the stories coming and please, continue to create more.
Sara Low
USCA President | president@uscroquet.com
Please submit all inquiries and stories to uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com. Text should be submitted as a Microsoft Word file and photos need to be FULL resolution (300 dpi). All content may be edited for length and photos will be adjusted appropriately. Croquet News is produced three times per year and is distributed as a benefit to USCA membership. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the publisher. Views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USCA.
© 2018 United States Croquet Association
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TheClubhouse insider news from the united states croquet association
A WELL-DESERVED RETIREMENT
On January 31, 2018, Shereen Hayes retired from her position as USCA Executive Manager. Hayes had been with the USCA since 1995 after starting as a bookkeeper with the organization. Over her 22 years, she worked with seven USCA presidents and was integral in managing the finances, reporting and staff for the organization. In recognition of her contribution, she was inducted into the US Croquet Hall of Fame in 2015.
USCA Management Committee ________________________ President Sara Low president@uscroquet.com First Vice President Damon Bidencope damonbidencope@bidencope.com Second Vice President Don Oakley inquiries@oakleywoods.com Treasurer Steve Mossbrook steve.mossbrook@cerento.com Secretary Carla Rueck cprueck@aol.com United States Croquet Association (USCA) 700 Florida Mango Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Tel. (561) 478-0760 Fax (561) 686-5507 Email: usca@msn.com Website: www.croquetamerica.com ________________________ REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS Florida Gene Raymond (919) 612-3366 generaymond1@gmail.com
WHO AM I?
I took up rowing in high school. Maybe that’s why I’m so good at swinging sticks? I majored in zoology in college, so when I’m at your party or tournament, and say, “What a zoo,” I give an entirely new meaning to that phrase. After I left college, I rocked a fab ponytail. Remember, I like zoos (get it: ponytail?). To add some adventure, I also took up hang gliding and rock climbing. But I needed more thrills and adventures, so I took up croquet! Remember, I like swinging sticks. I’ve won many national titles, and I’ve travelled internationally with my croquet stick. One of my favorites was taking a game off Robert Fulford on my 40th birthday! But I’m just as proud when I take a beautiful photograph in nature. So, while I may come to your tournament, and will probably win it, you should be more flattered if you find yourself in one of my artistic pics! Can you guess, Who Am I? See answer on page 42.
Mid-Atlantic Timothy Rapuano (201) 887-0787 in9inches@gmail.com Midwest Russell S. Dilley (317) 903-6852 rs.dilley@comcast.net Northeast Patricia Spratt (860) 227-7297 psprattct@aol.com Southeast Macey White (804) 832-2824 maceywhite@gmail.com Western Jim Hanks (707) 696-9153 jamesjhanks@gmail.com ________________________ USCA STAFF Tournament Services Jennifer Othen tournament@uscroquet.com Membership Coordinator Ursula Peck membership@uscroquet.com Bookkeeper Janice Arroyo admin@uscroquet.com www.CroquetAmerica.com croquetamerica.com | 5
TheClubhouse insider news from the united states croquet association
2018 TEAM USA SOLOMON ROSTER
The Solomon Trophy test series between Great Britain and the US is one of the premier croquet competitions in the world. This year’s edition will take place at the Surbiton Club in London, England, August 7-10, 2018. The USCA Selection Committee has announced the six-player team that will represent the US. The 2018 team is Ben Rothman (Calif.), Matthew Essick (N.C.), Stephen Morgan (Vir.), Danny Huneycutt (N.C.), Stuart Lawrence (N.Y.) and Sherif Abdelwahab (R.I.). Alternates are Peter Bach (1st), Jim Bast (2nd), Macey White (3rd) and Simon Jenkins (4th). The Solomon Trophy is named for English croquet legend John Solomon, and the first test in the series occurred in 1985 as part of the USCA Challenge Cup Series. It quickly evolved to become a dedicated series between the US and Great Britain and 1988 was the first year that today’s actual trophy was awarded. Great Britain leads the series 21-2 and, after a pair of US victories in 2009 and 2011, Great Britain is on a four-test winning streak. The series is held every year except during years that the MacRobertson Shield is contested. Prior to the event, the Surbiton Club will host the annual Championship of Surrey, August 4-6, 2018, providing an ideal warmup for the Solomon Trophy test.
EMAIL BLASTS As a club benefit, the USCA will send out one email blast per club per calendar year to help promote your USCA sanctioned tournament. Please send the file as a Microsoft WORD document or a jpeg (photo) file — we cannot send any attachments or pdf files. Any additional email blasts will be $55.00 each.
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USCA ANNOUNCES CHAMPION’S PURSE The Championship Flight winner of each American Rules (Six Wicket) Regional will receive a purse of $200 to be used to offset entry fees in the next National Championship in that discipline: American (US), Association Croquet (AC) and Golf Croquet (GC). The money (purse) granted from this program is generated by donations. A donor has come forward to sponsor the US Six Wicket Regionals for 2018. For this year, the USCA is offering Champions’ Purses for the winners of the US Six Wicket Regionals, and the USCA is looking for donors to sponsor the AC and GC Champions’ Purses. The Champion’s Purse will be administered through the USCA office. The purse will be subtracted from the National Championship entry fee for the Champion’s Purse winner. The purse is not cumulative. Only one purse may be won by one individual in each discipline (US, AC, GC) per year. The purse is not transferable to another person or another discipline and if not used will be returned to the fund for distribution to a Champion’s Purse winner in the next year. The Champion’s Purse program is intended to promote the sport of croquet in the USA by increasing participation in the USCA Regional Tournaments. This program is the brainchild of Chris Barley and he has seeded the fund with an initial donation of $2000 in support of the US Six Wicket Champion’s Purse. If successful in 2018, the USCA will look at continuing the program for future years.
NEW RVPs IN FLORIDA AND MIDWEST Regional Vice President elections for Florida and the Midwest were concluded in March. In Florida, Gene Raymond from Venice, Fla., takes over for outgoing RVP Ron Huxtable and in the Midwest, Russ Dilley from Fishers, Ind., takes the place of Matt Griffith.
USCA INSTRUCTOR AND REFEREE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS
Becoming a USCA Certified Instructor or Referee is a great way to get more involved in the croquet world and increase one’s expertise in the sport of croquet. Referees are essential to the USCA and help resolve questions during play about rules. Instructors are needed to help train and develop players. The USCA certifies referees and instructors as Class 1 (National Level), Class 2 (Regional Level) or Class 3 (Club Level) for each type of game (American, Association Croquet or Golf Croquet). Individuals interested in becoming an instructor or referee should contact the USCA office at USCA@msn.com. The USCA website includes a list of all instructors and referees. You can access these lists through the “Members Only” portal. As a new feature, you can search for referees by state, type or name. Please contact the office if you see any errors or omissions.
HIGHLANDS SHOOTOUT II Fresh off our highly successful “Highlands Shootout,” Highlands Falls Country Club is proud and excited to offer another spectacular croquet event to our membership and the surrounding communities. The “Highlands Shootout II” will be a competitive golf croquet tournament between top Egyptian players and top American players. Mohammad Kamal of Pasadena, Calif., was instrumental in the invitation to the Egyptian players from the Highlands Falls Country Club and the United States. Amir Ramsis Naguib, President of the World Croquet Federation as well as the Egyptian Croquet Federation, will accompany a team of the top four Egyptian players. The top American players include Jeff Soo, Sherif Abdelwahab, David Maloof and Matthew Essick. Play will include both singles and doubles. Soo will be the tournament director, and Damon Bidencope will be the moderator for the event.
PASSAGES Conrad Ahrens The Chattooga Club
Lloyd Bowers, Jr. At Large Member
William Harbach Palm Beach Croquet Club, HOF
Barry C. Kay At Large Member
Charles Lazarus National Croquet Club, HOF
Bill McClanahan Highlands Strikers Croquet Club
An added feature to the shootout this year will be a ProAm, which is being organized by Michael Albert of the Cedar Creek Croquet Club. This will pair players of different clubs on the plateau with the top American and Egyptian players for an afternoon doubles tournament. Some of the proceeds from this event will go to defray travel expenses of the American GC team to next year’s GC Worlds in New Zealand. Any player wishing to participate in the exciting and chance-of-a-lifetime event should contact Michael Albert for details Mark your calendars! If you don’t live on the plateau, this is a good time to come to the mountains of North Carolina and experience a great venue for croquet. Make your reservations for lodging well in advance. For more information, please contact: Onifer Wilmoth, Highlands Falls Country Club. Phone: 828.487.4130 * Fax: 828.526.4792
Visit croquetamerica.com for more news. croquetamerica.com | 7
newmembership NEW CLUBS Bonita Bay Club – Bonita Springs, Florida Vero Beach Country Club – Vero Beach, Florida Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club – Cashiers, North Carolina Bishop Gadsden – Charleston, South Carolina
NEW MEMBERS CALIFORNIA
Chula Vista – At Large Member
Brian Lozano Rancho Mirage – Mission Hills Croquet Club
Bob Apple Carol Ballesty Sandy Mossbrook Carol Neistein Richard Neri Kurt Schulzman
FLORIDA
Atlantic Beach – Fleet Landing Croquet Club
Duane St. John Belleair – Belleair Country Club Croquet
JoAnna Andriola Bette Crown Molly Lea Jackie Orr Bonnie Ruggles Patricia Smith Jan Watrous Jim Watrous Penny Young Boca Grande – Gasparilla Inn Mallet Club
Candice Hooper Skip Russo Nancy White Celebration – Celebration Croquet Association
Jacksonville – The Florida Yacht Club
Vero Beach – The Windsor Club
Highlands – Cullasaja Club
Mike Shad Freddie Walker David Walker
Debbie Bochte Justin Kidd West Palm Beach – At Large Member
Elva Brady Thomas Brady David Hicks Fran Hicks Dennis Howard Sandy Howard Martha Reilly Mike Reilly Suzy Tamplin James Tamplin, Jr.
Naples – The Club Pelican Bay
John Lind Mary McCarthy North Palm Beach – At Large Member
Barbara McInerney Palm Beach – At Large Member
Eileen Small Jeffrey Small Palm Beach – The Beach Club
Terry Cassidy Mary Cassidy Anthony Sessa Donna Sessa
Don Chapoton Mary Jo Chapoton Hypoluxo – At Large Member
Yoko Hollis
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Anne Paulk-Rush Michael Rush Highlands – Wildcat Cliffs Country Club, Inc.
Debra Dyal James Dyal
Alex Muradian
Judy Molitor
Palm Coast – Grand Haven Croquet Club
Galesville – West River Wickets
Judy Onorati
OHIO
Nancy Beneducci James Boyd Harvey Glastein Dana Silliman Dorothy Silliman Palm Coast – Hammock Dunes Croquet Association
MASSACHUSETTS
Chestnut Hill – At Large Member
Robert Grinberg Debbie Lewis
Cincinnati – At Large Member
Rick Vogel
OKLAHOMA
Nichols Hills – Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club
NEW JERSEY
Dale Jordan Shelly Williams Thomas Williams
Geraldine Venino Richard Venino
RHODE ISLAND
Ponte Vedra Beach – At Large Member
NEW YORK
Nancy Brickley
Georgia Carroll Joseph Carroll
Ranne Warner
BJ Carlson Suzzane Deroche Denise Jenkins Phyllis Phillips Connie Wolfson
Spring Lake – Green Gables Croquet Club
New York – At Large Member
Ponte Vedra Beach – The Plantation of Ponte Vedra
North Babylon – At Large Member
David Taylor Nancy Taylor
Quogue – At Large Member
Ponte Vedra Beach – Ponte Vedra Croquet Club
Lisa Griggs Nona McGinnis
Hobe Sound – Jupiter Island Club
MARYLAND
Highlands – Highlands Falls Croquet Association
Robert Foley
Gulfstream – At Large Member
Anne Laumont
Sonia Alexandra Mary Churchill Pam Heyer Alan Jones Vickey Naranjo Kat Robertson Diane Wendin
Lake Toxaway – Lake Toxaway Mallet Club
Carol Gilliar George Gilliar Lynne Mandeville Ed Pahler David Phillips Patti Phillips Fred Tallent Patty Toce Rich Toce Ron Von Behren
Hobe Sound – At Large Member
West Palm Beach – National Croquet Club
Annapolis – St. Johns College
Palm Beach – The Everglades Club Inc.
Ellen Foley
Marna Fullerton
David Beccia Jessica Beccia Deirdre Beckett Amy McGowan Michael Tyler
Stuart – At Large Member
Susan Helton Lloyd Simon University Park – University Park Country Club
Kevin Flaherty Lynda Confessore Ralph Confessore Theresa Summer Connie Walsh
NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville – At Large Member
Dan Hinchliffe Asheville – Deerfield Croquet Club
Ginger Clark Robert Clark
Melinda Tempe
Venice – Sarasota County Croquet Club
F. James Hodges
Vero Beach – John’s Island Croquet Club
Rosalen Cline Martha Wright Vero Beach – The Moorings Club
Susan Tillman Vero Beach – Vero Beach Country Club
Shane Wright
Cashiers – Cedar Creek Club Cashiers – The Country Club of Sapphire Valley
Mark Kucharski Cashiers – Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club
Robert Duckett William Venneri
Newport – Newport Croquet Club
SOUTH CAROLINA
Aiken – Green Boundary Croquet Club
Kathleen Brown Scott Brown Bluffton – Sun City Croquet Club
John Armbruster Charleston – At Large Member
Claude Kemper Wendy Kemper Dottie Pagliaro Lynn Pagliaro Charleston – Bishop Gadsden
Claire Allen James Allen Donna Hethington Lou Hethington Darrell Lund Dorothy Schafer Robert Schafer Okatie – At Large Member
Nina Davis Tega Cay – Tega Cay Croquet Club
Kay Misik Michael Misik
VERMONT
Dorset – Dorset Field Club
Dave Berard Patrick McGuire
theclubhouse
NEW ZEALAND’S CHAPMAN IS AC WORLD CHAMP New Zealand’s Paddy Chapman found a way back from down 2-1 to claim his first WCF Association Croquet World Championship with a 26tp-19, 0-26tp, 0-26tp, 26tp-11, 26tp-9 victory over USCA member Reg Bamford (South Africa). The finals were held at Kelburn Municipal Croquet Club in Wellington, New Zealand, and concluded an event that ran from February 3-11, 2018. It was Chapman’s second appearance in the Final after he made it in 2013 but lost to Robert Fletcher. Bamford made his fifth appearance and is now 4-1 in AC World finals play. Thanks to John-Paul Moberly and Christian Carter, the majority of the Final was live-streamed for AC fans across the world. Despite Wi-Fi challenges, the viewership reached just over 90 at one point in the day. From the US player perspective, Stephen Morgan missed the knockout but did his damage in the plate as he won the Final 26-1, 26tp-0 over England’s Alain Giraud.
