LOVE AT FIRST STRIKE
When you see the two immaculately manicured croquet lawns at the heart of Peachtree Hills Place, it’s easy to understand why croquet enthusiasts love this luxury Life Plan community in the heart of Atlanta.
Here you’ll find elegant homes, upscale dining, attentive staff, fitness center with resort-style pool, and an onsite Wellness Center...all in an historic Buckhead neighborhood.
Visit us to meet a lively group of friends you can don your whites with every day.
“When we saw the croquet courts, we made our choice on the spot.”
- Bill Mullican, MemberEstablished in 2019, The Peachtree Hills Place Croquet Club is proud to be an official member of the prestigious United States Croquet Association.
Proud to be a Development Partner and Sponsor of the USCA Golf Croquet Nationals
For more information please visit
Showcasing the USCA
Recently, my attention was drawn to a livestream of a croquet event being played on the other side of the world. This event was the inaugural Fletcher Sharpe Invitational 35 & Under Tournament. My interest was drawn because the field included two USCA players in our Team USA uniforms. The two players, Stephen Morgan and Tom Balding, are both distinguished performers in the U.S. and were visiting Australia to play this event and the Australian National Championships. The goodlooking U.S. team uniforms are a relatively recent item in the history of U.S. Croquet and, in a large part, because of the efforts of the Lee Olsen Fund, its committee members (Michael Albert, Hal Denton, Rich Lamm) and the generous charitable support of many of our members.
Also on show at this tournament were some of the brightest and youngest talent playing GC at the top level. The future looks bright if the standard exhibited is any indication. Matches and interviews can be seen on the Cooks River Croquet Club Sydney Aus YouTube site.
While it is enjoyable to spend some screen time watching some far away games, an opportunity is coming that features the finest 80 players that the world has to offer. This is big news and do not let it pass by without your consideration.
The 2024 WCF GC World Championship is being contested October 18-26 at the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club in Hartsfield, Va. Seeing talent at this level firsthand is a special experience. Having the world’s best at the world’s largest croquet venue is also unique. I would encourage all members to consider this opportunity to experience the finest players in the game and plan an excursion to enjoy some of the event. If anyone has difficulty deciding which of the 24 full-size championship lawns to watch, I will completely understand.
The organizing committee, being chaired by Michael Albert and Bev Cardo, supported by Jeff Soo, Cheryl Bromley and Tom Cooper, are also looking for volunteers to help the event run smoothly and provide our overseas visitors with a great croquet experience. Our USCA, as event hosts, are on display to the entire croquet world. Please consider what you can do to help this event be successful. A good starting point is to raise your hand and reach out to our chairpersons.
Thank you for your support of the USCA through membership, which makes all this happen. Let’s keep the ball rolling!
Damon BidencopeProud USCA Member / USCA President President@croquetamerica.com / www.croquetamerica.com
USCA Management Committee
President Damon Bidencope president@uscroquet.com
First Vice President Michael Albert firstvp@uscroquet.com
Second Vice President Carla Rueck secondvp@uscroquet.com
Treasurer
Douglas Moore treasurer@uscroquet.com
Secretary Beverley Cardo secretary@uscroquet.com
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS
Florida
Bill Simmons floridarvp@uscroquet.com
Mid-Atlantic
Sally McGrath smcg226@gmail.com
Midwest Russell S. Dilley midwestrvp@uscroquet.com
Northeast
Preston Stuart northeastrvp@uscroquet.com
Southeast Linda Trifone southeastrvp@uscroquet.com
Western Patrick Sweeney westernrvp@uscroquet.com
USCA STAFF
Office Manager
Ursula Peck membership@uscroquet.com
Tournament & Schools
Johnny Mitchell tournament@uscroquet.com
Membership Coordinator
Stephanie Lutge croquetoffice@uscroquet.com
United States Croquet Association
700 Florida Mango Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Tel. (561) 478-0760
Fax (561) 686-5507
USCA Merchandise Is
CroquetNews
Departments
Debbie Davidoff was the USCA Women's Golf Croquet Grand Prix Champion for 2023. See her full profile on page 24. Photo provided by Debbie Davidoff.
2024 AC Women's Grand Prix Leader Arlene Parker. See all the current GP standings on page 47.
Publisher Dylan Goodwin | croquetnetwork@gmail.com
Managing Editor
Julie Jantzer-Ward | uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com
Submit inquiries and articles to uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com. Text should be submitted as a Microsoft Word file and photos should be high resolution (300 dpi). All content may be edited for length and photos will be adjusted appropriately. The Croquet News is produced four times per year and is distributed as a benefit to USCA membership. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USCA.
© 2024 United States Croquet Association
theclubhouse
Plan Now: National Croquet Day 2024
Even though Croquet Day 2024 on June 1 is just around the corner, you still have time to plan your club's croquet event. It’s fun, easy and what your club needs to continue growing. The USCA will help you in any way we can, so don't hesitate to call the office or email marketing@croquetamerica.com.
The USCA is excited about the impact National Croquet Day will continue to have on the croquet community and has the following targets in mind during the development and creation of the event each year:
• Foster relationships by building community.
• Support participation and continuity through organizational excellence.
• Commit to growth through diversity and inclusion.
• Develop and enjoy the sport through education.
• Promote croquet as a lifelong activity and healthy lifestyle.
To maximize the opportunity, USCA clubs are encouraged to post photos of their National Croquet Day activities on their websites and email them to croquetmedia@uscroquet.com. The USCA will post them on its Facebook and Instagram channels to showcase each club’s day.
In addition, National Croquet Day 2024 will kick off a new “Photo of the Month” series. As members and clubs send photos to croquetmedia@uscroquet.com, we will post the winner and several alternatives. It will be a fun way for your club to get national exposure and hopefully acquire new members.
Clubs have been creative as Croquet Day has become an important part of their annual growth efforts. Here are some recent prize winners sure to inspire you:
• Grand Haven did “Rock the Wickets” featuring music and colorful decorations.
• How about a “Luau on the Lawn” featuring a Hawaiian barbecue at Wyndemere?
• Perhaps an “Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter” theme?
• Funny photos are always a winning concept, matched with a funny hat theme.
• Jekyll Island had a “Croquet Carnival” that was easy to put together and so much fun.
• Or just go with the traditional Wine & Wickets or Mallets & Margaritas or Mallets & Martinis.
Don’t worry about borrowing a great idea. It will be original if it’s at your club.
Prizes
The top 10 photos of themed events will receive a certificate, publicity in the Croquet News and on the USCA website. The winners will be selected by players and committee members, so please assign the photography duties to a creative individual.
Why National Croquet Day Matters:
Our goal at the USCA is to promote the awareness, development and enjoyment of croquet in the United States, providing resources and governance for the sport at all levels. And most importantly, life is much better with croquet in it. Grab a mallet and a friend, and let’s play together.
Countdown To GC Worlds
The 2024 Golf Croquet World Championship will be held at the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club, in Hartfield, Va., October 18-26, 2024. The event capacity is 80 players. Please contact Event Director, Michael Albert for sponsorship opportunities or volunteer opportunities at mycopres@gmail.com. Jeff Soo is the manager and WCF Event Lead. Cheryl Bromley is Referee and Macey White is the host club main contact.
Player Allocation
The WCF has already awarded 37 ranking places and two wildcards for the event. Additionally, 37 membership places will be awarded by the member countries and four spots are reserved for the qualifier. The USCA has eight membership places. The following U.S. players received ranking places:
• Matthew Essick
• Ben Rothman
• Sherif Abdelwahab
• Danny Huneycutt
• Chris Barley
• Stephen Morgan
• David Maloof
Membership allocation is due from all countries on May 16, 2024, and announcement of all players allocated should be announced within one or two days of that deadline. All event players are requested to submit their bios and headshots by June 16, 2024. Entry fees for the event are due by June 18, 2024, and the main event cut-off date is September 2, 2024. Any returned places after this date will be filled with additional qualifier spots.