Paddy Chapman is presented with the Wimbledon Cup. Photo by Jeff Soo.
Only David Maloof and Stuart Lawrence made it to the main knockout. Maloof found Paddy Chapman in round two and fell to the eventual champ 21-1, 0-26tp, 21-26. This was a repeat of the 2016 AC World final eight matchup, where Maloof prevailed 3-1. Lawrence exited after a 21-26, 9 26 loss to New Zealand’s Aiken Hakes, but went on to play well enough to make the Finals in the bowl, losing there 15-26, 1-26 to England’s Jonathan Powe. Full event results: https://croquetscores.com/2018/ ac/wcf-world-championship
Stephen Morgan won the 2018 AC World Plate. Photo by Chris Clarke
US PARTICIPANTS/TOURNAMENT RECORD Stephen Morgan (14-7)
Jeff Soo (9-6)
Sherif Abdelwahab (11-8)
Paul Bennett (7-6)
Stuart Lawrence (10-8)
Jim Bast (4-9)
David Maloof (9-4)
Simon Jenkins (3-10)
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theclubhouse
2017 USCA ANNUAL AWARD WINNERS Most Valuable Player Beverley Cardo International Support Michael Orgill Jr. Player of the Year Blake Fields Club of the Year Mission Hills Croquet Club (see profile on page 34)
Collegiate Club of the Year Penn State University Most Improved Player Conner Helms Player of the Year Randy Cardo (see profile on page 36) Most Improved Sr. Player Gene Raymond
Rookie of the Year Brian Hovis
Teddy Prentis Award Robert Kroeger Outstanding Support of Croquet Hal Denton Certificate of Appreciation Ryan Thompson Certificate of Appreciation Highland Falls Country Club Outstanding Croquet Professional Sherif Abdelwahab Financial Support Hope Harmon Spectator of the Year Sherry Lankford Grand Prix Woman Winner Jackie Jones Family of the Year Fields Family President’s Award Leo Nikora Regional Vice President Timothy Rapuano Club President Macey White Michael Strauss Award Venice Gondolier Sun
2017 USCA President’s Award winner Leo Nikora
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2017 PEYTON BALLENGER WINNER Mary Rodeberg won the 2017 Peyton Ballenger Award as the female player who finished with the best singles record in Championship Flight at the 2017 USCA National American Rules Championship held November 5-11, 2017, at the Mission Hills Croquet Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
theclubhouse
2017 GRAND PRIX RESULTS
Randy Cardo took the top spot in 2017 Grand Prix and with that comes the honor of being USCA Player of the Year. Cardo is the 15th player to claim a GP title. Included in this year’s standings we’ve re-introduced the controversial Top 10 lists for players scoring the highest in the handicap ranges for the additional USCA flights. They breakdown as Championship B (3-5 handicap), First Flight (6-9), Second Flight (10-13) and Third Flight (14-20). GRAND PRIX OVERALL TOP 100 # Player Handicap 01 Cardo, Randy -2.50 02 Morgan, Stephen -2.50 03 Huneycutt, Danny -4.00 04 Abdelwahab, Sherif -3.00 05 Soo, Jeff -3.50 06 Ekstrom, David -1.50 07 Lawrence, Stuart -2.50 08 White, Macey W. -1.50 09 Sullivan, Richard -1.00 10 Jones, Jackie -2.00 11 Cumming, Brian -3.50 12 Gibbons, Michael -1.00 13 McCoy, David -0.50 14 Chilton, Bob -1.00 15 Cottle, Alan -2.00 16 Bennett, Paul T. -2.50 17 Grimsley, Doug -3.00 18 Taylor, Mike -1.50 19 Rapuano, Timothy -1.50 20 Griffith, Matthew -1.00 21 Bitting, Kenneth (Tim) -1.00 22 Lamm, Rich -2.50 23 Patmore, Chris -2.00 24 Todorovich, Michael -1.50 25 Knuth Walsh, Sandra 2.50 26 Sheely, Richard -1.50 27 Irwin, Colin -2.00 28 Wright, Jim 0.00 29 Pailas, Daniel W. 2.00 30 Sudderberg, Lynda P. 2.00 31 Bach, Peter 1.00 32 Ruby, Britt -2.00 33 Jenkins, Simon 0.00 34 Isaacs, David 0.00 35 Worrell, Bob -0.50 36 Maloof, David -2.50 37 Helms, Conner L. 2.00 38 Settlemyre, Norris -1.50 39 Jackson, Stewart -2.00 40 Cooper, Thomas -0.50 41 Collie, David 1.50 42 Schiller, Richard 0.00 43 Curtis, Richard G. -2.00 44 Osborn, John C. -2.50 45 Butts, Jim -0.50 46 Rugart, Jodie -0.50 47 Just, Peter -1.50 48 Trimmer, Pete C. 1.00 49 Watson, Zack 0.00 50 Yoder, Joe -0.50
Points 29430 25842 23150 22330 21082 18118 16101 15580 14515 14190 13692 13270 12800 11446 11370 11062 10660 10660 10560 10427 10201 9682 9640 9542 9261 9150 8710 8682 8441 8372 8360 7962 7900 7870 7810 7800 7681 7611 7500 7481 7440 7030 7020 6900 6451 6321 6150 6150 6030 5952
# Player Handicap Points 51 Huxtable, Linda -0.50 5901 52 Davies, Wayne 0.00 5341 53 Dixon, Donna 0.00 4895 54 Olsen, Arthur 3.00 4756 55 Peterson, Hans -0.50 4755 56 Spradling, Scott 0.50 4701 57 Erwin, Jim -0.50 4680 58 Essick, Matthew -1.00 4500 59 Jones, Fred W. -1.50 4478 60 Trower, William B. 3.00 4441 61 Bennett, J. Gary 1.00 4380 62 Grassbaugh, Stephen 3.50 4372 63 Knott, John -1.00 4350 64 Raymond, Gene 2.50 4336 65 Darnell, Rick 3.00 4298 66 Mitchell Jr., Johnny -1.00 4200 67 Van Tassell, Robert -2.00 4100 68 Rinaman, William C. 0.50 3910 69 Lassiter, Rodney 0.50 3904 70 Blamire, John 0.00 3900 71 Landry, Rick 0.50 3850 72 Rugart, Conrad 1.00 3820 73 Barley, Chris 3.50 3745 74 Stuart, Preston 1.50 3741 75 Young III, John -1.50 3740 76 Dilley, Russell S. 3.50 3475 77 Fields, Mark 2.50 3421 78 Albert, Michael 4.50 3386 79 Huxtable, Ron 0.00 3350 80 Cochran, George -2.00 3340 81 Chaney, Calvert 2.50 3281 82 Hartmann, Bill 0.50 3270 83 Watson, Richard 2.00 3230 84 Hunter, John -0.50 3200 85 Hansley, Kevin 4.50 3019 86 Rothman, Ben -4.50 3000 87 Wassink, Derek -3.00 2805 88 Hughes, Jay 0.00 2795 89 Morgan, Robert S. -0.50 2795 90 Hughes, Tom 0.00 2790 91 Charles, Ralph 2.50 2631 92 Smith, Matt B. -1.50 2610 93 Hayworth, Horace W. -0.50 2600 94 Bergen, Christophe M. 1.00 2575 95 Spoonhour, James M. -0.50 2575 96 Cherry, Bob -1.50 2555 97 Curington, John 1.00 2550 98 Rodeberg, Mary 1.50 2536 99 Donohue, John 3.50 2460 100 Scalpone, Steve -0.50 2450
GRAND PRIX: CHAMPIONSHIP B TOP 10 # Player Handicap Points 01 Olsen, Arthur 3.00 4756 02 Trower, William B. 3.00 4441 03 Grassbaugh, Stephen 3.50 4372 04 Darnell, Rick 3.00 4298 05 Barley, Chris 3.50 3745 06 Dilley, Russell S. 3.50 3475 07 Albert, Michael 4.50 3386 08 Hansley, Kevin 4.50 3019 09 Donohue, John 3.50 2460 10 Johnson, Oakley 3.00 2352 GRAND PRIX: FIRST FLIGHT TOP 10 # Player Handicap Points 01 Morrison, Jeff 6.00 1882 02 Kamal, Mohammad 6.00 1792 03 Branthover, Jeanne 6.00 1628 04 Millican, Deborah 6.00 1376 05 Ekstrom, Martie 6.00 1370 06 Boger, Richard 6.00 1190 07 Cardo, Beverley 6.00 1101 08 Spradling, Suzanne 6.00 1072 09 Denton, Hal 7.00 1018 10 Hoffman, William 6.00 1014 GRAND PRIX: SECOND FLIGHT TOP 10 # Player Handicap Points 01 Olson, George B. 10.00 356 02 Orleans, Sam 10.00 308 03 Horigan, Robin 10.00 293 04 Richardson, John D. 10.00 255 05 Langley, Maggie 12.00 255 06 Stevens, Arlene 10.00 245 07 Leoncavallo, Karen S. 10.00 208 08 Karel, Martin 10.00 200 09 Kukla, Anne 11.00 194 10 Karel, Karin 10.00 176 GRAND PRIX: THIRD FLIGHT TOP 10 # Player Handicap Points 01 Flowers, Gil 20.00 1336 02 Carlin, Peter 20.00 450 03 Bromley, Cheryl 20.00 277 04 O’Brien, Joanie 14.00 210 05 Morford, Marylin 14.00 191 06 Richardson, John D 16.00 180 07 Howatt, Terry 20.00 140 08 Fields, Blake 20.00 134 09 Hanks, Tim 20.00 105 10 Stovall, Brett 19.00 96
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2018 USCA CLUB DIRECTORY Most croquet players agree that the big key to getting players destined for croquet into the game is getting them on a court. And from that perspective, croquet clubs are the sport’s most valuable asset. From the USCA perspective, our role is to promote that connection. Therefore, we are pleased to present the USCA Club Directory in this edition of Croquet News to give new players a handy reference in finding a club or district president to get started in the sport. For our veteran members, this guide may provide ideas for new destinations on your next croquet trip.
Of course, this directory also appears on the USCA website, so for the clubs not included, we certainly recommend you contact the USCA about sanctioning your club. You will be online right away and front and center for players looking for a club in your area.