Corfu Becomes WCF Recognized Organization
The World Croquet Federation (WCF) has announced that the Corfu Croquet Club, situated on the picturesque Greek island of Corfu, has officially joined the WCF as a Recognised Croquet Organization.
Located near Gouvia, the Corfu Croquet Club boasts a rich history, having been established in 2014. The club’s facilities include four lawns that offers AC and GC play for locals and visitors.
The WCF now has 30 recognized member organizations with 13 full members, five associate members and 12 recognized member organizations.
GC World Qualifier Information
The WCF Golf Croquet World Championship will also stage a qualifying event held at the same venue October 13-16, 2024. The purpose of this tournament is to fill the Qualifying Places for the GC World Championship main event. Four Qualifying Places are currently reserved in the for the Championship, but this number will be increased if any places are returned after the cut-off date on September 2, 2024. Players in the Qualifier must be prepared to play up to six games in a day and are expected to have made a firm commitment to play in the Championship if offered a Qualifying Place.
A player who has previously been offered, or who currently holds, a Ranking, Wildcard or Membership place in the Championship is not eligible for the Qualifier.
The Qualifier Allocation Date is July 14, 2024, and all entries received will be sorted in order of World Ranking DGrade. The Qualifier Ranking List does not have a minimum game or current ranking requirement. If the tournament is over-subscribed on this date, entries will be accepted in Ranking List order and the remaining entries will be added to the Qualifier Reserve List. If a space later becomes available, it will be filled by the highest-ranked player on the Reserve List as of the date the space became available.
The closing date for the qualifier is September 29, 2024, and no entries will be accepted after this date. The Qualifier entry fee is $120 (USD) with a student fee of $60 (USD). Payment is not required until after the allocation date of July 14, 2024.
To enter the qualifier, you can register by clicking on the event in the USCA online events calendar or by contacting the USCA office at tournament@uscroquet.com.
Sarasota County Croquet Club To Host 2025 U21 GC World Championship
The 2025 Under 21 Golf Croquet World Championship will be held at the Sarasota County Croquet Club in Venice, Fla., April 14-18, 2025. The event will have 24 competitors.
The Sarasota County Croquet Club has seven lawns and the club will be targeting a lawn speed of 10+ seconds for the event. The tournament will utilize Quadway hoops that will be set to the largest ball plus 1/32 inch with an upward tolerance of zero and a downward tolerance of 1/64 of an inch unless otherwise specified.
The format of the event will feature four blocks of six players playing best-of-three matches over three days. The block draw will be performed according to WCF Sports Regulations. The top four in each block will qualify for the Knockout stage (playoffs).
The Knockout Stage will comprise 16 players, with the matches again utilizing a best-of-three format. The final will be a best-of-five match, if time allows.
The event will offer a Plate event for players who do not qualify for the Knock-Out Stage. It will consist of block play and single-game matches. It will be followed by a knockout stage of at least semifinals and finals, which will be a best-of-three match. Additionally, the event will offer a Bowl for players losing in the first round of the Knockout Stage and a Shield for players that lose in the quarterfinal round of the main event.
2025 U21 GCWC Event Dates
Invitation Date | July 17, 2024
This is the date that Members will be formally invited to send players to participate in this event.
Response Date | September 17, 2024
This is the date Member nominations for Ranking and Wild Card places must have been received by the WCF Management Committee. Members must also specify the number of Membership Places they wish to take up and RCO’s should advise if they would like to request a Membership Place.
Allocation Date | October 1, 2024
The World Ranking List to be used to determine the initial allocation of Ranking Places.
Announcement Date | October 15, 2024
By this date, the breakdown of places will be advised and players awarded an Initial Ranking Place or Wild Card will be announced.
Closing Date | November 15, 2024
This is the last date members countries can nominate players for their Membership Places. Within one to two days, the WCF will announce recipients of Membership Places and Replacement Ranking Places.
Player Contact Details and Bios | December 15, 2024
This is the date players are asked to provide their contact details, bios and a headshot photo.
Congratulations Cheryl!
The 2023 Women’s Friendship Cup participants want to Congratulate Cheryl Bromley for being our mentor and for her induction into the 2024 Hall of Fame. We thank you for all that you have done for the game of Croquet, including being the founder of the GC Women’s Friendship Cup and the Women’s GC Open.
2023 GC Women’s Friendship Cup Group: Karen Connery-Albert, Suzie Beer, Gay Cinque, Nancy Crouch, Debbie Davidoff, Lynn DeVault, Caryl Firth, Pam Fitzer, Diane Fitzsimons, Cynthia Fowler, Mary Galasso, Glo Ghegan, Pam Groh, Mary Hennelly, Kath Jenkins, Cynthia Joa, Shelley Laird, Lisa Maloney, Mary Miech, Sarah Parsons, Angela Pittman, Pat Richmond, Suzanne Spradling, Lorie Tarver, Suzanne Turner
TheInbox
Shining Croquet Stars Inducted into US Croquet Hall of Fame
On March 1, 2024, the Croquet Foundation of America, in conjunction with the US Croquet Association, welcomed two outstanding individuals into the esteemed ranks of the US Croquet Hall of Fame. On this occasion, Cheryl Bromley, of the Milwaukee Croquet Club, and Sara Low, of the New York Croquet Club, were honored for their exemplary contributions to the sport. Interestingly, this was the first time that both inductees were women. The induction ceremony, held at the Charles P. Steuber National Croquet Center, West Palm Beach, Fla., was graced with the presence of more than 160 friends, family and croquet enthusiasts.
The Chair of the Gala was Carol Stuart with Alixandra and Stuart Baker as Honorary Chairpersons. In reference to the inductees, the theme of the Gala was “Shining Stars,” which provided the Gala Committee an opportunity to create an ethereal atmosphere, from sparkling deep blue and silver centerpieces to flashing klieg lighting on the ceiling of the veranda to the shiny festive cocktail attire worn by both women and men.
Just before the cocktail party, a private reception was hosted by Hall of Famers, Anne Robinson and Ruth Summers, in the center’s ballroom where 12 fellow inductees gathered in their red jackets to welcome and toast Cheryl and Sara with champagne and hors d’oeuvres. We plan for this event to become an annual tradition, allowing the Hall of Famers to reconnect and have an informal in-person opportunity to welcome the newest HOF inductees.
At the induction ceremony on the spacious veranda, Cheryl Bromley, revered for her exceptional skill and dedication to the sport of golf croquet, was presented with her Red Jacket by her nominator, Priscilla Flowers, of The National Croquet Club, marking her official entry into the annals of croquet history.
Similarly, Sara Low, renowned for her outstanding leadership and dedication to the sport, was presented with her Red Jacket by her nominator, Douglas Moore, of the New York Croquet Club. The moment formalized her well-deserved place among the legends of croquet. Moore reminded all attendees that Sara was both the first female President of the New York Croquet Club and President of the USCA.
The induction of Cheryl Bromley and Sara Low into the 2024 US Croquet Hall of Fame is a testament to their unwavering commitment and passion for the sport. Their achievements inspire croquet enthusiasts worldwide and embody the spirit of sportsmanship, excellence and camaraderie that defines the croquet community.
The annual Hall of Fame Induction and Gala serves as the CFA’s major annual fundraiser. The money raised provides essential operating support for the Charles P. Steuber National Croquet Center. The 2025 Hall of Fame Gala and Induction Ceremony will be held on February 28, 2025, during The Steuber Classic at the National Croquet Center. Don’t miss it!
Congratulations On Your Well Deserved Honor
Scott and Suzanne Spradling ScissorTail Croquet Club Cheryl & SaraTo Those Who
The Croquet Foundation of America’s
2023 DONOR “WALL OF HONOR”
With great appreciation we list below and thank the generous donors that helped support the Croquet Foundation of America last year, including gifts from charitable trusts, foundations and bequests.