CLUB | COURTS | WEBSITE | PHONE ALABAMA
District President: Arthur Bagby | arthurbagby@gmail.com LOXLEY Steelwood Croquet Association | 1 | (251) 964-5308
ST. HELENA Meadowood Mallet Club | 4 | (800) 458-8080 THOUSAND OAKS Sherwood Club | (805) 496-3036
BOCA RATON Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club | 2 Full | (561) 395-2100 Boca Raton Croquet Club | 1 Full BOKEELIA Useppa Island Croquet Club | 2 Full 6 Wkt. 30x60 9 | www.useppa.com | (239) 283-1061
MT. BROOK Mountain Brook Croquet Club | 1 Full size | (205) 967-3301
COLORADO
ALASKA
District President: Gary L. Anderson | strykredge@msn.com
DENVER Denver Country Club | www.denvercc.net | (303) 862-3471
ARIZONA
Denver Croquet Club | 1 Full, Lighted | www.denvercroquetclub.org | (303) 520-9023
CELEBRATION Celebration Croquet Association | 1 ½ | (407) 970-3103
PHOENIX Arizona Croquet Club | 1 Full | www.azcroquet.org | (480) 943-5493
CONNECTICUT
DELAND Stetson University | www.stetson.edu | (386) 822-7182
District President: Paul Bennett | kd7kdo@yahoo.com
SCOTTSDALE Mountain Mallets | 2 40x50 | www.desertmountaingolfcroquet.com | (480) 656-4643
CALIFORNIA
District President: Ron Eccles | rontseg@gmail.com
District President: John Hoffman | jhh16c@verizon.net GREENWICH Greenwich Croquet Club | 5 | (914) 582-9488 HAMDEN Special Olympics Connecticut | www.soct.org | (203) 230-1201
Northern DP: Mike Orgill | morgill@sonic.net Southern DP: Jim Butts | jbutts@dc.rr.com
HARTFORD Elizabeth Park Croquet Club | 2, ¾ | (860) 608-1222
OAKLAND Oakland Croquet Club | 1 Regulation | www.croquetworld.com|occ.asp
DELAWARE
PASADENA Pasadena Croquet Club | 2 Regulation | www.pasadenacroquetclub.org | (626) 579-9165
WILMINGTON Delaware Croquet Club | 4 Full | (302) 633-4024
RANCHO MIRAGE Mission Hills Croquet Club | 7 Full | www.missionhills.com | (307) 851-6455
District President: Karin Karel | mlkarel@gmail.com
Wilmington Country Club | 3 | (610) 388-6577
FLORIDA
ROHNERT PARK Sonoma Croquet Club | 2 full size | (707) 585-7819
Central DP: Gary Anderson | gmaretired@gmail.com Northeast DP: Gene Raymond | generaymond1@gmail.com Southeast DP: Derek Wassink | dwassink1@yahoo.com Western DP: Gary Anderson | gmaretired@gmail.com
ROSEVILLE Sun City Roseville Croquet | 1 105 x 84 feet | (916) 774-3880
ATLANTIC BEACH Fleet Landing Croquet Club | 1 60 x 90 | (904) 247-6501
SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco Croquet Club | 2 Full | www.croquetworld.com|sfcc.asp
BELLEAIR Belleair Country Club | 1 105 x 84 feet | www.belleaircc.com | (727) 461-7171 BOCA GRANDE Gasparilla Inn Mallet Club | 3 | (941) 964-2201
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BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Bay Club | 2 85’ x 55’ | (239) 495-0200
DELRAY BEACH St. Andrews Club | 1 Full | (561) 243-0557 HILLSBORO BEACH Hillsboro Club, The | 1 Reg | www.hillsboroclub.org | (954) 941-2220 HOBE SOUND Jupiter Island Club | 1 | (772) 546-7848 JACKSONVILLE Florida Yacht Club, The | 2 183x115 | www.thefloridayachtclub.org | (904) 387-1653 Timuquana Country Club | www.timuquana.net | (904) 388-2664 KEY LARGO Ocean Reef Club | 2, ¾ courts | (305) 367-6583 LAKE WALES Edward W. Bok Academy | 1 | www.bokacademy.org | (863) 638-1010 Mountain Lake Croquet | (863) 676-3494 LAKE WORTH Special Olympics PBCty Croquet Club | www.sopbc.com | (561) 966-7019 MIAMI BEACH Indian Creek Country Club | 1 Full | (305) 866-5751 NAPLES Audubon Croquet Association | 2 Full, ¾ | www.audubonccofnaples.com | (239) 566-9800 Naples Croquet Club of Florida | 2 105 x 84 feet | (239) 207-2735
CLUB | COURTS | WEBSITE | PHONE ORLANDO Winter Park Croquet Club | 1 | www.winterparkcroquetclub.org | (407) 788-0565
PONTE VEDRA BEACH Plantation of Ponte Vedra, | www.theplantationpvb.com | (904) 543-7537
VERO BEACH John’s Island Croquet Club | 2 full size | www.johnsislandclub.org | (772) 231-1700
Country Club of Orlando | www.countrycluboforlando.com | (407) 849-0990
Ponte Vedra Croquet Club | 7 full and ¾ | www.pontevedracroquetclub.com | (904) 273-0806
Moorings Club, The | www.themooringsclub.com | (772) 469-3603
OSPREY Oaks Club, The | 1 90% full size | (941) 966-2161
STUART Yacht & Country Club, Inc., | 4 105’ x 84’ | www.yccstuart.org | (772) 287-3736
Riomar Country Club | 1 Reg | www.riomarcountryclub.com | (772) 231-6426
PALM BEACH Palm Beach Croquet Club | 2, ¾ | (561) 346-1404
Sailfish Point | 1 75 x 55 | www.sailfishpoint.com | (772) 225-1000
Beach Club, The | 3 Full | www.tbcpb.com/members/croquet.php | (561) 842-4874
Mariner Sands Country Club | 4 84 X 54 ft | (914) 772-8378
Everglades Club, Inc., The | 1 90 x 65 | (561) 655-7810 PALM BEACH GARDENS Croquet Club at PGA | 5 Full | (561) 249-2583 Devonshire at PGA National | 2 | (561) 227-2446 PALM COAST Hammock Dunes Croquet Association | 2 Regulation | www.hammockdunesclub.com/hammock-dunes-club | (386) 446-4655 Grand Haven Croquet Club | 3 40’ x 80’ | www.ghcroquetclub.com | (386) 246-0089
THE VILLAGES Villages Croquet Club, The | 2 62’ x 105’ | (561) 889-2844 UNIVERSITY PARK University Park Country Club | 1 80 X 100 | www.universitypark-fl.com | (941) 355-3888 VENICE Sarasota County Croquet Club | 6 105 x 84 feet | www.sarasotacountycroquet.com | (941) 882-0840
Vero Beach Country Club | 2 | www.vbcountryclub.com | (772) 567-3320 Windsor Club, The | 1 non-regulation | www.windsorflorida.com | (772) 388-8472 VIERA Indian River Colony Club | 1 80x50 | www.colonyclub.com | (321) 255-6051 VILLAGE OF GOLF Country Club of Florida, The | 1 | (561) 732-9771 WEIRSDALE Grand Oaks, The | (352) 750-5500 WELLINGTON International Polo Club Palm Beach | 1 | www.internationalpoloclub.com/croquet.htm | (561) 795-7228 Palm Beach Polo Golf & Country Club | 4 Full | (561) 798-7405
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croquetamerica.com | 13
2018 USCA CLUB DIRECTORY WEST PALM BEACH Palm Beach Atlantic | www.pbasailfish.com
Kansas City Croquet Club
National Croquet Club | 12 Full Size | www.nationalcroquetclub.wildapricot.org | (561) 478-2300
Email: kccroquetclub@gmail.com Site: www.kccroquet.com Phone: 913-636-7231
WINTER PARK Interlachen Country Club | 2 | www.interlachenccfl.com | (407) 657-0850
Join us in the KC metro area for weekly intro croquet sessions April-September ... and congratulations on 40 years to the USCA!
GEORGIA
District President: Macey White | maceywhite@gmail.com CARROLLTON Carroll County Croquet Players | (770) 832-6272 JEKYLL ISLAND Jekyll Island Croquet Club | (912) 635-3357 SKY VALLEY Sky Valley Club, Inc. | 1 105x84 | (706) 746-5302
HAWAII
District President: Bruno Amby | bruno_amby@yahoo.com
IDAHO
District President: Xandy Carter | xandy@ctcweb.net MCCALL McCall Croquet Club | 4 40’x52’
ILLINOIS
District President: Jeff Lee | jeffreypmlee@sbcglobal.net CHICAGO Chicago Croquet Club | 2 Full | www.chicagocroquetclub.com | (773) 631-2422 MANHATTAN Prairie Lights Croquet Club | 1 105x84 | www.prairielights-croquet.org | (815) 478-4172
INDIANA
District President: Russell Dilley | rs.dilley@comcast.net FISHERS Hawthorns Golf and Country Club | 1 64x100’ | www.hawthornscountryclub.com | (317) 854-9100 LOGANSPORT Heartland Croquet Club | 1 105 x 84 feet | (574) 722-3449
IOWA
District President: Deborah Millican | Deborahmillican@gmail.com
KANSAS
District President: Dylan Goodwin | croquetnetwork@gmail.com LEAWOOD Kansas City Croquet Club | kccroquet.com | (913) 636-7231
LOUISIANA
District President: George Cochran | gt_cochran@yahoo.com BATON ROUGE Red Stick Croquet Club | (225) 926-0428
District President: Rodney Calver | calvers@comcast.net ANNAPOLIS St. Johns College | (347) 204-2545 GALESVILLE West River Wickets | 3 2xFull & 1x¾ | www.westriverwickets.com | (410) 867-0434 ROYAL OAK United States Naval Academy | (410) 745-5470
SHREVEPORT Cajun Croquet Club | (318) 865-4848
SPARKS Sparks Elementary School | 5 ½ | www.sparkses.bcps.org | (410) 887-7900
MASSACHUSETTS
MAINE
District President: Bob Kroeger | Bobkroeger@aol.com
District President: Patricia Spratt | psprattct@aol.com
ACTON Naples Croquet Club | (978) 263-6152
ELLSWORTH Woodlawn Croquet Program | 1 105 x 84 feet | (207) 667-8671
BEDFORD Carleton-Willard Village | (617) 275-8700 CAMBRIDGE Harvard College | 2 110m x 75m | www.college.harvard.edu | (617) 495-1000 EAST SANDWICH Sandwich Croquet Club | 4 80x100;40x50;40x50 | www.sandwichcroquet.com | (508) 648-6244 EDGARTOWN Edgartown Croquet Club | 1 Full | (508) 627-8729 LENOX Lenox Croquet Club | 4 1 Full, 3 ¾ | www.lenoxcroquet.com | (413) 443-4957 MARION Marion Mallet Club Inc. | 2 half size | www.bobcroquet.com/Marion/marion.htm | (508) 678-4787 NANTUCKET Westmoor Club, The | 1 1 x ¾ | www.thewestmoorclub.com | (508) 228-9494 WESTON Weston Racquet Club | (781) 890-4285
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MARYLAND
FRENCHBORO Frenchboro School | (207) 334-2944 ISLE AU HAUT Isle Au Haut School House | (207) 335-2521 ISLESBORO Islesboro School | (207) 734-2251 ISLESFORD Islesford | (207) 244-7377 MATINICUS ISLAND Matinicus Elementary | (207) 366-3695 MONHEGAN Monhegan Island School | (207) 594-5895 NORTH HAVEN North Haven Community | (207) 867-4707 ROCKPORT Riley School, The | (207) 596-6405
CLUB | COURTS | WEBSITE | PHONE SORRENTO Sorrento V.I.A. Croquet Club | 1 60’ x 90’ | (301) 926-9778 SWAN’S ISLAND Swan’s Island School | (207) 526-4300 VINALHAVEN Vinalhaven School | (207) 863-4664
MICHIGAN
District President: David Theiste | d.theiste@comcast.net CHELSEA Waterloo Croquet Club | 2 72x90 | www.waterloocroquetclub.com | (734) 475-9730 COMSTOCK PARK Heatherwood Hills Croquet Club | 2 full and ½ | (616) 784-4438
MINNESOTA
District President: Deborah Millican | Deborahmillican@gmail.com BRAINERD Madden Brother’s, Inc. | (218) 829-2811
MONTANA
District President: Xandy Carter | xandy@ctcweb.net
BROOKLYN Brooklyn Croquet and Hunt Club| 0 | www.brooklyncroquet.org | (917) 312-2173
NEBRASKA
BUFFALO Buffalo Croquet Club | 4 full | (716) 697-4111
District President: Deborah Millican | Deborahmillican@gmail.com
NEVADA
District President: Ron Eccles | rontseg@gmail.com
NEW HAMPSHIRE
District President: Jim McLaughlin | jim.mclaughlin@comcast.net RYE Strawbery Banke Croquet Club | 1 64 x 85 | (603) 433-5382
NEW JERSEY
District President: Thomas Cooper | tcooper@thecoopergroup.com
EDINA City of Lakes Croquet Club | 2 Full 105 x 84 feet | (952) 974-1286
HAMBURG Crystal Springs Resort | www.crystalgolfresort.com/play/croquet | (855) 977-6473
MISSOURI
KENVIL Roxbury Croquet Club | (862) 432-1964
District President: Deborah Millican | Deborahmillican@gmail.com PARKVILLE Kactus Creek Croquet Club | 1 Full | www.kactuscreek.com | (816) 891-6762 ST. LOUIS Bellerive Croquet Club | (314) 434-4400 WARRENSBURG University Central Missouri | 4 50x80 | www.ucmo.edu/future.cfm | (660) 909-4747
MISSISSIPPI
District President: Mark Fields | mfields5@gmail.com DIAMONDHEAD Diamondhead Country Club | 2 50x100 | (228) 225-1900 JACKSON Highlands Mallet Club | 1 Full | (601) 949-3103 Pocahontas Mallet Club | 2 | (601) 672-7423 Country Club of Jackson, | 1 | www.ccjackson.com | (601) 956-1411 LONG BEACH Long Beach Yacht Club | 2 50x100 | www.longbeachyachtclub.com | (228) 868-8279
MANTOLOKING Mantoloking Yacht Club | (732) 892-6281 MONROE TOWNSHIP Rossmoor Croquet Club | 1 105 x 84 feet | (609) 409-7837 RUMSON Rumson Country Club | 1 full | www.rumsoncc.org | (732) 842-2518 SOMERSET Rutgers Preparatory School | 2 105 x 84 feet | (732) 545-5600 SPRING LAKE Green Gables Croquet Club | 3 Full | www.GreenGablesCroquetClub.com | (201) 394-5435 WEST LONG BRANCH Monmouth University | 3 | (732) 263-5187
NEW MEXICO
District President: Paul Bennett | kd7kdo@yahoo.com
NEW YORK
CAMILLUS West Hill Golf & Croquet Club | 2 55 x 110 | www.westhillgolfcourse.com | (315) 672-8677 LOCUST VALLEY Piping Rock Club | 2 Full | (516) 470-9681 Creek Club, The | 1 | (516) 676-1405 NEW PALTZ State University of NY at New Paltz | (516) 708-3623 NEW YORK New York Croquet Club | 2 ¾ courts | www.newyorkcroquetclub.com | (646) 642-6601 ROCHSTER Rochester Croquet Club | 3 | www.gandtathletics.info/sports/croquet | (585) 474-3753 SARATOGA SPRINGS AIM 4 Saratoga Croquet Club | (518) 587-3208 SOUTHAMPTON Meadow Club of Southampton | 2 Full | (631) 283-0425 SPRINGFIELD CENTER Cary Mede Croquet Club | (251) 751-0035 TUXEDO PARK Pine Court | 1 90x60 | (914) 351-2547 WESTHAMPTON BEACH Westhampton Mallet Club |2 full, ¾ | (917) 514-9663
NORTH CAROLINA
Eastern DP: Mike Taylor | mrtaylor1022@gmail.com Western DP: Michael Albert | mycopres@aol.com ASHEVILLE Deerfield Croquet Club | 1 71x93 | www.deerfieldcroquetcclub.org | (828) 254-9667 BALD HEAD ISLAND Bald Head Island Croquet | 3 full | www.bhiclub.net | (910) 200-4511 BLACK MOUNTAIN Black Mountain Croquet Club | 2 1 full, 1 half | (828) 669-2281 BLOWING ROCK Blowing Rock Country Club | 1 Reg | www.blowingrockcountryclub.com | (828) 295-3171
Central DP: Francis Palasieski | francispalasieski@gmail.com Western DP: Russell Brown | Rnb@aol.com
CASHIERS Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club | 1 | www.mountaintopgolfclub.com | (828) 743-4736
BLOOMING GROVE Blooming Grove Croquet Club | 1 | (845) 651-1197
Chattooga Club, The | 2 Full | www.chattoogaclub.com | (828) 743-3640
BRIDGEHAMPTON Bridgehampton Club | 1 Full | (631) 537-7399
Country Club of Sapphire Valley | 1 85x110 | www.ccsapphirevalley.org | (828) 743-2462 Cedar Creek Club | 1 105 x 84 feet | www.cedarcreekracquetclub.com | (828) 743-9380
croquetamerica.com | 15
2018 USCA CLUB DIRECTORY CHAPEL HILL Carolina Meadows Croquet Club | (919) 942-2411 DURHAM Stoneridge Croquet Club | 1 100x80 | (919) 419-3165 HIGHLANDS Highlands Strikers Croquet Club | 1 | (828) 526-2181 Cullasaja Club | 1 Full | www.cullasajaclub.org | (828) 526-3531 Highlands Falls Croquet Association | 2 | www.clubhfcc.com | (828) 526-4118 Wildcat Cliffs Country Club, Inc. | 1 90x140ft. | www.wildcatcliffscountryclub.com | (828) 526-2165 LAKE TOXAWAY Lake Toxaway Mallet Club | 2, ¾ | www.laketoxawaycc.co | (828) 862-8207 LEXINGTON Meadows Mallet Club | 2 regulation | (336) 760-8376 LINVILLE Eseeola Croquet Club | 1 Full | (828) 733-4311 Grandfather Golf & Country Club | 2 105 x 84 feet, 40x50 | (828) 898-4531 Linville Ridge Croquet Club | 2 Full | (828) 898-5151 PINEHURST Pinehurst Croquet Club | 3 Full | www.pinehurst.com/activites/lawn-sports | (910) 638-8401 PITTSBORO Fearrington Swim & Croquet Club | 1 Regular | (919) 533-6247 SAPPHIRE Burlingame Country Club | www.burlingameccwnc.com/web/pages/northstar | (828) 966-9200
NORTH DAKOTA
District President: Deborah Millican | Deborahmillican@gmail.com FARGO Fargo South High School | 1 40 yd x 80 yd | (701) 446-2000
OHIO
District President: Jennifer Joseph | jandjoseph@aol.com NEW ALBANY New Albany Country Club | www.nacc.com | (614) 488-0890
OREGON
District President: Steve Scalpone | sjs@europa.com ASHLAND Classic Croquet Club | 1 100x60 | (541) 488-3031
District President: Deborah Millican | Deborahmillican@gmail.com
PENNSYLVANIA
TENNESSEE
District President: John Goldener | john@goldener.net
District President: Macey White | maceywhite@gmail.com
GREENSBURG Westmoreland Croquet Club | 2 Regulation | www.westmorelandcroquetclub.org | (724) 836-1000
MEMPHIS University Club of Memphis | 1 84’x101’ | www.ucmem.com | (901) 722-3700
HAVERFORD Merion Cricket Club | 2 Full, ¼ | www.merioncricket.com | (610) 642-5800
NASHVILLE Cottonwood Bocce & Croquet Club | 1 Regulation | (615) 790-2872
UNIVERSITY PARK Penn State University | (814) 865-9202
TEXAS
RHODE ISLAND
District President: Jane Shanley, | jane.n.shanley@gmail.com NEWPORT Newport Croquet Club | (401) 841-8776 International Tennis Hall of Fame | 1 ¾ | www.tennisfame.com | (401) 846-0642 WATCH HILL Ocean House Mallet Club | 2 ¾ | www.oceanhouseri.com | (401) 596-9344 WEEKAPAUG Weekapaug Tennis & Croquet Club | 1 100’x120’
SOUTH CAROLINA
District President: Rich Watson | RichWatson6@gmail.com AIKEN Green Boundary Croquet Club | 1 Regulation | www.greenboundaryclub.com | (803) 649-2549 BLUFFTON Sun City Croquet Club | 3 Full size | (203) 530-5830 CHARLESTON Bishop Gadsden | 1 | www.bishopgadsden.org | (904) 553-1519 Daniel Island Golf Club, LLC | 1 150 X 120 | (843) 971-3555 Yeamans Hall Club | 2 50’ x 85’ | www.yeamanshallclub.com
District President: Pat Garner | garnp9@aol.com
DATAW ISLAND Croquet Club of Dataw Island | 2 Full | www.dataw.org | (843) 694-1148
BARTLESVILLE Oklahoma Wesleyan University | (918) 335-6200
HILTON HEAD Wexford Croquet Club | (843) 842-2269
BROKEN ARROW Tulsa Croquet Club | 1 105 x 52 ½ | www.TulsaCroquetClub.org | (918) 258-5656
LANDRUM Southern Rovers Mallet | 1 Full | (864) 877-9511
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SOUTH DAKOTA
PORTLAND Portland Croquet Club | (503) 310-3222
OKLAHOMA
NICHOLS HILLS Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club | 2 Full | www.okcgcc.com | (405) 848-5611
TEGA CAY Tega Cay Croquet Club | 2, ½ | www.tegacaycroquet.com | (803) 820-0200
OKATIE Spring Island Croquet Club | 1 Full | www.springisland.com | (843) 987-2003
District President: John Brown | Johnobrown76@gmail.com HEATH Dallas Croquet Association | 2 ¾ | www.dallascroquet.com | (214) 415-1511 HOUSTON Bayou Club of Houston | 2 70x90 | (713) 686-4000 Houston Croquet Association | 2 105 x 84 feet | www.houstoncroquet.com | (832) 465-4880
UTAH
District President: Ron Eccles | rontseg@gmail.com
VIRGINIA
District President: Bo Prillaman | rovertini@gmail.com HARTFIELD Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | 8 full | (804) 776-9861 HIGHLAND SPRINGS Confederate Hills Croquet Club | 1 83 x 68 ft. | (804) 272-5923 REDART Middle Peninsula Croquet Club | 4 Regular | (703) 887-7236 RICHMOND Country Club of Virginia | 1 ¾ | (804) 282-6851 TIMBERVILLE North Mountain Croquet&Tennis Club | 2 105x84 | (540) 470-2468
CLUB | COURTS | WEBSITE | PHONE VERMONT
WISCONSIN
DORSET Dorset Field Club | 1 50x62 | www.dorsetfieldclub.com | (802) 867-4002
ARBOR VITAE Swift Creek Croquet Club | 1, ¾ | (262) 378-0215
District President: Shulman Ephraim | ephhelen@aol.com
District President: Deborah Millican | Deborahmillican@gmail.com
ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO Royal St. Catharines Croquet Club | 2 Full | (905) 685-6939 STONEY CREEK, ONTARIO Northern Lights Croquet Club | 1 Full | (905) 643-4545
MARLBORO Marlboro College | www.marlboro.edu | (802) 579-8238
MILWAUKEE Milwaukee Country Club | 2 | (414) 362-5200
TORONTO, ONTARIO North Toronto Lawn Croquet Club | 2 Full | (416) 483-8229
WOODSTOCK Croquet Club of Vermont | 2 ½ and ¾ | members.valley. net/croquetvermont | (603) 359-3123
WHITEFISH BAY Milwaukee Croquet Club | 2, ¾ | (414) 964-7047
WESTMOUNT, QUEBEC Westmount Croquet Club | 2 Full | (514) 989-5532
WYOMING
COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON
District President: Gary L. Anderson | strykredge@msn.com BREMERTON Puget Sound Croquet Club | www.pugetsoundcroquet.com | (360) 373-1795 SEATTLE Woodland Park Lawn Bowling Club | 2 std bowling green
WEST VIRGINIA
District President: Ron Eccles | rontseg@gmail.com
BERMUDA
District President: John Young III | theyoungs@northrock.bm SOMERSET BRIDGE Croquet Club of Bermuda | (441) 238-7308
CANADA
District President: Whickey Knight | mwk304@gmail.com
Eastern DP: Dave Lewis | dalcroquet@sympatico.ca Western DP: Brian Wasylyk | brianw53@shaw.ca MONTREAL, QUEBEC Mount Royal Country Club, Inc. | 2 Full | (514) 745-2115
BOGOTA, D.C. Croquet House | 2 | www.croquethouse.club
MEXICO
District President: Paul Bennett | kd7kdo@yahoo.com
WEST INDIES
District President: Flavia Logie | flogie@yahoo.com CHRISTIANSTED Tennis Club of St. Croix | 2 ST. CROIX Bombay Mallet & Wicket Croquet Club | 1 Full | (340) 692-7717
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LIGHTING a Croquet Court By Carlton H. Mabee
As the summer solstice wanes into equinox and winter solstice, croquet buffs around the world yearn for longer playing time. With the average daylight length in warmer winter climates being only 10.5 hours, employed individuals would be restricted to playing on weekend or vacation days. The waking hours between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. need not, and should not, go wasted as valuable playtime. Fortunately, many lighting options now exist.
18 | croquetamerica.com
Three lighted courts at the National Croquet Center, West Palm Beach, Fla., with four poles and lamps per court.
LIGHTING GOALS Intensity To determine the correct amount of croquet court-level light, I checked what other sports required. The Light Levels chart (see Resources) shows recommendations for sports with the classes connoting the amount of spectator seating (Class I, 5000 or more; Class IV, none with spectators standing or bringing their own chairs). While researching a lighting project for the National Croquet Center, Croquet Foundation of America board member Harold Denton compared frequented lighted areas, such as indoor dressage barns, and—as concerning the light levels for croquet play—he told me, “this seems about right.” He then found the foot-candle value for all the venues and came to his conclusions to what would work for croquet: 22-24 FC at grade, or grass level.
As it turns out, Adam McGee of Associated Eye Care in Kennebunk, Maine, came up with essentially the same value (25 FC) when I asked him about an appropriate lighting intensity for croquet for a more elderly player with at least beginning vision problems. Denton and I tried to figure the average age of a croquet player. About 60 seemed right to me, but Denton thought that was on the young side. Nevertheless, the average, older croquet player will need more light. Professional lighting engineers design commonly visited areas for the average population, about a 50-year-old person. The Light Levels chart shows golf tees and greens at 5 FC; a case where hitting and following a white, stationary ball needs little light. Croquet balls, on the other hand are colored and more difficult to tell apart— especially blue and black in lower light situations. Add to that some vision problems and the FC needs rise. croquetamerica.com | 19
Uniformity
Light Fixtures
This metric is the difference of the maximum and minimum illumination between any two points on the court surface. In football played for a television broadcast,* for instance, the illumination toward any camera from any point on the field can differ no more than 1.4 to 1 FC, from a horizontal or vertical direction and anything in between. Strict rules like these make it much easier for an audience to view the game, whether from a television or in person. Croquet does not require this much uniformity, but it is a good goal for which to strive—particularly for folks with vision issues. In croquet, besides seeing what you are hitting at the level of your feet, without too much shadowing, you must be able consistently to see a distant target such as a ball, hoop or boundary. On a croquet greensward, it might be easier to achieve high caliber uniformity because croquet operates on a single plane; two dimensions only.
In today’s world of lights, the LED has taken center stage and prices have come down drastically. You will still pay more for the initial cost, but maintenance and energy costs plummet in the long term, so you will save money. HID (high-intensity discharge) lamps will give you a lower start-up cost, but require more maintenance and operating costs. A representative at Light Poles Plus estimated that eight LED lamps, suitable for lighting a full-sized croquet court, would save between $5000 to $6000 over 10 years.
Color Shift Different kinds of light sources tend to shift the color of objects illuminated. For most, this is not an issue as our eyes adapt readily. It may be a consideration if the surface foot-candle value is low and there are underlying vision pathologies.
Light Pollution The key considerations when determining the right level of light for your court include who your neighbors are, where they’re located and, of course, complying with any city codes. Most towns have an “Outdoor Light Ordinance,” and for example, the essence of the ordinance in my town of Kennebunkport, Maine, is Article 2.2, Control of Glare-Luminaire Design Factors, and is summarized here: A. Any luminaire with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of more than 1800 lumens and all flood or spot luminaires with a lamp or lamps rated at more than 900 lumens shall not emit any direct light above a horizontal plane through the lowest direct lightemitting part of the luminaire.
Installing Lights Once the lights designed for the court are chosen, they should be mounted and wired before the poles are set. Most engineered plans will have two or more lights on a pole and, therefore, a bracket must be attached. A bracket will be specified to accommodate the wind loads for your area. Wires are fed through the pole into the hollow aluminum bracket and then connected to the light fixture. A light, such as the Shoebox LED Light Fixture or Architectural Tru-Sport HID Fixture (metal halide), is attached to the bracket tenon using an adjustable slip-fitter, or some other similar device. This gives the installer an exacting angle reference for positioning at the engineered specification.
Poles To support croquet lighting fixtures, poles made of steel, aluminum or fiberglass are available. They can be straight or tapered and anchored or buried. Every town has a building code ordinance that may address the installation of poles, so be sure to check with your own town code enforcement officers. Sports lighting companies often need to address maximum possible winds. At the NCC, the pole design
B. Any luminaire with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of more than 1800 lumens and all flood or spot luminaires with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of more than 900 lumens shall be mounted at a height equal to or less than the value 3 + (D/3) where D is the distance in feet to the nearest property boundary. The maximum height of the luminaire may not exceed 25 feet. Your ordinance should be shared with the designers of your system so that local codes are met and your neighbors cannot legitimately complain, except perhaps at a hearing.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Once the light level required at grade is decided, the process of building can begin. If you need help in planning, many companies specializing in sports lighting can help. These companies provide engineering for the placement and height of poles, the type of light fixtures you might want (along with sales), light fixture placements, data on the initial costs, costs of operation and drawings of the electrical wiring. Some companies provide planning, sales and installation contracting, while others provide planning and sales of materials, but not installation.
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One of Six LEDs at Kactus Creek Croquet Club in Parkville, Mo.
needed to survive wind speeds of up to 170 mph. In Ellsworth and Kennebunkport, Maine, 100 mph is the design speed. The simplest pole setup is the direct burial, which can be handled with manual labor. Trenches for wires and holes for poles can be dug by hand. The NCC used direct burial poles and set the poles and wires with the grounds keeping crew. Driving a cement truck anywhere near a greensward is not recommended.
Setting Poles The current trend is direct burial with aluminum or fiberglass composite poles. They are lightweight (a 20-foot, above-ground pole has four feet beneath the ground or 24 feet overall) and easy for several people to maneuver. The holes can be excavated with a post-hole digger or a tractor with an auger. The wires can be laid and buried either using UF cable or Romex with conduit. Conduit needs to be connected properly to the pole. The turf can be laid aside and a trench dug by hand or a trench maker can be rented. The poles can be prewired and the lamps attached to brackets and connected to power before they are lifted into position. The lamp’s position and aiming angles will be specified by the lighting company with a deviation allowance built in for inconsistencies in pole settings. The whole assembly could weigh only 150 pounds (per Light Poles Plus), manageable with several people. Once the pole is set into the hole, the pole is plumbed and rotated into position and is back-filled with the excavated dirt, if deemed suitable, and tamped down. If wanting attached poles, a significant amount of extra work will be required to pour concrete into the hole or form and to carefully place retention bolts before the cement sets. A conduit allowing the passage of wires through the cement to the center of the pole also must be placed. If this project is post-court construction, getting cement to the site could be problematic and would likely necessitate wheelbarrows or a portable cement mixer. After the foundations are produced, pole placement becomes tricky and will most likely require a crane or a gin pole for support while it is placed onto the retaining bolts.