ANGEL
$100,000 AND ABOVE
James BartleSandyJames Fine Food
DIAMOND
$50,000 AND ABOVE
Bob Alman Estate
Randy & Bev Cardo
David & Cristina Kepner
W.P. Carey Foundation
GOLD
$5,000 TO $9,999
Anonymous
Ruth Summers
SILVER
$1,000 TO $4,999
Don & Jan Allison
John Brown
Calvert & Liddy Chaney
BRONZE
$100 TO $999
Anonymous
Stuart & Alixandra Baker
CFA DONORS AD 2021
PLATINUM
$10,000 TO $49,999
Gay Ann Cinque
Hope Harmon
Dr. Sandra Knuth & Dr. Robert Walsh
David & Millie McCoy
Freear Pollard
Lenore Warren Orlowska
Allison Worthington
Caryl Firth
Alex & Mary Galasso
Wayne & Connie Gallo
Bruce Hinden
The Lazarus Charitable Trust
Tom Lindley
Mary Anne Mathys
Ellen Playford
Dr. Philip Robinson
John Schott
Michael & Jean Sexton
Charles Steuber Jr.
Neill Trimble
Suzanne Turner
Bob Williams & Fei Fei Chao
Trudy Crowetz
Harvey & Pam Geiger
Brian Leeler
Larry & Arlene McDermott
Thomas & Barbara O’Laughlin
Bill Sadowski
Nancy &Jim Sansalone
Lewis & Janet Schwartz
Suzanne & Scott Spradling
Michael Todorovich
James Toomey
Mary Lou Wagner
On Behalf of Croquet Players Everywhere, THANK YOU!
Our apologies for any missed names, spellings or categories. Please call that to our attention.
Support the Game
2023 VOLUNTEER WALL OF HONOR
The Boards of Directors of the Croquet Foundation of America and of the National Croquet Club are deeply grateful to the following individuals who, during the year 2023, so generously donated their time and experience.
Sonia Alexandra
Richard Allen
Carol Bannister
John Bannister
James Bartle
Karen Beck
Dick Brackett
Bob Broadway
Liddy Chaney
Lovejoy Duryea
Connie Gallo
Mike Gibbons
Joanne (Jody) Gill
Jane Grandusky
Steve Grassbaugh
La Neil Gregory
Jill Harrold
Bruce Hindin
Nanci Hunt
Geoffrey Johnson
Julia Johnston
Scott Langston
Susan Langston
Alan Lazarescu
Tom Lindley
Tim McCormick
David McCoy
Millie McCoy
Linda Merk
Franck Meunier
Flossie Napolitano
Lenore Orlowska-Warren
Suzanne (Barbara)
Pearlman
Sheila Peterson
Bob Phillips
Please
Jane Pflug
Martha Ramey
Marie Rittman
Philip Robinson
Diane Rose (Young)
Carla Rueck
Bill Sadowski
Nancy Sansalone
Jane Louise Smith
Robert Smith
Howard Sosin
David Spivey
John Strasser
Ruth Summers
Stephen Tasker
James Taylor
Elisabeth Tretter
Bill Trower
Susanne Turner
Sue Varey
Gail Warlick
John Warlick
Diane Waterfall
Anyse Winston
Allison Worthington
Diane Wren
Charlie Alexander
Sonia Alexandra
Don Allison
Jan Allison
Barbara Bailey
Carol Bannister
John Bannister
Anthea Blamire
John Blamire
Richard Brackett
Bob Broadway
Kaye Broadway
Joni Cherbo
Mary Churchill
Gay Cinque
Lois Clay
Trudy Crowetz
Fiona D’Aguilar
Marianne Davidson
Anne De Lisle
Hal Denton
Gerry Eubanks
Caryl Firth
Ned Fleming
Priscilla Flowers
Bruce Fogel
Lynn Foley
Clint Fowlkes
Mary Galasso
Jim Grady
Jane Grandusky
Steve Grassbaugh
Pam Heyer Groh
Bruce Hindin
Nanci Hunt
Lin Irey
Julia Johnston
Susan Langston
Anne Licursi
Tom Lindley
Larry Lynch
Tim McCormick
David McCoy
Steve Mednick
Franck Meunier
Vicky Naranjo
Lenore Orlowska-Warren
Sheila Peterson
Vernon Pierce
Kathryn Robertson
Phil Robinson
Bob Rochedieu
June Rochedieu
Carla Rueck
Cami Russack
Tate Russack
Bill Sadowski
Jim Sansalone
Nancy Sansalone
Sharon Zack SPONSORED CONTENT — From the Croquet Foundation of America, a separate 501(c)(3),
Bob Smith
Jane Louise Smith
David Spivey
John Strasser
Lynda Sudderberg
Dick Sullivan
Ruth Summers
Stephen Tasker
Mike Todorovich
Bill Trower
Suzanne Turner
Lou Tyrell
Bob Van Tassell
Sue Varey
Gail Warlick
John Warlick
Diane Waterfall
Anyse Watson
Allison Worthington
Diane Wren
Sharon Zack
Croquet Break: Reach New Audiences
By Sue ShererThe mission of the USCA is to promote the awareness, development and enjoyment of croquet in America and is focused on the following five key elements:
• Foster relationships by building community
• Support participation and continuity through organizational excellence
• Commit to growth through diversity and inclusion
• Develop and enjoy the sport through education
• Promote croquet as a lifelong activity and healthy lifestyle
One of the great ways to do that is to contact your State Senior Games organization and have them adopt croquet as one of their competitive sports. We did that three years ago in New York state by petitioning the Empire State Senior Games to add golf croquet, hosted at the Rochester Croquet Club. And now we have been successful at having the Kentucky Senior Games add golf croquet this year, hosted by Derby City Croquet. Why the Senior Games? When croquet is added to the list of sports in which senior athletes can compete, people who sign up for other sports will see it on the list and be intrigued and possibly sign up for your sport, too. We had three non-croquet players sign up to play with us in New York just because they saw it on the list and were competing in other sports at a different time. The state does the publicity and registration, provides the gold, silver and bronze medals, and often includes other items for each participant like a t-shirt, towel or pin. People who may not be aware that there is even a USCA and that croquet is a competitive sport will see it on the list of options they can choose. Participating in the state senior games gets the game of croquet out in front of the public eye in a way that our individual clubs cannot. If multiple states were to offer croquet at their level, winning athletes could then compete in the National Senior Games.
The National Senior Games Association (NSGA) exists today as a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of competitive sports, physical fitness and active aging to adults ages 50+. It currently is a 20+ sport, biennial competition for men and women 50 and over, and is the largest qualified multi-sport event in the world for seniors.
NSGA Member Organizations (individual states and territories) hold annual games with qualifying competitions in the year preceding The Games. For example, 2024 is a qualifying year at the state level to compete in the 2025 National Senior Games. In 2023 when the games were held in Pittsburgh, PA, and Columbus, OH, there were 11,681 senior athletes competing. Athletes that meet specific criteria while participating in Qualifying State Senior Games qualify to participate. To date, the NSGA has held 19 summer national championships.
To find contact information for your state, visit the NSGA website: https://nsga.com/state-games-information/. I’d love to know which states besides NY and KY have croquet on their list of options. The more states that add it, the greater the likelihood that it could be added at the national level and the more
John Q. Public sees croquet as an active, competitive sport that is a fun social, physical and mental game.
Together we can get exposure for the game we all love to a broader audience!
ABOUT THE WRITER:
When Norm Pike brought the game to us in 2007 from the Bombay club in St. Croix, our lives would never be the same! My husband Peter and I became directors for the Rochester Croquet Club for more than a decade, the Pikes having moved on to the Carolinas. My first tournament was in St. Croix and I managed first place in second flight. Later I would play at Patuxent, Buffalo and Annapolis, winning awards at the two latter tournaments. While I love to win, my true passion is passing along the love of this unique lawn sport to others. It was natural that when we moved to Louisville last year we were fortunate to team up with Margaret, the wife of the late Gary Bennett, and begin a new club in Kentucky on the court he had recently finished installing in his own backyard. We are pleased and proud to be introducing the game to a whole new crowd at Derby City Croquet!