Wire and Accessories All poles available for croquet lighting are fitted with underground, or bottom openings, to feed electrical cable through the center of the pole to the top or with above-ground openings for access from conduit, usually through a concrete footing. Poles will also come with an opening at the 18-inch-above-ground mark for adding junction boxes or simply to help feed cable through to the top. Most choose to supply power underground. Cable can be buried directly (UF cable—specially designed for underground) or standard Romex cable can be fed through conduit, the most common and cheapest being PVC (but it should be buried at 18 inches). All connections below ground should be waterproofed. Sometimes it is best to choose more flexible cable that has stranded copper to allow for easier feeding through and around corners. The main switch for the system should originate from the clubhouse or home. If that is not possible, a locked switch box should be mounted on one of the light poles or on a separate, short pole. All lamps are wired in parallel and should be mounted on their brackets, aimed and connected to power before the poles are set in place.
DIY OR OUTSOURCING
Several options are available to consider for the actual installation of your lighting project. The costs for each option should be
Electrical: A Little Algebra For a standard croquet court that has 8 lamps on 4 poles, if the lamps are LED and 250 watts apiece and the voltage is 220, then the Amperage needed is roughly 9.0; I(Impedance or Amps) = P(Watts) ÷ V(Volts) A more accurate representative equation allows for the power factor of the light in use for AC single phase. For instance, a Heritage Series 240 W, 16-inch Shoebox light fixture has a power factor of > 0.9, so for 220 volts calculate the following: I(Impedance or Amps) =P (Watts) ÷ PF(Power Factor) × V(Volts) I = 1920 ÷ (0.9 × 220) = 9.6969(Amps) or at 115 volts I = 1920 ÷( 0.9 × 115) = 18.5507(Amps) For an LED setup at 220 volts, the power requirements are rather low and the wiring requirements simple, using 14 AWG copper wire*, unless there are long runs, which would require heavier wire. If you choose to use an HID lamp, the amperage should be multiplied by a factor of four, and the wire should increase to 8 AWG copper (with a significant increase in cost). *Wire Size Calculator, Paige Irrigation and Lighting Division, Fresno, CA. www.paigewire.com/pumpWireCalc. aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
weighed and that should also include combining self-work and contracted work for both efficiency and cost savings. Consider the following as you start your project: 1. Lighting companies – can provide front-to-back, turnkey installations. More expensive, but less fuss. 2. Local contractors – services can be bid out. a. Electricians, especially those specializing in underground installations. b. Pole setters, such as power companies, excavation contractors or a general contractor. c. Advice of your town’s Code Enforcement Officer 3. Do the work oneself, which would save money.
Resources Daylight Duration Tool: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Dur_OneYear.php Light Levels Chart: www.lithonia.com/micro_webs/sportslighting/lightlevels/default.asp Full Article Download: Original 24-page document by Carlton H. Mabee that includes details on pole setting, chart examples, resources, illustrations and much more. http://croquetworld.com/News/Lighting_a_Croquet_Court_Ver.docx
Citations *Ian Ashdown, “Sports Lighting Regulations,” All Things Lighting; Relevance in Illumination Engineering (blog), April 29, 2016, http://agi32.com/blog/tag/sports-lighting/. **Town of Kennebunkport Land Use Ordinance, Kennebunkport, Maine, Revised November 8, 2016. croquetamerica.com | 21
2018 USCA Club Team Championships March 9-18, 2018 | West Palm Beach, Florida
Club Teams
Offers A Singles Twist By John C. Osborn
W
hether you came to comprehend or conquer, events and activities were again abundant this year during what the USCA often refers to as Croquet Week. Spanning beyond the conventional definition of a week, schools were offered in multiple flavors, including traditional Six Wicket American Croquet, Golf Croquet and the always-popular Tournament Prep School. The Golf Croquet Tournament began the competitive portion of play and the club teams finished things off with both excitement and suspense. It is interesting to note the Golf Croquet Tournament has no bearings on the club teams’ results, and maybe it should, but this stand-alone event always brings a quality field, usually serving as a great practice vehicle for those continuing to the main event. Only a couple of those playing did continue, and, while this may have been odd in nature, it did create for a more enthusiastic event. The format was quite simple with block play leading to a single elimination ladder, the Finals match being a best-of-three slugfest. David McCoy, as expected, grabbed one of the two byes after the blocks, but his progress was quickly halted when Stephen Jackson, having already removed John Warlick (10-6) from the quarterfinals, continued to roll onward with a very exciting 10-9 victory in this semifinal. On the other side of the draw, steady Sandra Knuth Walsh got past Terry Howatt (10-7) in the quarterfinals, but fell short (9-10) in her match against Dylan Goodwin, the other bye in the playoffs. For the Final, Jackson probably showed more animation than anyone I have ever
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met. He might curse beneath his breath, but it may well be the loudest silence ever uttered. And while most of this might work to inspire him, there was no getting past the solid play that Goodwin had exhibited all weekend. The match lasted two games, with Goodwin proving to be the true champion with impressive 7-3, 7-0 scores, numbers that accented his solid play throughout. Applause also goes out to David Paukovich, capturing First Flight with a nail-biting victory (10-9) of his club member, Edmund Giancola. After a day of rest from the other activities, the Club Team Championships began in a fashion previously unseen. After decades of being held as a strictly doubles event, Wednesday saw the first matches of singles, an experimental addition offered to promote entry and add an interesting twist to the club teams concept. To make matters more interesting, those competing could choose to play with official tracking (handicap) points counted or not. And while this addition did drop the doubles competition by a day, it made the overall finish of the individual clubs more intriguing.
Overall, seven clubs were in the running for the Lyons Trophy, a trophy awarded to the club with the best overall and cumulative finish. Not meaning to confuse the issue, but three divisions within this event exist, an individual club falling into a bracket determined by the number of teams/players sent. Any club could win the Lyons Trophy, but there is power with numbers, and these numbers set up an interesting showdown, come Sunday, between the Beach Club and the National Croquet Club. Play within the event broke down into three flights of both singles and doubles. Games were timed at one hour and 15 minutes and the standard format of block play leading to a single elimination ladder prevailed. The lawns played extremely fast and six rounds of play were held each day. The weather, overall, was great. What didn’t make sense was, well, Rick Landry. Having mowed Thursday (day 2) morning, for some reason yet to be explained, Landry, the NCC Professional, decided to take a casual and social event and turn it into a little shop of horrible hoops. All day long mallets were thrust into the air as ball after ball after ball refused to find the width to complete its way through a wicket. Set. Reset. Repeat. And I am certain we have all had these dreams…now being played out in the fields of nightmares! Oh, the horror! By day three, play was back to normal, and by late in day four, the playoffs had been set. The Beach Club and the NCC were neck and neck in the search for the Lyons Trophy, and perhaps the first sign of trouble for the Beach Club came when, after a
Carla Rueck, Danny Huneycutt, Jodie Rugart, Sara Low
Carla Rueck, Diane Sadowski, Anne Licursi, Sara Low
Carla Rueck, Sherif Abdelwahab, Sara Low
Gerry McCauley
Carla Rueck, Dick Boger, Jeff Morrison, Sara Low
Jane Helms
See final results on page 24 Penny Ferraro
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CLUB TEAMS FINAL ORDER CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT SINGLES
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT DOUBLES
01. Sherif Abdelwahab Palm Beach Polo
01. Danny Huneycutt-Jodie Rugart
Beach Club
02. Scott Spradling
Oklahoma
02. Sherif Abdelwahab-Sandy Walsh
Palm Beach Polo & CC
03. Conner Helms
Oklahoma
03. Randy Cardo-Stewart Jackson
Beach Club
03. Randy Cardo
Beach Club
03. David Ekstrom-Bob Chilton
NCC
05. Danny Huneycutt
Beach Club
05. Bob Van Tassell-Dick Sullivan
NCC NCC
05. Bob Van Tassell
NCC
05. Pat Colt-Bob Yount
05. Dick Sullivan
NCC
05. Scott Spradling-Suzanne Spradling
05. David Ekstrom
NCC
08. Bill Trower-David Spivey
09. Bob Chilton
NCC
09. David Isaacs-Carla Rueck
NYCC
10. David Isaacs
NYCC
09. David McCoy-Hal Denton
NCC
10. Kevin Hansley 10. Pat Colt 10. Sandra Knuth Walsh
Westhampton NCC PBP&CC
14. David McCoy
NCC
14. Bill Trower
NCC
NCC
FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES 01. Richard Boger-Jeff Morrison 02. Kevin Hansley-Vickie Johnston
NCC Westhampton
03. Stephen Warner-Richard Carlson
Beach Club
03. Conner Helms-Jane Helms
Oklahoma
05. Beverly Cardo-Jeanne Branthover
FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES 01. Dick Boger
NCC
05. Gerry McCauley-Martie Ekstrom
02. David Spivey
NCC
07. Josie Jackson-Ellen Hall
03. Jeff Morrison
NCC
08. Lucille Maresca-Bernie Pattie
03. Jeanne Branthover
Oklahoma
Beach Club
Beach Club NCC Beach Club Bombay
SECOND FLIGHT DOUBLES
05. Martie Ekstrom
NCC
01. Diane Sadowski-Anne Licursi
05. Vickie Johnson
NCC
02. Carl Archiniaco-Joseph Warren
Oklahoma
05. Gerry McCauley
NCC
03. Thomas Tribby-Jeanette Tribby
Beach Club
05. Dick Carlson
NCC
03. Lynn LeBlanc-Jeff Lawlor
09. Thomas Tribby
Beach Club
09. Penny Ferraro
Westhampton
11. Carla Rueck 11. Suzanne Spradling
NYCC Oklahoma
01. Arlene Stevens
NCC
02. Missy Chilton
NCC
03. Sheila McCauley
Bombay
05. Bobby Duryea-Lovejoy Duryea
Beach Club
05. Sheila McCauley-Freear Pollard
Westhampton
07. Penny Ferraro-Missy Chilton
Westhampton
07. Mary Shields-Sam Orleans 07. Robin Sweet-Mary Robb
SECOND FLIGHT
03. Lovejoy Duryea
Westhampton
Beach Club Westhampton
NCC Bombay
10. Arlene Stevens-Eugenia Wilkie
NCC
GOLF CROQUET FINAL ORDER CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
07. Dick Brackett
FIRST FLIGHT
05. Carl Archiniaco
Oklahoma
01. Dylan Goodwin
07. Dick Boger
01. David Paukovich
05. Jane Helms
Oklahoma
02. Stephen Jackson
07. Hal Denton
02. Edmund Giancola
03. David McCoy
07. Jeff Morrison
03. James Boyd 04. Michelle Wiggins
05. Bobbie Duryea 05. Lynn LeBlanc
Beach Club Bombay
03. Sandra Knuth Walsh
11. Gil Flower
Beach Club
05. Terry Howatt
12. Adrienne Lucke
09. Freear Pollard
Westhampton
05. John Warlick
11. Sam Hansley
NCC
09. Jeanette Tribby
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less-than-stellar block performance, Sherif Abdelwahab was scheduled to play in the first round of the singles playoffs against the favorite Danny Huneycutt (-4 Beach Club). Play did not go well for Huneycutt (3-26), but did go very well for the Oklahoma crew! Abdelwahab (-3 Palm Beach Polo) would up winning the Championship Flight Singles over an inspired Scott Spradling (.5 Oklahoma). Connor Helms (2 Oklahoma) and Randy Cardo (-2.5 Beach Club) would tie for third. The National Croquet Center continued to dominate First Flight, with Dick Boger (4.5 NCC) and David Spivey (3.5 NCC) taking the top two spots. Arlene Stevens (10 NCC) defeated Missy Chilton (8 Westhampton) for Second Flight honors. Please note that while the singles results were not of the same value as those finishing well in the doubles, the points that were allotted did prove to have a significant effect on the final totals. By Sunday afternoon, with the Doubles Finals now underway, the die had pretty
much been cast for the Lyons Trophy. In Championship Flight, Danny HuneycuttJodie Rugart (Beach Club) looked the best (20-10) over defending Champions Sherif Abdelwahab-Sandra Knuth Walsh (Palm Beach Polo). Dick Boger-Jeff Morrison (NCC) snuck by (15-14) Kevin Hansley-Vickie Johnston (Westhampton) in what was an important match. Diane Sadowski-Anne Licursi (Westhampton) took another important match over (18-17) Carl Archiniaco-Joseph Warren (Oklahoma) to capture Second Flight. While both the First and Second Flight matches may have had no bearing upon the Lyons Trophy, they did have a great deal to do with the Divisional Titles. Overall, the National Croquet Center held onto the Lyons Trophy—but barely. Westhampton, oh so barely, withstood the Oklahoma charge in Division Two. And it is good to see the Palm Beach Polo & Country Club taking Division Three, since most of the best club team battles were
John C.Osborn with Dylan Goodwin
Sandra Knuth Walsh
held upon their courts. It is not my place to say whether the addition of singles was a positive or not and I have heard from both sides of that fence. But I will say that a great time was had by all, as it always is during the Club Team Championships. Both the NCC staff and the USCA staff worked hard to make these events special, as they do each year, and it showed. Finally, if there was anything missing this year, it had nothing to do with the sound of a coin flipped onto a lawn. Or a sigh expressed just loud enough to understand. Or the crash of balls confronting one another or a curse to which everyone could relate. Not even a clock announcing the end of play. We had all of that. No, it had everything to do with the story you never did or will never hear again from Ted Prentis. It had everything to do with the bottle of rum not tossed and the smile not offered by Les Kelley. Those were the empty sounds and sights missing. And the reasons to be there again next year.