Weekly Croquet Break
"Reach New Audiences" was originally published in the USCA’s Croquet Break weekly member newsletter. The newsletter is seeking articles on croquet-related subjects by USCA members to be published electronically in the weekly newsletter sent by email to all USCA members.
Procedure: Submit your piece to Sara Low (hoopsnflies@msn. com ) or Ursula Peck (membership@uscroquet.com) to be added to the weekly Croquet Break calendar. Before publishing, suggested edits (punctuation and spelling) and a final page will be sent to you for your approval.
Article Format: Microsoft Word Length: Any length. Additional: Short bio and photo (.jpg) to appear with article.
Vision For Accessible Croquet In Vero Beach
I have a vision of making croquet accessible to all citizens of the Treasure Coast area, not just the members of the eight or nine private clubs that have lawns. I teach at four of those clubs and have been slowly introducing the idea to the members where we have a group of solid supporters. One of those members recently commented on the vision, saying, “(It) will meet a significant social need in sharing this great sport with the underprivileged youth and the elderly in our area.”
For the last three seasons, I’ve driven by the site of the old Vero Beach hospital daily, which was razed and leveled many years ago. Every time in passing, I’ve envisioned the area, suitably sized for six proper lawns, available to residents of Indian River County to play croquet. It is grass, it is flat, there is parking and it is highly visible — perfect for croquet. The inaugural Treasure Coast District Championship was held in early April in Vero and next year I would be overjoyed to see it on this site with multiple lawns.
On a bright sunny day in March, I set up two regulationsized lawns on the rough grass for “Pop-Up Croquet,” and 22 volunteers gathered to support the cause on the proposed site. They played a bit of extreme croquet. Unintended jump shots were the order of the day, but everyone had fun. We were joined by County Commissioner Laura Moss, who has supported the concept since first touring the area with me in 2022.
Laura has been a loyal supporter of this project, and we could not get this off the ground without her help. We first met with the previous administration two years ago (which has since been changed top to bottom) and as soon as we got a bit of traction, we were faced with “selling” the concept to the new administration once again. Laura has always been there to assist.
“There is no better time for croquet in our growing county as we look to diversify our recreational offerings. Its potential is unparalleled,” Commissioner Moss says. “Croquet encourages outdoor recreation and good health far into senior years while providing the perfect opportunity for accomplished, caring seniors to mentor at-risk, underprivileged youth. In addition to these clearcut benefits for our residents, croquet tournaments can generate significant tourism and thereby revenue for local businesses, as well as additional tourist tax revenue.”
The success of the Sarasota County Croquet Cub in a public/ private venture has been the “look-what-they-did” model. I have created the Indian River Croquet Association, which will become a 501-C-3 corporation, and its mission statement includes the following:
We believe the lessons learned on the lawns: teamwork, respect, etiquette, honor, strategic thinking and physical ability all translate to life skills important to everyone. Our members will mentor those who will benefit from that guidance. There will be no charge to become a member of the association for any area youth and others who cannot afford to pay dues. We wish to make this sport accessible to all. We believe that members who can pay will do so, and otherwise contribute to help the growth and sustainability of the Club.
Hundreds of at-risk and underprivileged teens live a half-mile from here, who otherwise are unlikely to enter the realm of croquet, in addition to fixed-income seniors who may not be able to afford a private club membership. The doors that croquet can open for them are many, particularly for the youth of the area. This sport is too good to make it available only for a select, fortunate few. Mentoring matters. We envision seniors and youth playing, cooperating and competing together. Life’s lessons work both ways.
I am willing to set up and manage the croquet program for the county, to ferry students or seniors who have no transportation and to coach as many newbies as I can. I am confident that I will find plenty of volunteers to help manage the facility and teach the values inherent to croquet. Everyone has been incredibly supportive of the concept and a few have generously pledged monetary assistance to assure sustainability.
As a public/private venture, fundraising on the private side is a part of the deal. I want the county to know we have skin in the game. Because of the pop-up event, one generous donor was moved to pledge a significant monetary donation if the program gets going, one that I hope can be matched by other contributions from like-minded friends. All we need now is the
county to give access to a site. Once that happens, I am confident additional funds will come.
We then need to partner with the county to build and maintain the facility. Croquet is relatively inexpensive: a stick, a ball and some hoops. We don’t need a stadium or an airconditioned hall to make good players; just some good, flat grass and a lot of enthusiasm.
Think of the opportunities the croquet world could afford to a youngster who might never get the chance to see the lawns at NCC or any other private club or hobnobbing with the lucky few who can afford to belong to such places. We all can learn from each other, regardless of background. Give me a 15-yearold athlete and an 80-year-old grandmother and I’ll help them become amongst the strongest croquet team players in Florida … in one year.
—Bo PrillamanReady to Live the Croquet Lifestyle in Sunny Florida?
It would be my pleasure to help guide you through the nuances of our local Florida market. With access to top listings, a worldwide network, exceptional marketing strategies and cutting-edge technology, I work hard to make your real estate experience memorable and enjoyable.
Cheryl Harders
561-351-5704 cl614@msn.com
Saint Johns Croquet Club Hosts a Free Croquet Clinic
November 11, 2023, was a beautiful day at Treaty Park, near St. Augustine, Fla., for 26 local participants who signed up for a free clinic to learn the game of croquet. The newly established Saint Johns Croquet Club (SJCC), located in St. Augustine, organized and hosted the event. Professional instructors and experienced players conducted morning and afternoon sessions and demonstrated the different styles of holding a mallet and hitting a ball. Afterward, they taught the participants how to play the games of 9-wicket and golf croquet. Many who participated commented they were surprised to learn how challenging croquet can be and look forward to playing on a professional croquet lawn next time.
All of this was possible because SJCC founders, John and Noreen Rice, applied for and received a $1,000 grant from the USCA to hold the event in a public park. By the end of the day, 16 participants signed up for a free membership to the USCA for 9-wicket play. In addition, 10 of the 16 participants signed up as founding members of the SJCC. Because of this positive experience, the SJCC plans to host more croquet clinics and events locally in a public setting with help from
PASSAGES
Bill Blanton Houston Croquet Association
Bob Bozeman Red Stick Croquet Club
James Brogan ......................... Grand Haven Croquet Club
Jane Enochs ........................ Lake Toxaway Mallet Club and Spring Island Croquet Club
Hope Harmon.................. The Hope Harmon Croquet Club, Mission Hills Croquet Club and National Croquet Club
Diana Hill ....................................... Sonoma Croquet Club
Myron McCumber At Large Member
Rita Miragliotta Croquet Club at PGA National
Joëlle Rice
Larry Rose
Grand Haven Croquet Club
Fleet Landing Croquet Club
Robert Yount Croquet Club at PGA National
USCA. In the meantime, as a new member of the area’s First Coast Croquet League, the SJCC will participate in interclub events. While the club waits for approval from St. Johns County to build professional lawns, they will continue to grow the membership, offer weekly practice at nearby parks and other local venues.
John and Noreen have been working with officials at the St. Johns County Parks and Recreation Department and the County Commissioners Recreation Advisory Board to build four professional lawns and facilities in or near St. Augustine, Fla., for the SJCC. The mission and goal of the SJCC is to establish a partnership with St. Johns County like the model implemented by the Sarasota County Croquet Club (SCCC). The result will be a croquet program much like the SCCC that is affordable and accessible for families, students and adults to play this great game.
Here’s a sample of what some of the participants have said:
“If people are like me and have no experience or knowledge of croquet except as a play-thing sport your parents and grandparents occasionally played like shuffleboard, then people need to be aware how much more fun the true regulation game is.”
“(I) really enjoyed that introduction to croquet. When is the next croquet clinic? Can I join the SJCC now as a Founding Member?”
“When will SJCC have professional croquet lawns to play on?”
The SJCC thanks the USCA Grant Committee and everyone who helped make all this possible including:
St. Johns County Dept. of Parks & Recreation: Teddy Meyers, Joe Kustra and Ground Crew.
USCA Regional VP Florida: Bill Simmons.
National Croquet Club: Cami and Tate Russack.
Ponte Vedra Croquet Club: John Curington, Helen Covington, Bobby Greene, and Anita Huber.
PNC Bank: Michael Plantier, Amy Tivey, and Jared Bodlak.
2023 PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Zack Watson
For his achievement during the 2023 Solomon Trophy
2023 AC GRAND PRIX
FEMALE WINNER
Lynda Sudderberg
2023 AMERICAN 6W RULES GRAND PRIX
Randy Cardo
Seventh Consecutive Year
2023 WINNER OF THE AC GRAND PRIX
Stephen Morgan
2023 WINNER OF THE GC GRAND PRIX
Marc Stearns
2023 WINNER OF THE WOMEN’S GC GRAND PRIX
Debbie Davidoff
2023 JACKIE JONES AWARD
Linda Trifone
American 6W Grand Prix Female Winner
2023 CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Darin Guffey
For dedication to the Highlands Falls Croquet Association.
2023 CLUB OF THE YEAR
Belleair Country Club Belleair, Florida
2023 CLUB PRESIDENT OF THE YEAR
John Goldener
Sarasota County Croquet Club (with Michael Albert, USCA First Vice President, on the right)
2023 DISTRICT PRESIDENT OF THE YEAR
John Brown, Texas
2023 REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE YEAR
Billy Simmons, Florida
2023 NEW CLUB OF THE YEAR
Derby City Croquet Louisville, Kentucky
2023 FAMILY OF THE YEAR
The Lassiter Family Belvidere, North Carolina
2023 CROQUET COUPLE OF YEAR
Ellie and Matt Griffith
2023 MICHAEL STRAUSS AWARD
Joel Schipper, WDRB in Louisville, KY
For coverage of the Derby City Croquet Club’s opening day.
2023 OUTSTANDING SPECTATOR
Mitze Rauers
2023 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Michael Todorovich
For his enthusiasm in organizing and coaching AC at the NCC
2023 SPECTATOR OF THE YEAR
Pam Deason
2023 TEDDY PRENTIS AWARD
Jeff Soo
Recognizing Excellence and Passion in Croquet Education
2023 PRESIDENT’S AWARD
James Creasey
CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION
Michael and Karen Albert For International Support
Missy Chilton
For Outstanding Support of American 6W Rules Croquet
Tom Cooper
For Significant Contributions in Marketing and PR
Howard Cox
As host of the Westhampton Mallet Club on his family estate since 1959
Nick Gray
For his tireless efforts in management of tournaments at Mission Hills Country Club
Howard and Lois Holdsclaw
For your commitment and support to croquet
David Kepner
For his Significant Contribution
Tom and Barbara O’Laughlin
For your commitment and support of croquet
For Outstanding Contribution to the 2024
Freear PollardCERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION
Michael Albert
For the Talent Development Program
John and Anthea Blamire
For Contributions to Membership Enrichment at the NCC.
James Creasey For Outstanding Outreach for Croquet
Russ Dilley For Development of the YouTube Channel for the USCA
Brian Hovis For Development of the YouTube Channel for the USCA
David and Mieke Maloof
For Outstanding Commitment and Promotion of the Sport of Croquet
Mike McRee
For Outstanding Individual Contributor to the Promotion of Croquet
Paul Neubecker
For Development of the YouTube Channel for the USCA
Jeff Soo For the Talent Development Program
Peter Timmins For Leadership of the New York Croquet Club
Michael Weimerskirch For International Support of Croquet
Alix Worley
For Outstanding Collegiate Ambassador of the Sport of Croquet
Debbie Davidoff
Age: 63 years young
Grip: Solomon
Mallet: Trimmer, 11” head, 2lb. 14 oz. Shaft length 36”
Years playing croquet: 12
Home base:
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., with summers in Highlands, N.C.
Home club:
The Ponte Vedra Croquet Club (also The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach and Highlands Country Club)
Favorite croquet venue:
I am very lucky to be able to play at Highlands Country Club (HCC), especially when the sky is “Carolina Blue!”
Favorite tournament:
I love playing in the Club Teams because there is such a sense of camaraderie and healthy competition.
How did you get into the game:
I was a member of both Highlands Country Club and the Country Club at Sapphire Valley (CCSV) in North Carolina. HCC had a growing croquet program, but I was intimidated to start because I (wrongfully) felt I would have a hard time fitting into a group of seasoned players. CCSV constructed its first lawn and a whole crop of people began to learn together, and I started with them. It didn’t take long before I was playing at both clubs.
Croquet highlights:
Of course, I love the tournaments where I win, but some of my highlights include games where I didn’t win, but had a great battle. I was proud of going to 4-4 against Matthew Essick (he went on to beat me 7-4) where he attempted a jump shot from behind the wicket to clear me (it didn’t work, and I scored the hoop). I also have loved every battle with Brian Lozano, both doubles and singles.
Having the opportunity to travel and play in the qualifier for the Women’s World Championship was definitely a highlight for me, although it came at a personally challenging time for me, so I hope to be able to experience that again and be able to fully drink it all in.
Winning the Club Teams with my husband before he passed away was truly a highlight. In general, the biggest highlight for me was getting to the championship level and realizing all the players were treating me with respect and as a worthy opponent.
Team USA Captain Matthew Essick
Do you play other sports?
Yes. I play golf, but in the past year and a half, I have concentrated on my croquet more to the detriment of my golf handicap. I grew up playing tennis, soccer and swimming.
Favorite sports teams:
Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, University of Miami Hurricanes, New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers. (Clues to some of the places I have lived.)
Pop culture favorites:
My favorite book is “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand. When I taught executive MBAs, I would make an award at graduation to the team in my class that wrote and presented the best business plan. My award was “Atlas Shrugged” because to me the book illustrates the value/power of original thinking and what happens to our society when people stop thinking for themselves.
What is the best thing the USCA has done for croquet?
The USCA is a great information source for all players. As our sport continues to grow, the issues we will face will become larger and a strong USCA will be essential for the success of the sport in the U.S.
What is the USCA’s greatest weakness?
I have observed firsthand that other countries have really focused on developing their female players. I would love to see an emphasis from the USCA to help more U.S. women be more competitive internationally.
What would you like to see happen in the sport over the next 10 years?
More public lawns available for players throughout the U.S. More women playing at the championship level and playing in national and international titled events.
What have you learned from croquet?
To never give up … there’s always an option; and that people can be active and competitive their entire lives.
Quick croquet tip:
Keep your tempo the same on every single shot. Simply vary the distance with the length of the backswing, NOT by speeding up the swing.
2024
Venice, Fla. | March 18-24, 2024
Balding Backs Up AC Worlds Performance with National Title
BY JEFF SOOThe 38th annual USCA Association Croquet National Championships returned to the Sarasota County Croquet Club in Venice, Fla., for the third time since 2019 and the first time since the club’s expansion to seven full-size courts. Only five of those courts were needed for the doubles, which occupied most of the first three days. First Flight, with five pairs, played a double round-robin without a playoff. SCCC members Matt Griffith and Gene Raymond went undefeated to win handily. Jane Beharriell and Arlene Parker were runners-up.
Championship Flight, with six pairs, started with a block and finished with a best-of-three knockout for the top four. Wy Louw, playing his first tournament after a 19-year break from croquet, teamed with Jeff Soo to win the block and earn top seeding. Their one-block loss was to Tom Balding and Steve Scalpone, who finished just behind on net points. Both pairs advanced to the final, where in each game Scalpone made the first break and Balding closed out with a triple peel. This was the first U.S. national title for Scalpone and the second for Balding, who had won the GC doubles title with Blake Fields in 2023.