Stephen Jackson and John C. Osborn
David Paukovich
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USCA Collegiate National Tournament April 21-22, 2018 | Haverford, Pennsylvania
Naval Academy, St. John’s College
Battle for
Victories By Micah Beck
in Collegiate Tourney
T
he 2018 USCA Collegiate National Tournament was again graciously hosted by the Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, Penn. Each year, both a Golf Croquet (GC) and an American Rules Six Wicket Croquet tournament take place. Twenty-four teams from five colleges participated in the two tournaments this year with good competition in each. In the GC tournament, 19 games were won by only one or two points, and it featured the return of the defending champions from last year’s tournament, Peter Pendergrass and Zachary Adams from Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Enough courts were available, providing time for a 16-team playoff on Sunday, and every school had at least one team in the bracket, so everyone had a chance. The United States Naval Academy (USNA) teams both swept block play and thus sat atop the standings, taking on the challengers. Both of those teams remained in the semifinals and one (Chase Stewart and Nathan Arellano) moved on to the final match to face the third-place seed from the day before: Mack McGowen from St. John’s College. McGowen put up a good fight, but ultimately fell 7-4, giving the first-place trophies to Stewart/Arellano and to the USNA. In the third-place match, Oklahoma Wesleyan team Nathaniel Sanborn and Thomas Logan won a nail biter 7-6 against the other Navy team of Gabriel Weigelt and Steven Roberts.
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COLLEGIATE GOLF CROQUET BY INDIVIDUAL TEAMS: 01: Chase Stewart/Nathan Arellano (USNA) 02: Mack McGowen (St. John’s College) 03: Nathaniel Sanborn/Thomas Logan (Oklahoma Wesleyan University) 04: Gabriel Weigelt/Steven Roberts (USNA) 05: Jake Shenot/Ryan Kirkoff (Penn State University) 05: Jacob Green/Kiley Green (OWU) 05: John Jane III/Alex Muradian (SJC) 05: Brendan Tanner/Jacob Poulin (SUNY New Paltz)
COLLEGIATE GOLF CROQUET BY COLLEGE: 01: United States Naval Academy 02: St. John’s College 03: Oklahoma Wesleyan University 04: Penn State University 04: State University of New York at New Paltz
The American Rules Six Wicket tournament was contested by two schools that had just played each other the prior weekend in the 36th Annapolis Cup, which is best-of-five nine wicket matches. St. John’s College won game five in the waning light against its old rival: The United States Naval Academy. Thus, Navy was keen on revenge and played well, taking two of the top five spots in the playoffs, but they ran into a buzz saw named Tom Balding, a St. John’s sophomore out of New York. Balding and his partner, Sean Miller, were 3-0 +48 after block play on Saturday, having won 26-5, 26-5, 22-16. They continued their streak in the playoffs winning the Elite Eight round 24-5 and the Final Four round 26-6 to face the Imperial Wicket of St. John’s, Shane Hettler and his partner Robin
Lancaster. In an early attempt at a two-ball run, Balding clanked off of 2 and gave up the run to the patiently waiting predator Hettler, who picked up the break and ran 11 hoops to the peg. However, that may have been the fatal play as Balding, after some positioning and small gains for both sides, fearlessly attacked on the line to pick up a four-ball break, run it to peg, peg out Hettler and set up the two-on-one match, which Miller adeptly took home for a 26-17 victory (and a stellar weekend line of 6-0 +96). COLLEGIATE AMERICAN RULES SIX WICKET BY INDIVIDUAL TEAMS: 01: Tom Balding/Sean Miller (SJC) 02: Shane Hettler/Robin Lancaster (SJC) 03: Jacob Priester (USNA) 03: Jared Bassman/Charlie Carpenter (SJC) 05: Anderson Camp/Kahse Mandarino (USNA) 05: Joel Austin/Jacob Baldus (USNA) 05: Val Pehrson/Alex Kwilinski (SJC)
Tom Balding and Sean Miller. Photo provided by Balding.
05: Tyler Snyder (SJC)
COLLEGIATE AMERICAN RULES SIX-WICKET BY COLLEGE: 01: Saint John’s College 02: United States Naval Academy
The tournament directors, Justin Berbig and Micah Beck (graduates of SUNY New Paltz and St. John’s College, respectively, and both former players in this great tournament), would like to thank Lee Hanna for the work she has done over the past … no-one-knows-quite-how-many-years to support,
encourage and teach croquet played in colleges around the country. Without her, this tournament would not have survived to reach this point and many of us would not have gone on to keep playing croquet after graduation. We were very sorry to miss her this year. We hope that we will see her again next year! And, as always, we would like to extend a great big “Thank you!” to Whitney Thain and the Merion Cricket Club for hosting us again this year. It is a great privilege to be allowed to use the beautiful space.
NATIONAL CROQUET CENTER PRO SHOP
Wickets Deadness Boards Dawson Balls Sunshiny Balls Pegs Flags Clips & MALLETS Galore
Visit our Pro Shop Website for All Your Equipment Needs www.nationalcroquetcenterproshop.com
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USCA Association Laws National Championship February 18-24, 2018 | Rancho Mirage, California
19
Soo Claims National Title T
he 2018 USCA Association Laws National Championship was held at Mission Hills Croquet Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., February 18-24, 2018. Or at least that was the way it was intended. Due to some court issues and longer games, the championship on Saturday, February 24, ran off schedule and had to extend to February 25 to see Jeff Soo claim his 19th USCA national title with a 26qp-9, 26tp-3 over Rich Lamm. Much of the doubles was streamed live by Russ Dilley and AC fans were treated to Sherif Abdelwahab working a tricky opponent triple peel in game two against Brian Cumming and Rich Lamm to set up partner Dan Pailas. Pailas was able to get a three-ball break going in the two-on-one phase, but an untimely breakdown left it open for Lamm to finish 26-1, 26otp-23 (A) for the doubles championship. Lee Jorde took the First Flight singles title with a 17-9 victory over Sandra Knuth Walsh.
Wayne Davies(TD) with Jeff Soo.
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CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT SINGLES
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT DOUBLES
FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES
01. Jeff Soo
01. Brian Cumming/Rich Lamm
01. Lee Jorde
02. Rich Lamm
02 Sherif Abdelwahab/Dan Pailas
02. Sandra Knuth Walsh
03. Wayne Davies
03 Paul Bennett/Macey White
03. Donna Dixon
03. Doug Grimsley
03 Ian Harshman/Stuart Lawrence
04. Nick Gray
05. Paul Bennett
05 Jim Butts/Leo Nikora
05. Blake Fields
05. Brian Cumming
05 Peter Bach/Wayne Davies
05. Steve Mossbrook
05. Macey White
05 Doug Grimsley/Charlie Smith
07. Mary Rodeberg
05. Stuart Lawrence
05 Jeff Soo/Eileen Soo
07. Patrick Dugan
09. Rich Curtis
09. Tracey Roche
09. Charlie Smith
09. Bob Morford
09. Dan Pailas 09. Steve Scalpone
FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES
09. Sherif Abdelwahab 09. Peter Bach 09. Tim Hanks
01. Steve Mossbrook/Cameron Evans
09. Ian Harshman
02 Blake Fields/Mary Rodeberg
17. Rory Kelly
03 Nick Gray/Sandra Knuth Walsh
17. Rick Sheely 17. Russell Dilley 17. Jim Butts 17. Leo Nikora 17. Jim Hanks
Brian Cumming, Rich Lamm and Steve Mossbrook
03 Patrick Dugan/Lee Jorde Sandra Knuth Walsh, Lee Jorde and Steve Mossbrook
Full results: https://croquetscores.com/2018/ac/us-nationals
Sherif Abdelwahab, Steve Mossbrook, Dan Pailas
Lee Jorde, Steve Mossbrook
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USCA National Golf Croquet Championship December 12-16, 2017 | Rancho Mirage, California
Abdelwahab Victorious Against Soo By Wayne Davies
A
great event is now done and dusted, culminating with a wonderful lunch whilst watching the singles finals that were being played on lawns two and three. Sherif Abdelwahab’s hard and straight hitting in the end proved to be the match-winning obstacle that Jeff Soo couldn’t quite overcome, although he did manage to win the second game 7-2. At the same time, another enthralling match between Blake Fields and Bill Fraser was being played. A ytoung Fields showed his metal with some long-hoop shots and brought home the bacon! Special thanks go to all those who did so much behind the scenes to make this such a great event!
Championship Singles
First Flight Singles
01. Sherif Abdelwahab
01. Blake Fields
02. Jeff Soo
02. Bill Fraser
03. Stephen Morgan
03. Cameron Evans
03. Matt Griffith
03. Ellie Griffith
05. Mohammad Kamal
05. Tracey Roche
05. Paul Bennett
05. Nick Gray
05. Jim Wright
05. Kory Teoman
05. Gil Flowers
05. Patrick Dugan
09. Danial Pailas
09. Neil Burton
10. Brian Cumming
10. Karen Albert
11. Eric Sawyer (WD)
11. Welles Farago
12. Rich Lamm
12. Kenneth Slaughter
13. Jim Butts 14. Eileen Soo 15. Steve Mossbrook 16. Hal Denton 17. Stephen Jackson Full Results: https://croquetscores.com/2017/ gc/us-nationals
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Second Flight Singles 01. Brian Lozano 02. John Shanholt (WD) 03. Rick Zazueta 03. Betty Teoman 05. Larry Bullard 06. Karen Bullard 07. Gail Kern 08. David Lupia Championship Doubles 01. Sherif Abdelwahab/ Stephen Morgan 02. Jeff Soo/ Brian Cumming 03. Mohammad Kamal/ Michael Albert 03. Rich Lamm/ Jim Wright 05. Stephen Jackson/ Gil Flowers 05. Jim Butts/ Marilyn Morford 05. Wayne Davies/ Daniel Pailas 05. Paul Bennett/ Matt Griffith 05. Eric Sawyer/ Eileen Soo 05. Steve Mossbrook/ Hal Denton
First Flight Doubles 01. Blake Fields/ Justin Fields 02. Nick Gray/ Cameron Evans 03. Patrick Dugan/ Bill Fraser 03. Karen Albert/ Ellie Griffith 05. Diana Bell/ Kim Herrlinger 05. Neil Burton/ Kenneth Slaughter Second Flight Doubles 01. Welles Farago/ Susan Stiff 02. Betty Teoman/ Kory Teoman 03. David Cartwright/ Susan Wall 03. Karen Bullard/ Larry Bullard 03. Brian Lozano/ Rick Zazueta 03. Gail Kern/ John Shanholt
USCA Golf Croquet Club Teams Championship December 1-3, 2017 | West Palm Beach, Florida
Florida Yacht Club
CLUB STANDINGS 01. The Florida Yacht Club
14
02. The Croquet Club of Sapphire Valley
6
03. The National Croquet Club
4
04. The Kactus Creek Croquet Club
2.5
04. The Milwaukee Croquet Club
2.5
06. The Riomar Country Club
1
07. The Moorings Country Club
0
Individual results on following page
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Jeff Ohlrich, Sr., John Osborn (TD) and David Walker
John Osborn (TD), Cheryl Bromley and Stephen Jackson
FIRST FLIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
01. Jeff Ohlrich, Sr./David Walker The Florida Yacht Club
01. Cheryl Bromley/Stephen Jackson Milwaukee Croquet Club-Kactus Creek Croquet Club
02. John Fox/Peggy Fox The Florida Yacht Club
02. Sherif Abdelwahab/Hal Denton The National Croquet Club
03. Susan Adams/Helen Covington The Florida Yacht Club
03. Pat Cunningham/Susie Cunningham The Croquet Club of Sapphire Valley
03. Jack Davis/Brad Martens The Florida Yacht Club
03. Jochen Lucke/Adrienne Lucke The Croquet Club of Sapphire Valley
05. Lee Adamson/Stephanie Hurtt The Riomar Country Club
05. Earle Mauldin/Debbie Davidoff The Croquet Club of Sapphire Valley
06. Judith Freeman/Bette Hines The Croquet Club of Sapphire Valley 07. Julia Denison/Susan Tillman The Moorings Country Club
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USCA Florida Regional Golf Croquet Tournament January 12-14, 2018 | West Palm Beach, Florida
White Scores Regional Title in Florida By Cheryl Bromley
The first two days consisted of block play with each player facing off against the other competitors in their respective blocks. The top two players in each block then advanced to the Championship Knockout quarterfinals, and the 3rd and 4 th place finishers moved into the First Flight Knockout quarterfinals. Remaining players had the option to play additional matches in the plate consolation.
Congratulations to our newly crowned Champions for 2018!
02. Michael Todorovich 03. Cheryl Bromley 03. Gil Flowers 05. Lawrie Simpson 05. Stephen Jackson 05. Hal Denton 05. Bo Prillaman FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES 02. George O’Neill 03. Sandra Knuth Walsh 03. Jeff Morrison 05. Steven Mednick 05. Diane Walker 05. Terry Howatt
Left: George O'Neill and David McCoy
05. Doug Coller
Right: Macey White and Michael Todorvich
CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES 01. Macey White/ Bo Prillaman 02. Lawrie Simpson/ Cheryl Bromley 03. Rich Dell/Corky Dell Sandra Knuth Walsh, Adrienne Lucke, Diane Walker and Jeff Morrison
Because of a few rain showers and matches running much longer than expected, the second day wrapped up with some places in the semifinals left to be determined until early the next morning. Sunday’s action featured solid play and beautiful shot-making as the tournament winded down to its conclusion.
01. Macey White
01. David McCoy
T
he National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., was the site of the 5th Annual USCA Florida Golf Croquet Tournament. A record 32 players took to the lawns for three days of singles and doubles competition with a total of 119 matches played! It was wonderful to see several new faces enter the ranks as well as others from across the country and southern hemisphere with Lawrie Simpson of Australia traveling the farthest and logging the most frequent flyer miles.
CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES
03. George O’Neill/ Steven Mednick FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES 01. Diane Walker/ Jeff Morrison
Lawrie Simpson, Cheryl Bromley, Macey White and Bo Prillaman
02. Sandra Knuth Walsh/ Adrienne Lucke 03. Jan Fisher/Jack Davant 03. Pat Colt/ Sam Orleans-Hansley croquetamerica.com | 33
clubprofile
Mission Hills Croquet Club
Year founded: 1989
Website: www.missionhillscroquet.com
Number of members: 107
Do you use social media? Not presently.
Number of courts: 10 lawns
What makes this club special? • The dedication of our members to generate interest in and to teach the game of croquet.
Type of grass: A base of 328 Bermuda Grass over seeded with Poa Trivialis and Perennial Rye Grass. Overview of club schedule The club hosts a courtside Wine and Wickets social gathering at 2 p.m. almost every Sunday throughout the season. We also have an active schedule of annual tournaments: • Season Opener – Golf Croquet • Pat Apple Tournament – Association Laws with bisques • Scrambled Doubles Tournament – Golf Croquet • President’s Cup Tournament – Golf Croquet • Mission Hills Croquet Club Invitational – American Croquet • Bob Riddell Tournament – Golf Croquet • Season Closer – Crazy Croquet During the 2017-2018 croquet season at Mission Hills, the Croquet Club hosted all three of the USCA National Championship tournaments. In April and May 2017, the club hosted teams from Australia, England, New Zealand and the United States for the MacRobertson Shield competition. Annually, our club offers six tournaments for club members, three invitational tournaments that are sanctioned and a national or regional USCA Championship.
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• The playing skills of our members; we have a broad range of nationally ranked members of all ages (from 11 to 90 years old) who play all three major croquet formats: golf croquet, American Rules and Association Laws. • The willingness of members to not only teach and share their expertise with one another but also to invest their time in maintaining our beautiful lawns, equipment and facilities. • Our shared sense of pride in our facilities. All our members cherish the time we spend on our lawns playing on the California desert floor while surrounded by the beautiful San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains. • We’re fortunate to have welcoming, fun-loving members who, along with their croquet skills, have a very social side, loving to gather together for the game and for a glass or two of wine on the lawns. • The club sponsors scholarships for children of Mission Hills employees as they head to college. The program has run for the last 11 years and each year the club has collected about $5,000. When combined with the Mission Hills Scholarship
SHOP
USCA Whatever the occasion think USCA for those special gifts Books
Croquet the Sport - By Jack Osborn (Hard Cover) .............................................................................. $24.95 Croquet the Sport - By Jack Osborn (Paperback)................................................................................ $15.95 Croquet - By J.W. Solomon..................................................................................................................... $25.00 It’s a Wicket Kitchen Cookbook............................................................................................................... $12.00 Monograph Series On Club Building Vol.1, 2 or 3 @$9.95 or all three for $25.00........................................................................................... $25.00 USCA Croquet Shot-Making Manual..................................................................................................... $15.95 USCA Rulebook (revised 2013 edition)...................................................................................................$ 7.00 International Rules -The Laws of Association Croquet........................................................................ $12.00 Golf Croquet Rulebook...............................................................................................................................$7.00 A Guide to Croquet Court Planning, Building & Maintenance............................................................. $39.95
CD’s
program over the past 11 years, the total is an impressive $700,000 to support education!
Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD & Bound Books (Beg/Interm/Adv)..................................................................................................$124.95 Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD & Unbound Books (Beg/Interm/Adv)......................................................................................................... $72.95 Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD (Advanced).................................................................................................... $29.95 Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD (Beg/Interm).................................................................................................. $29.95 Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD (Beg/Interm/Advanced)................................................................................ $39.95 Bob & Ted’s “Know the Rules” CD Understanding the USCA Rules ............................................................................................................ $24.95
DVD’s
• Free weekly beginner lessons to prospective and new MHCC members
2004 USCA National Singles Final DVD............................................................................................... $10.00 Bob & Ted’s “Mastering Croquet Shots” DVD....................................................................................... $29.95 Bob & Ted’s “Excellent Croquet” DVD.................................................................................................... $49.95 Bob & Ted’s “Most Wanted Croquet Strategy” 2 Disc DVD................................................................. $64.95 Bob & Ted’s “Break Play - What You Need to Know” DVD................................................................. $29.95 Bob & Ted’s “Staying Alive” DVD - Winning Croquet Tactics............................................................... $39.95 Bob & Ted’s “You Make the Call” DVD................................................................................................... $29.95 Bob & Ted’s “Excellent” & “Most Wanted” DVD set.............................................................................. $99.95 Bob & Ted’s “Staying Alive” and “You Make the Call” DVD set........................................................... $64.90 Bob & Ted’s “Excellent”, “Most Wanted”,“Staying Alive” 3 DVD set..................................................$140.95 Bob & Ted’s Four DVD set.....................................................................................................................$170.00 Bob & Ted’s Five DVD set.....................................................................................................................$185.00 Kamal vs Rothman - GC Pasadena Playoff.......................................................................................... $19.95 USCA Historical Video DVD.................................................................................................................... $15.95
• A mix of free and low-cost clinics
Defective disks may be replaced within 2 weeks of purchase.
• For the 2017-18 season and the upcoming 2018-19 season, we are pleased to have internationally ranked Wayne Davies as our Club Pro. Approach to growing membership: We attract new Club members by providing:
• Opportunities to observe tournament play by leading national and international players • Opportunities to participate in club social events: Wine and Wickets most Sundays; a Happy Hour after instructional sessions on Tuesdays and potluck buffets and country club dinners that precede or conclude each major club tournament. Are USCA members welcome? Mission Hills Country Club allows guests to use the croquet facilities two times per month and a maximum of eight times during a year. The guest fee is $10 per person, per day and can be paid at the Tennis Pro Shop in the Mission Hills Fitness Center where croquet equipment is obtained for use.
CDs & DVDs are not returnable. Clothing
USCA Logo Hats - Brim: S/M L/XL Baseball: One Size...................................................................... $20.00 USCA Jacket with Logo on front............................................................................................................. $80.00 USCA Shirts (USCA Logo or Croquet Week)....................................................................................... $40.00 USCA Logo Long-Sleeve Shirts............................................................................................................. $50.00 USCA logo Ladies Sweater..................................................................................................................... $70.00
Misc.
Large Mallet Cover with USCA Logo............................................................Up to 12” mallet head – $52.95 Small Mallet Cover with USCA Logo...............................................................Up to 9” mallet head – $49.95 Note Cards or Croquet Party Invitations (10/pk)......................................................................................$5.00 Croquet Paper Placemats (24/pk).......................................................................................................... $10.00 USCA Patch Small......................................................................................................................................$5.00 USCA Ballmarkers (dozen)........................................................................................................................$1.00 USCA Cufflinks (USCA shield)................................................................................................................ $29.95
Prices subject to change
Contact the USCA at 561-478-0760; fax: 561-686-5507; email usca@msn.com or mail to USCA, 700 Florida Mango Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33406 croquetamerica.com | 35
36 | croquetamerica.com
memberprofile
Randy Cardo Age: 60 Home Base: Quogue, N.Y. / Palm Beach, Fla. Home Club: Westhampton Mallet Club / The Beach Club, Palm Beach, Florida / National Croquet Club Grip: Solomon Mallet: Jacko (Bob Jackson), 11-inch head, 3lbs 2oz, 36-inch shaft Years playing croquet: Five years Favorite croquet venue: Mission Hills Favorite Tournament: The Meadow Club, Southampton, N.Y. How did you get into the game: In January 2013, The Beach Club in Palm Beach, Fla., was having its Invitational. I was on my way to play tennis and, as I was walking past the croquet lawns to get to the courts, I saw some friends from Quogue, N.Y., playing a match. I stopped to watch for a few minutes and heard them discussing strategy, which intrigued me. After tennis, I came back and watched for a while. The following week, I arranged a lesson with Stewart Jackson and started to learn the logistics of the game and some shotmaking skills. I was gaining continued interest in the game and in March, I went over to the National Croquet Center during Croquet Week to watch a few games. It was there I saw Derek Wassink, who was three-ball dead, shoot twoback from the line behind one-back to get clean. That was it – I was hooked! I went from playing more than one hundred rounds of golf a year to playing mostly croquet. Although I continued to play golf, croquet was my preference and I put my focus on learning the game and bettering my skills. My wife, Bev, started playing last year so now it is something we enjoy together. We have met so many nice people from around the country through the game of croquet that it has added a whole new dimension to our lives. I have a love for the game of croquet that far exceeds golf. It is a competitive and interactive game that requires physical skill and mental strategy. Croquet highlights/tourney wins: I have had a pretty good run over the last couple of years with the highlight winning the National Doubles title in 2015 and 2016 with Danny Huneycutt. I also tied for third in Singles in 2017. Last year I won the Third Eight at the Selection Eights, which was my first Association tournament and I closed out 2017
by winning the Grand Prix. 2018 has gotten off to a great start, having won both The Beach Club Invitational and the Peyton Ballenger tournaments. The future of the sport: I love the American game and Association for the strategy and shot-making that makes it so competitive. There is a great interest in Golf Croquet for those new to the game because it is a simpler game to introduce and a lot of fun whether you are a beginner or playing at an advanced level. I think all the games add to your skill as a croquet player and it is my hope that as players learn one of the games, they will have the desire to learn the others as well. Quick croquet tip: Square up, head down, tempo, follow through. It’s amazing how successful you can be if you stick to those simple tips. If you have any negative thoughts or distractions, step away and re-group. What would you like to see happen in the sport over the next 10 years: I would like to see more public venues. It is challenging to introduce new people to the game when, for the most part, it requires membership to a private club. What is the best thing the USCA has done for croquet: The USCA is great at supporting clubs, promoting the game and hosting tournaments. The USCA also does a nice job with communication through its monthly newsletters and Croquet News magazine. What is the USCA’s greatest weakness: To date, the failure to adapt to the changing croquet demographic. We are now seeing an aggressive effort by the USCA to appeal to the Golf Croquet community, which I believe is the key. In 2017, the Golf Croquet Eights were introduced as well as more regional tournaments. I believe the USCA needs to establish and manage a USCA Golf Croquet ranking system like the handicap system in the American game. This will encourage more club and individual support of the USCA. I also think the Grand Prix point system should be revamped to allow points to be accumulated proportionately through Golf Croquet tournaments. Do you play other sports: Golf, Tennis, Shooting, Snowboarding, Running Favorite sports teams: Cardo/Huneycutt What have you learned from croquet: Patience and discipline. croquetamerica.com | 37
let’stalktactics
Dilemma Solving the Hoop 2
By Bob Kroeger and John C. Osborn
B
ecause the topic of the second wicket never seems to go out of fashion, maybe it’s time to take another look at the perplexing situation that occurs so often at the beginning of a match. Assume all the balls have just scored the first wicket and are in standard locations. While these positions may look quite familiar, what to do next remains puzzling. From previous articles, most beginner or intermediate players know that simply setting up a rush (Diagram 1) and eventually attempting the second wicket first offers little reward and a slew of danger. In most cases, even if the second wicket is made, one must either get dead on partner to remove it from the area or leave if where it winds up, thus offering not only an easy wicket but also a potential break for the opponent. Sure, some of us are anxious, and while we might know that an original attack would offer more opportunities and safety, for some reason we feel unsettled by that option. We also lack the patience to wait for the opponents to make a move on their own. And thus, off we go, rushing up to wicket two in hopes we will beat the odds and get that illusive perfect rush to wicket three. Well, that seldom happens. A potential scatter shot after having made the wicket? This is also quite doubtful. So, how’s this: let’s change our goals. In Diagrams 2 and 3, we can see how our intent has changed. In this case, our hopes are based not on a two-ball break or some scatter shot. Our goal, instead, is to make but one wicket, thus breaking the existing stalemate, while dislodging our partner ball. Leaving that second ball on the court is fine, if it is in a position that offers limited options for the opponent. Blue, in this case, has given Black a rush and now Black has played (Diagram 2) the rush to wicket two. Notice in this example how the rush was played not as close to the wicket as possible or even directly in front of wicket two. Instead, the rush was purposely set deep from the wicket. In Diagram 3, note that Black has now tried not to split Blue to get a rush to the next wicket, but created a straight shot, be
38 | croquetamerica.com
it either a stop or standard shot, but certainly one that can not only be played with accuracy, but will also send Blue toward a boundary line. Not only does Blue become somewhat useless, but is also in a nice position, as the danger ball, to create a threat. In Diagram 4, Black makes the easy wicket, and in Diagram 5 either goes out of bounds to the third corner, or, for more advanced players, locates by the fourth wicket marked by the X, thus offering Blue the chance to both join and set an immediate rush toward wicket three. What is important to realize is that no matter where that original rush lands, creating that straight, easy shot takes care of two items— enables the wicket to be made easily and leaves no collateral damage behind. As an extreme, imagine the original rush was short. In this case, the straight stop/standard shot would send Blue into the middle of the court, again better than the alternative of leaving a gift ball at wicket two. Of course, the scale of these diagrams may make this play appear slightly dangerous, but on a full-size lawn, the strategy offers a conservative and intelligent option. Finally, while the example given deals with second wicket issues, the same principle can be applied throughout the game. Imagine you have two balls for wicket four while your opponent’s balls are threatening wicket number three. While patience might well be a virtue here, should you feel the uncontrollable urge to move forward, limit your goals to achievements more easily accomplished. A wicket here and there might well be the difference in a close match! Please visit Bob Kroeger at www.bobcroquet.com. The Bob and Ted Instructional DVD Series is available from the USCA 561478-0760 or usca@msn.com. The most recent DVD is “Mastering Croquet Shots.” The Bob and Ted Strategy Book Series is also available from the USCA, and one-page examples can be seen on the Products Page on www.bobandtedcroquet.com.