With three inches of rain forecast for Friday, Tournament Directors Jeff and Eileen Soo advanced the singles schedule as much as possible, starting singles block games in place of doubles Plate games on Tuesday and Wednesday, then squeezing in extra games on Thursday. As it happened, Friday turned out to be much more playable than expected, but better safe than sorry.
First Flight Singles started with two blocks of five, the top three from each block advancing to a modified Draw/Process and only the block winners earning a second life. Matt Griffth and Preston Stuart won their respective blocks with four victories each. Raymond came second in Block B after a one-point loss to Stuart, but won a spot in the final by winning three games in the Draw on Saturday, including wins over Griffith and Stuart. Griffith beat Stuart in the Process final to earn the other finalist spot. Raymond took an early lead in the final, but Griffith equalized and then took a one-point lead in the first turn after time was called. Raymond hit and scored two points to win the First Flight title.
Championship Singles had blocks of seven and eight, four advancing from each block to a best-of-three knockout. Top seeds Zack Watson and Tom Balding went undefeated to win their respective blocks, each with four triple peels. Balding then advanced to the final with four successive triple peels. Watson had a bumpier road, adding only one triple peel to his tally, and dropping a game in his semifinal. Just how well Balding was playing was shown on Friday, when he completed an adventurous sextuple peel in a Plate game. He continued his outstanding form in the final, winning in straight games with two more triple peels. Ten triples and one sextuple in 14 games with no losses is the kind of form that took him to the semifinals of the world championship in 2023. The results of this tournament lift him to his highest-ever ranking, #10 in the world and #1 in the USA.
Each flight played a singles Plate in the flexible Swiss format. Roger Vorraber won all three of his Plate games to win the First Flight Plate. Doug Grimsley and Brian Cumming had the best records in the Championship Plate, Grimsley winning the final.
Nancy Hart was Tournament Manager, assisted by Gillian Merritt.
FINAL ORDER
CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES
01. Tom Balding
02. Zack Watson
03. Stuart Lawrence
04. Jeff Soo
05. Wy Louw
05. Paul Bennett
05. Brian Cumming
08. Steve Scalpone
09. Doug Grimsley (Plate winner)
10. Patrick Sweeney
11. Jay Hughes
12. Randy Cardo
13. David Druiett
13. Chris Percival-Smith
13. Michael Todorovich
FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES
01. Gene Raymond
02. Matt Griffith
03. Preston Stuart
04. Arlene Parker
05. Walt Janitz
06. Tim Williams
07. Roger Vorraber (Plate winner)
08. Chris Smith
09. Jane Beharriell
10. Becky Essick
CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES
01. Tom Balding/Steve Scalpone
02. Wy Louw/Jeff Soo
03. Jay Hughes/Stuart Lawrence
03. Brian Cumming/Doug Grimsley
05. David Druiett/Chris Percival-Smith
06. Paul Bennett/Patrick Sweeney
FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES
01. Matt Griffith/Gene Raymond
02. Jane Beharriell/Arlene Parker
03. Preston Stuart/Roger Vorraber
04. Becky Essick/Tim Williams
05. Sandy Janitz/Chris Smith
GC Nationals Celebrate 25th Anniversary
BY paul bennettThe 2024 USCA GC Nationals was hosted by the Mission Hills Croquet Club, February 11-18. International players from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico flew into the Palm Springs, Calif., airport, along with players from a variety of states. The field was jam-packed with the strongest set of players the club has seen playing golf croquet (GC).
This version of croquet has evolved over the past 25 years to include the development of numerous clubs, talented players, coaches and, in fact, the creation of the World Croquet Federation (WCF) by Tony Hall, an avid golf croquet player at the time.
Bob Riddell, one of Mission Hill Croquet Club’s (MHCC) most loved club members, had his first experience with croquet while playing in the novice/ first flight in the 1999 GC Nationals. Riddell hosted an annual golf croquet club tournament yearly in Palm Springs at Mission Hills MHCC. The majority of MHCC club members enjoy the game of GC on a weekly basis as is true for many clubs around America.
In First Flight Doubles, Shep Slater and Robert Smothers dominated the Draw and Process by winning the Draw against Barbara Wills and Susie Wall, and winning the Process against Greg Fisher and Donna Dixon. As a consequence, Dixon and Fisher played and won a game against Wills and Susie Wall for Second Place Doubles.
The winners in the First Flight Plate event were John Shanholt and Gail Kern, from the Mountain Mallets croquet club of Scottsdale, Ariz., who defeated Sarah Persons and Bill Simmons. In Championship Doubles Plate, Brian Cumming and Paul Bennett defeated Billie Ray and Highland Falls pro Darin Guffey.
The 2024 GC Nationals included 48 players in doubles and 46 players in singles. The 24 teams competed in doubles play the first three days of the event. Each block of eight had seven games of doubles followed by single-elimination knockout ladder play held Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday. In Championship Flight, half the teams advanced and the other half played in a plate event. In First Flight, all the teams advanced to a Plate and Draw elimination format with early teams dropping into a Plate event.
In Championship Doubles, Matthew Essick and Ben Rothman lost to David and Kyle Maloof in the finals. Kyle won his first GC Championship Doubles with his father David back in 2022 while playing in the Highlands of North Carolina. Kyle teaches croquet and tennis.
The trophies for doubles were handed out at the mid-week Toast and Tally dinner. Thursday and Friday were seven rounds of singles block play for Championship and First Flight. Players advanced from block play into doubles by their number of victories, net points, gross points and finally head-to-head results. But, championship singles was resolved with a playoff if two or more players were tied with the same number of wins to advance into the main playoff. One resolution round between Brian Cumming and Kyle Maloof was needed in Block A. Maloof won that game 7-3 forcing Cumming to the Singles Plate.
Several notable block results are available on the Croquet Scores website at www.croquetscores.com/2024/gc/usca-nationals/. Greg Fisher, one of Mission Hills’ newest members, went undefeated in block E. In Blocks A-D, Matthew Essick, David Maloof, Ben Rothman and Sherif Abdelwahab all went undefeated in block play.
Championship Singles progressed into a best-of-three knockout ladder starting on Saturday and ending Sunday afternoon. In the first round, Kent Lovvorn, Brian Lozano, Mohammad Kamal, Kyle Maloof, Paul Bennett, Jeff Soo and Henry Smith got knocked out in two games while Edmund Fordyce got out after
25 YEARS AGO
The first GC national championship was held in Palm Springs in 1999. The final was played at the Merv Griffin Hotel. The Mission Hills croquet courts were not used. The championship featured four participants, Sherif Abdelwahab, Bill Martin, Mik Mehas and myself. We competed in block play of double round-robin, best-of-three matches for placement with all four advancing to the semifinal where first played fourth and second played third. After Abdelwahab defeated Martin and I beat Mehas, we met in a best-offive final and I prevailed three games to one.
The doubles championship was won by Abdelwahab and Mehas who defeated me and Martin 2-0. It was Mehas who managed to convince Dan Mahoney, the USCA president at the time, to hold the first GC national championship. A year earlier in 1998, Mehas had reached the final of the world championship in Brighton, England, and lost to Khaled Younis. In 2000, I organized the Beverly Hills International (BHI) GC Tournament, the first international GC event in North America. Twelve Egyptian players participated in the event, which was won by Younis over me in the final. Other American participants included Abdelwahab, Mehas and Jacques Fournier. The 1999 nationals and the 2000 BHI are considered the watershed moments for GC in America.
The following two years of GC national championships (2000 and 2001) were played in Palm Beach and were won by two Egyptians: Younis and Yasser Esmat, respectively. This Egyptian presence was a big factor in showcasing GC to Americans and played a big role in increasing interest in this new version of croquet.