CroquetNews CroquetNews
CroquetNews
The Official
Magazine
of the United
States Croquet
Association
Ted Prentis 1948-2017
The Official Magazine of
the United States Croquet
Association | 2017 Volume
3
2017 Volume 2 www.cr oquetamerica
.com
2018 Per Issue Advertising Rates Inside Front Cover (8.5” W x 11” H)................................ $700 Inside Back Cover (8.5” W x 11” H)................................ $650 Full Page (8.5” W x 11” H)............................................ $600 Half Horizontal Island (4.875” H x 7.38” W).................... $450 Quarter Page (3.62” W x 4.875” H)................................ $225 One Sixth Page (2.34” W x 4.875” H)............................. $150
Contact Dylan Goodwin at uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com croquetamerica.com | 39
theinbox
CROQUET PHENOM FROM MISSION HILLS The USCA Club at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., is extremely proud of its youngest member, Blake Fields. At just 11 years of age, Blake has recently made a name for himself by winning the First Flight Singles and First Flight Doubles with his father, Justin Fields, at the USCA National Golf Croquet Championship (December 12-19, 2017, Mission Hills Country Club)! In these victories, Blake bested a strong field consisting of top-ranked players from across the county. Blake has been playing croquet with his father for four years having taken up the sport as he watched then club pro Ben Rothman giving lessons and playing. It was Rothman who invited Blake to try his hand at croquet. From his first swing of a mallet, Blake took to the sport like a natural. California mallet craftsman, Bob Morford, has been extremely supportive in fashioning mallets for a young player that match Blake’s style of play. “Seeing all types of people playing the game and noticing that skills and strategy weren’t really related to the player’s age intrigued me,” Blake says, He also found the willingness of current players to teach the sport particularly unique. He says members of the Mission Hills Croquet Club were more than willing to help train him once they saw his intense interest in the game. A highlight of Blake’s croquet experiences no doubt occurred at the 2017 MacRob awards dinner when the winning team, New
40 | croquetamerica.com
Zealand, identified Blake as a “future US star.” Several New Zealand team members had played pickup matches with Blake as they prepared for the MacRob Tournament. When not on the lawns, Blake is a straight-A student at Sacred Heart School in Palm Desert, Calif. In Blake’s near future is an invitation to a Pinehurst summer croquet camp. Justin Fields, Blake’s dad, says that croquet has given he and Blake something they can both participate in as equals, creating a unique bond between himself and his son. Blake’s interest in croquet and his ability to master the sport suggests that other youngsters should be encouraged to take up croquet as a sport. We asked Blake what other kids might be told to increase their interest in taking up croquet. Blake responded, “Croquet is a sport in which kids can compete against adults and possibly beat them because everyone can play to their full level and still be out-thought by their opponent. There are many adults who play the game and have more experience than a kid, but still play the game wrong or hit bad shots and use the wrong strategies. What I like most about the game is the challenge of having to change your strategy depending on who you’re playing against, their playing style and level of experience. I tell myself, regardless of age: big, small, strong or little, you always have a chance to win in croquet!” –Linda and Terry Vavra
A Fine Point About Wiring I was at a tournament in West Palm Beach, Fla., some years ago, and my opponent claimed that her (striker) ball was wired from my (object) ball. I told her I didn’t agree, and she said “Whenever a ball is in the wicket it is ALWAYS wired.” I said I had never heard that and nevertheless, upon a close look. I maintained that this wasn’t a wire. I suggested we get Johnny Osborn’s opinion (the TD). So Osborn came over and looked at the balls and said “No wire.” My opponent said she had always been instructed that “whenever a ball is in the wicket, it is ALWAYS wired.” Osborn explained that in rare cases, if the object ball is protruding ever so slightly into the wicket, it might not be wired, and in those cases, the balls would have to be checked carefully by a referee.
NOTES ON THE 40-YEAR TRIBUTE
We received good feedback on the 40th anniversary tribute in the last edition of Croquet News. While most of it was positive, there were a few areas of concern: •
A paragraph intended to note the overall challenge of launching the National Croquet Center implied that the center opened close to 2008. Reports indicate that it opened in May of 2002. The thought behind the sentence in question was that the mortgage crisis, which was particularly challenging in Florida (among other states), was developing while the NCC was in launch phase. It seemed to me particularly unfair that the sport’s greatest infrastructure project in North America should have to endure a global economic meltdown during year five—a point when many ventures hoped to see stability.
•
In the introduction, I mentioned that the period of the 1870s was poorly documented for the sport in America. George Herrick disagreed with that claim and sent me materials on his book from 2001 titled The Origins of Croquet in America. I haven’t had the opportunity to get too deep into the materials, but I certainly have formed one new opinion in the aftermath of the project. I’d like to see a coordinated approach to both researching the history of the sport in America and the documentation going forward.
•
I think our biggest concern overall revolved around western croquet history for the piece. I did receive feedback that certain clubs or individuals felt left out. I apologize for that and will say that conflicting documentation about who did what meant that I did have to make the painful decision to cut a significant section on western history. There is a story to be told there and I hope we can find the team to do it … at least in time for the 50th anniversary.
–Dylan Goodwin
Tom Hall, Margaret Hall, Bill Matthews, Fran Mathews, Ellen Nielsen, Erik Nielsen, Skiles Kellett, Carol Kellett, Paul Baillargeon, Mary Nell Netterville, Jane Oglesby, Lamar Oglesby
I recently asked Fred Jones about this scenario. He also agreed that in rare instances, a wire might not occur. Of course, if the striker ball is in the wicket (and the opponent is responsible for its position), then that striker ball is always wired from any balls it is alive on. –Rich Watson
HIGHLAND STRIKERS NCC EVENT
In February, members of the Highlands Country Club in North Carolina travelled to West Palm Beach, Fla., from Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida. Sixty members of the club’s croquet group, the “Strikers,” participated in a two-day tournament at the National Croquet Center, February 11-12, 2018. At the end of day two, six semifinal teams continued to the playoffs. The final match was Jane/Lamar Oglesby vs. Ellen and Erik Nielsen. The Nielsens were the victors for the second time in three years. The “Strikers” always enjoy their winter Croquet trip to the NCC and appreciate the wonderful hospitality they receive from the staff. –Submitted by Joyce Baillargeon
croquetamerica.com | 41
theinbox
Croquet, Golf & Water
“WHO AM I?” ANSWER JEFF SOO, WHO ELSE? The biographical details above speak for themselves, but Soo’s career in croquet leaves many speechless. He is truly an American croquet legend. Most leading croquet authorities believe Jeff Soo and Ben Rothman are the two best croquet players in American history. It was therefore appropriate that in the British Open a couple of years ago, Rothman became the first American to ever in win it, and Soo only one of a handful of Americans to win the Plate.
Representing a local real estate network in South Florida. Covering Palm Beach County, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach, Delray Beach & Boca.
Peter W. Just 561.309.6914
E-mail: peter.just@topproducer.com www.facebook.com/peterwjust
USCA Website Resources CLUB DIRECTORY
croquetamerica.com/usca/directory/clubs/
TOURNAMENTS
Soo has won 19 US national titles in his illustrious career, in each form of croquet except golf croquet. But, in the 2017 GC Nationals, he made the finals, so he is getting close to capturing the career triple crown. Only Rothman has won more US national titles than Soo (20-19). Soo was recently asked to list his most memorable croquet games. His answer shows the depth and quality of his career. He listed the above noted feat of taking a game from then world #1 ranked Robert Fulford on his 40th birthday, which also happened to be day one of the 2004 Solomon Trophy test match. He also listed winning his last match at the 2009 Solomon Trophy, which turned out to be the 11th point in the USA’s 11-9 victory, the first-ever victory for Team USA in a Solomon Trophy test match. Because everyone knows what Soo looks like and because he loves photography so much, it seemed more appropriate to include one of his favorite photographs he has taken. It is what he describes as a “strange lunar landscape, the strangest thing of all to me was the cows. I can hardly imagine a less likely place to graze cattle.” –Eric Sawyer
croquetamerica.com/calendar/tournaments/
HANDICAPS
croquetamerica.com/usca/handicaps/
GRAND PRIX
croquetamerica.com/usca/grandprix/
USCA MEMBERS AREA
croquetamerica.com/members/announcements/
CROQUET RULES
croquetamerica.com/croquet/rules/
AMERICAN RULES (SIX WICKET)
croquetamerica.com/croquet/rules/american/synopsis/
ASSOCIATION RULES
croquetamerica.com/croquet/rules/international/synopsis/
GOLF CROQUET RULES
croquetamerica.com/croquet/rules/golf/synopsis/
NINE WICKET RULES (BACKYARD)
croquetamerica.com/croquet/rules/backyard/synopsis/
CROQUET NEWS DIGITAL EDITIONS (Members Only) croquetamerica.com/members/magazines/
42 | croquetamerica.com
USCA 2018
Sanctioned Events
Entry forms to USCA events will now be emailed to members and can also be found on the USCA website at: www.croquetamerica.com/members/forms/ or call the USCA office (561) 478-0760 for a copy. For the most up-to-date calendar, please check www.croquetamerica.com/calendar/tournaments/
June Event
Contact
Phone
7-10 Bermuda Invitational Croquet Club of Bermuda Bermuda 7-10 Berkshire Invitational Lenox Croquet Club Lenox, MA 7-10 North American Amateur Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards Windsor, CA 13-17 Mt Laurel Croquet Invitational Chattooga Club Cashiers, NC 14-17 Woodlawn Invitational Woodlawn Croquet Ellsworth, ME 14-17 USCA Mid-Atlantic Regional New York Croquet Club/ New York, NY Association Tournament Central Park Lawn Sports Ctr 15-17 Canadian Open Golf Croquet Toronto Cricket Skating and Ontario, Canada, Championships Curling Club 16-17 Croquet Network Central Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club Oklahoma City, OK States Shield Quad 16-17 Croquet Network Midwest Milwaukee Croquet Club Milwaukee, WI States Shield Quad 20-24 Westhampton Mallet Club Invitational Westhampton Mallet Club Westhampton Beach, NY 22-24 USCA Western Regional American King City Golf Course Tigard, OR Rules Tournament 28-7/1 Greenwich Invitational Greenwich Croquet Club Greenwich, CT 28-7/1 Virginia District Championship Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club Hartfield, VA
John Young David Ekstrom Jim Hanks Dawn Jupin/ Fred Jones Perry Mattson Jennifer Othen
441-704-6942 413-443-4957 707-696-9153 724713-7953
George Dej
416-551-4548
Dylan Goodwin
913-636-7231
croquetnetwork@gmail.com
Dylan Goodwin/ Cheryl Bromley Randy Cardo Jennifer Othen
913-636-7038
croquetnetwork@gmail.com
Bill Miller Macey White
203-530-6788 804-694-9771
July Event
Venue
City-State
Contact
Phone
11-15 July Invitational Tournament 13-15 Seattle Open 18-21 The Meadow Club Croquet Invitational 27-29 USCA Western Regional Golf Croquet Tournament 28-29 The Tiger Wicket
Green Gables Croquet Club Puget Sound Croquet Club The Meadow Club Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards
Sea Girt, NJ Kirkland, WA Southampton, NY Windsor, CA
Mary McLaughlin Gary Anderson Vickie Johnston Jennifer Othen
201-264-8591 360-434-0387 415-203-2794 561-478-0760
marymcl85@hotmail.com strykredge@msn.com vejohnston@gmail.com tournament@uscroquet.com
New York Croquet Club/ New York, NY Central Park Lawn Sports Center
Timothy Rapuano 551-207-0313
in9inches@gmail.com
Aug Event
Venue
City-State
Contact
7-10 9-12 17-19 18-19 19-22 21-25 24-26 31-9/3 31-9/3
Surbiton Croquet Club Buffalo Croquet Club
SW London, UK Buffalo, NY
Jennifer Othen 561-478-0760 Ryan Thompson 716-697-4111
tournament@uscroquet.com thompson77@gmail.com
Rochester Croquet Club at G&T Sports Park Milwaukee Croquet Club
Rochester, NY
Sue Ellen Sherer 585-474-3753
sue.e.sherer@gmail.com
Milwaukee, WI
Dylan Goodwin
Highlands Falls Country Club Oakland Croquet Club at Lake Merritt Westhampton Mallet Club
Highlands, NC Oakland, CA
Onifer Wilmoth Jennifer Othen
Westhampton Beach, NY Lone Schweitzer
631-288-3865
lpsdansk@gmail.com
Tulsa Croquet Club Middle Peninsula Croquet Club
Tulsa, OK Redart, VA
Jennifer Othen Jim Coling
561-478-0760 703-887-7236
tournament@uscroquet.com 43seadog@gmail.com
Sept Event
Venue
City-State
Contact
Phone
6-9 Woodlawn Mini Lobster Tournament 6-9 NC State Singles Championship 14-17 Merion Cricket Club Croquet Invitational 19-23 USCA National Golf Croquet Championship 20-23 Osborn Cup 20-23 2018 Pacific Cup 26-30 28th Pinehurst Croquet Club Invitational
Woodlawn Croquet Pinehurst Croquet Club Merion Cricket Club Lake Toxaway Country Club
Ellsworth, ME Pinehurst, NC Haverford, PA Lake Toxaway, NC
Oct Event
Venue
Contact
Phone
7-13 17-20 18-21 25-28
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club Hartfield, VA
Jennifer Othen
561-478-0760
tournament@uscroquet.com
Pinehurst Croquet Club
Bruce Rowbottom 910-920-2549
b.rowbottom@yahoo.com
Solomon Trophy Buffalo Croquet Club 3rd Annual Six Wicket Invitational 5th Annual Rochester Croquet Club Invitational Croquet Network States Shield Championship Highlands Shootout II USCA Western Regional Association Tournament Westhampton Mallet Club Singles Tournament USCA Midwest Regional Tournament Croquet By The Bay
USCA National American Rules Championship Pinehurst Croquet Club Singles Tournament USCA Golf Croquet Eights USCA Selection Eights
Nov Event Nov 2-4 7-11
Venue
City-State
New York Croquet Club/ New York, NY Central Park Lawn Sports Center West Point Grey/Granville Park Vancouver, B.C. Pinehurst Resort Pinehurst, NC
City-State
Pinehurst, NC
207-664-4822 newburyneckshore@gmail.com 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com geodicon@orgers.com
(631) 902-5678 randy.cardo@gmail.com 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
Phone
913-636-7231
billmiller8@snet.net maceywhite@gmail.com
croquetnetwork@gmail.com
828-487-4130 owilmoth@clubhfcc.com 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
Perry Mattson Mike Taylor Whitney Thain Jennifer Othen
207-664-4822 910-986-3343 610-642-5800 561-478-0760
newburyneckshore@gmail.com mrtaylor1022@gmail.com wthain@merioncricket.com tournament@uscroquet.com
Peter Timmins
646-642-6601
NYCroquetClub@yahoo.com
Patrick Sweeney Elaine Moody
503-310-3222 910-986-3343
sweeney@503law.com halliburton_2@msn.com
Sarasota CCC at Pinebrook Park Venice, FL Jennifer Othen National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, FL Jennifer Othen
561-478-0760 561-478-0760
Venue
Country Club of Jackson Country Club of Jackson 6 Wicket Invitational USCA Seniors Masters Championships National Croquet Center 6 Wicket Invitational
Email theyoungs@northrock.bm drekstrom@hotmail.com jamesjhanks@gmail.com dawnj@chattoogaclub.com
tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com
City-State
Contact
Phone
Jackson, MS
Mark Fields
601-918-2704
mfields@gmail.com
561-478-0760
tournament@uscroquet.com
West Palm Beach, FL Jennifer Othen
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