Twenty-five years later, the 2024 USCA GC National Championship Final was played between the current and former GC National and World champions. GC is now the main version played in most clubs. The game is attracting many young players, which makes me personally feel great about the future of the game in America.
—Mohammad Kamal, Winner of the first USCA GC Championship 2024
the third game. Six of these players played in the Bowl championship and Brian Lozano won it against Fordyce in the final game.
This left the quarterfinals with an all-American field. Blake Fields and Tom Balding succumbed in their third games to Matthew Essick and David Maloof, respectively, while Sherif Abdelwahab and Stephen Morgan fell to Tamer Hatata and Ben Rothman in two games, respectively.
In the semifinals, Tamer Hatata lost to Matthew Essick in three games and David Maloof lost in two against Ben Rothman. Essick, the reigning WCF champ, and Rothman, a former WCF champion, met in the finals!
The finals went to the third game with Essick winning the first and final game. This is Essick’s second National GC Singles title.
Brian Lozano, currently playing for Mexico and coaching croquet, won the Championship Bowl 7-2 against Fordyce, from New Zealand. Joshua Freeth, playing for New Zealand and coaching croquet, won the Championship Plate over Mike Hatcher 7-5.
In First Flight, all 15 players advanced to the Draw and Process ladder playoff. Robert Smothers defeated Shep Slater 7-6 in the Draw and Stephen Jackson defeated John Shanholt 7-2 in the Process setting up a finals game where Jackson beat Smothers 7-3. In the First Flight plate, Betty Teoman defeated Sarah Persons 7-3.
And before closing, I would like to thank all the founders of this sport, those who helped establish the GC Nationals, those that played in those Nationals and everyone that promotes the game daily.
Thanks to Nick Gray, who managed the tournament, collecting team members together for their various functions and supporting me during the event. Thanks to all the members who helped set up the lawns: Ted, Stanley, John, Dick and Jean, Justin, Joshua, Nick, Bill, Chris, Jose and those that cut the lawns as the dawn of sun arose. Thanks to all the hosts that put players up for the week. Thanks to Donna for lending us a set of Dawson balls and beverage coolers. Thanks to Johnny Mitchell, Ursula Peck and Jeff Soo for handling entries, numerous emails, processing and collecting entry fees, and handling the allocation process. Thanks again to Jeff Soo and all the other referees for their professional service. And a special thanks to Jeff for teaching a great director class.
Get your district representative to work with your regional director to schedule your next regional; this will allow those players to have a better chance of playing in the Nationals.
As to the future of GC? Ben Rothman, Matthew Essick, Blake Fields and Joshua Freeth held a clinic on Sunday prior to the tournament highlighting three new versions of Golf Croquet by Howard Sosin. It was well attended by club members and positive comments received by the attendees. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists, and thank you all for playing!
FINAL ORDER
CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES
01. Matthew Essick
02. Ben Rothman
03. Tamer Hatata
03. David Maloof
05. Blake Fields
05. Sherif Abdelwahab
05. Stephen Morgan
05. Tom Balding
09. Brian Lozano
09. Edmund Fordyce
09. Kent Lovvorn
09. Mohammad Kamal
09. Paul Bennett
09. Jeff Soo
09. Henry Smith
CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES BOWL
01. Brian Lozano
02. Edmund Fordyce
03. Jeff Soo
03. Kent Lovvorn
05. Paul Bennett
05. Henry Smith
CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES PLATE
01. Joshua Freeth
02. Mike Hatcher
03. Eileen Soo
03. Hammond Rauers
05. Brian Cumming
05. Dallas Denny
05. Darin Guffey
05. Billie Ray
09. Dick Boger
09. Karl-Heinz Kempfer
09. Justin Fields
09. Jack Rush
09. Bill Simmons
09. Rick Zazueta
FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES
01. Stephen Jackson
02. Robert Smothers
03. John Shanholt
03. Shep Slater
03. Crayton Morrow
06. Betty Teoman
06. Donna Dixon
06. Sarah Persons
06. Greg Fisher
06. John Grout
11. Lynda Bjorklund
11. Gail Kern
11. Susan Wall
11. Kory Teoman
11. Barbara Wills
FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES PLATE
01. Betty Teoman
02. Sarah Persons
03. Lynda Bjorklund
03. Barbara Wills
CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES
01. Kyle Maloof/David Maloof
02. Ben Rothman/Matthew Essick
03. Sherif Abdelwahab/Stephen Morgan
03. Joshua Freeth/Edmund Fordyce
05. Kent Lovvorn/Dick Boger
05. Mohammad Kamal/Brian Lozano
05. Tom Balding/Blake Fields
05. Ahab Abdelwahab/Tamer Hatata
CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES PLATE
01. Paul Bennett/Brian Cumming
02. Darin Guffey/Billie Ray
03. Dallas Denny/Hammond Rauers
03. Mike Hatcher/Karl-Heinz Kempfer
05. Justin Fields/Rick Zazueta
05. Eileen Soo/Henry Smith
05. Jack Rush/Bill Simmons
05. Rich Lamm/Jeff Soo (declined)
FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES
01. Shep Slater/Robert Smothers
02. Donna Dixon/Greg Fisher
03. Barbara Wills/Susie Wall
04. Stephen Jackson/Crayton Morrow
04. John Shanholt/Gail Kern
06. John Grout/Lynda Bjorklund
06. Sarah Persons/Bill Sullivan
06. Betty Teoman/Kory Teoman
FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES PLATE
01. John Shanholt/Gail Kern
02. Sarah Persons/Bill Sullivan
03. John Grout/Lynda Bjorklund
03. Betty Teoman/Kory Teoman
05. Stephen Jackson/Crayton Morrow
Wright Rises to the Top at Bonita Bay
USCA Southwest Florida District Tournament Bonita Springs, Fla. | April 11-13, 2024
The second edition of the USCA Southwest Florida District GC Tournament proved to be a success. The festivities began on April 10 with players from all over Southwest Florida coming to the beautiful Bonita Bay Club to practice on the croquet lawns to prepare for the next three days of competition.
In true Bonita Bay Club form, commencing at 4:00 p.m., the club put on a lavish cocktail and heavy hors d’oeuvres party. A round of applause went to the club and members for hosting this magnificent event. When the players received their schedules, they were beyond delighted to receive the swag bag that included a monogrammed blanket and two crystal monogrammed wine glasses. More to come as to how those blankets were quite needed! On each morning, the club provided freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee and a delectable breakfast buffet, all courtside. The players enjoyed the chef’s cooking at lunchtime.
On April 11, the four blocks of six players began competing. While competition can be tough in any sport, it was quite a surprise to the players to be competing in 35- to 40-mile-perhour wind gusts! While they prevailed, there was plenty of talk about possibly wearing weight belts next year so that some of the players did not land in the Gulf of Mexico. A special shout out to everyone’s favorite player Mary Hennelly, for bringing fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies every day for an afternoon snack.
On April 12, the forecast guaranteed beautiful warm, sunny weather. And yes, while it was beautiful, it was certainly not warm, and the players who had immediate access to those monogrammed blankets were grateful they could bundle themselves up while they waited their turns on the lawn.
By the end of April 12, with the blankets still in use under the tents, John Joseph and Spike Gonzales were both undefeated in every game they played. Quite an accomplishment! However, the last day of the tournament, April 13, was a one-game knockout. With the players all divided into two categories, First Flight and Championship, the play resumed until 6:00 p.m. until the winners for each flight were determined.
Anne Killilea of Wyndemere Country Club took First Flight and the winner of Championship Flight was Tim Wright of Bonita Bay.
Harper Claims Treasure Coast GC Win
USCA Florida Treasure Coast District GC Tournament Vero Beach, Fla. | April 5-7, 2024
The Treasure Coast District with Vero Beach, Fla., at its center, held its inaugural tournament on the weekend of April 5-7, 2024, at The Moorings Yacht and Country Club in Indian River County. Their two, level lawns were in excellent condition.
This tournament was created to focus on croquet players from the district who had never played in a USCA-sanctioned tournament. These new USCA members had first-hand experience playing against seasoned players and they did amazingly well. Some of the newbies reached the championship playoffs, with many close matches along the way. Regional VP Bill Simmons believes many will play in future tournaments, having enjoyed the competition.
Croquet has become very popular in Vero Beach, with eight clubs (Vero Beach Country Club, Riomar, Windsor, Oak Harbor, Quail Valley, John’s Island, The Moorings and Indian River Estates) having lawns and active programs. Orchid Island Club is building a lawn this year and will become the ninth club in the area. Being the first-ever tournament in the area, the field was small but enthusiastic this year and will grow by next year’s event.
Billy Harper, from Hobe Sound, won Championship Flight in an exciting final against Bo Prillaman (the Tournament Manager) from Vero Beach. David Scott, also from Vero Beach, won first flight honors defeating Laura Hendrick from Ponte Vedra, Fla.
Harper got off to a fast start in the Championship Flight final 19-point game, with strong steady clearings and precise hoop shooting, running up a 7-2 lead. Prillaman woke up at Hoop 10 and subsequently tied up the match at 8-all. Harper scored Hoop 17 and Prillaman got in the super-hoop jaws at 18 but with a slight offset on the left wire with Red. Harper had just enough room to precisely hit Black into the right wire and carom off Red for the 10-8 win.
Tournament Director Tom Cooper would like to thank the referees Billy Harper and Laura and Kendall Hendrick for their assistance in helping to teach the newer players the rules and etiquette of tournament play.
CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES
01. Billy Harper
02. Bo Prillaman
03. Kendall Hendrick
04. Robert Smith
05. Lynda Bjorklund
06. Billie Ray
07. Linda Merk
08. John Dillon
FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES
01. David Scott
02. Laura Hendrick
03. Les Gwyn-Williams
04. Sandy Leary
05. Thomas Lobsitz
06. Sanford England
07. Melissa England
08. David Lewis
09. Daniel Will
ARIZONA
Scottsdale – Mountain Mallets
Matthew Santiago
CALIFORNIA
Rancho Mirage –
Mission Hills Croquet Club
Mike Davis
Kathryn Miller
Lisa Quateman
Neil Quateman
FLORIDA
Belleair – Belleair Country Club
Michael Andriola
Priscilla Castellano
Sammy Castellano
Margaret Greenlees
Christopher Hodgkins
James Ingersoll
Clark Lea
Judith Sullivan
Boca Grande –
Gasparilla Inn Mallet Club
Sara Atherholt
Gail Barnett
Ginny Bell
Randy Bell
Tanny Clark
Lucy Commoner
Gay Darsie
Charles Davis
Sue Eddy
Roland Emanuel
Lisa Erdekian
Vah Erdekian
Louis Gilligan
Robbin Gilligan
John Guido
Katie Guido
John Handal
Margaret Handal
Steve Humphrey
MaryLou Humphrey
Marcia Knapp
Robert Knapp
Gap Kovach
Karen Kovach
Jeff Lehrian
Deborah Lilly
Genie Lyman
Dennis Maloomian
Loulie Mauran
Gina McFadden
Marty McFadden
James McGowan
Mary Ann McGowan
Eric Nelson
Libby Nelson
Barb Powers
Bruce Powers
Lucy Rose
Carol Smith
David Smith
Jeff Swift
Lizabeth Swift
Richard Taylor
Dan Wiggin
Linda Wiggin
Susan Zug
Thomas Zug
Delray Beach – At Large Member
Lee DiGiacomo
Wendy Stober
Delray Beach – St. Andrews Club
Laura Barney
Lake Wales –
Mountain Lake Croquet Club
Lisa Hatch
John Kell
Gabriella Maloof
Naples – Audubon Croquet
Association
Joelle Roussel
Anne Tews
Steven Tews
Morgen Tuerk
Naples – The Club Pelican Bay
Charles Kochakian
Susan Woodall
Newberry – At Large Member
Johannes Louw
Orlando –
The Country Club of Orlando
Richard Fender
Palm Beach – Everglades Club, Inc.
Jerry Bitting
Susan Connor
Phillip Fusz
Gib Harris
Pamela Harris
Mimi Matthews
Christy Pope
Roger Powers
Sonia Reese
Tom Wynne
Sophie Wynne
Palm Beach Gardens –
Croquet Club at PGA National
Karen Shea
Palm Coast –
Grand Haven Croquet Club
Mike Debitetto
Stacy Nelson
Ponte Vedra Beach –
The Club of Ponte Verda
Kathryn Fitzgibbons
Ponte Vedra Beach –
The Plantation of Ponte Vedra
Waleed Abdelrauf
Sebastian – At Large Member
Alexandre Mabred
Stuart –
Mariner Sands Country Club
Sheila Tincher
The Villages –
The Villages Croquet Club
Paul Badura
Lynn Dodd
Mary Lou Drake
Venice –
Sarasota County Croquet Club
John Leibert
Deborah Sanders
Arthur Schwartz
Vero beach – At Large Member
Sharon Harpin
William Harpin
Dawn Reichard
Vero Beach – The Moorings Club
Thomas Duff
Sara Duff
Vero Beach –
Vero Beach Country Club
Thomas Lobsitz
Robert Smith
West Palm Beach –
National Croquet Club
Mark Bailey
Ellie Bailey-Patterson
Bruce Berry
James Bowers
Hunter Craig
Jamie Dinan
Christopher Ford
Schuyler Ford
Marc Glasberg
Robert Glass
Patricia Gorman
Greg Hubert
Carl Johnson
Steve Johnson
Susan Johnson
Elizabeth Miller
Sandra Pew
Diane Rose
Robert Treuhold
Simone Williams
Winter Park –
Interlachen Country Club
Peter Maresco
GEORGIA
Sky Valley – Sky Valley Club, Inc.
C. Martin Greene
KENTUCKY
Morehead – At Large Member
Dean Rowland
MASSACHUSETTS
Sandwich –
Sandwich Croquet Club
Carolyn Sartory
Thomas Sartory
MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor – At Large Member
John Kwant
MISSISSIPPI
Jackson –
The Country Club of Jackson
Michael Kavanaugh
NEW CLUBS
Belfair | Bluffton, South Carolina
Texas A&M University | College Station, Texas
NEW JERSEY
Spring Lake – Green Gables
Croquet Club
Sheila Goggins
NORTH CAROLINA
Bald Head Island – Bald Head
Island Croquet Club
Susan Kelly
Tim Kelly
Harrison Locke
Cashiers – High Hampton
Ann Wrobleski
Sam Yocum
Charlotte – At Large Member
Claude Moorman III
Highlands –Wildcat Cliffs Country Club, Inc
Ryan Clark
Pinehurst –
Pinehurst Croquet Club
Charles Rivers
Mary Rivers
Eric Vanderpool
Jenna Vanderpool
Pittsboro –
Fearrington Swim & Croquet Club
Deborah Thornton
Southport – The Clubs at St James
Jesse Camacho
Lisa Kombrink
Helene Mawyer
Catherine Miller
Michael Miller
Winston-Salem –
Arbor Acres Croquet
Donald Eppert
OKLAHOMA
Bartlesville –
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Luka Nettleton
Evan Rogers
Asher Scantlin
Lane Wyatt
SOUTH CAROLINA
Aiken –
Green Boundary Croquet Club
Nina Milton
Bluffton – Belfair
Jill Bronsky
Diane Robinson
Charleston – Bishop Gadsden
Elsa McDowell
Dataw Island –Croquet Club of Dataw Island
Jayne Krebs
Bill Krebs
TEXAS
College Station –
Texas A&M University
Seth Allen
Miahna Fallentine
Maggie Kenjura
Austin Ratcliff
Houston –
Houston Croquet Association
Joan Mauel
US VIRGIN ISLANDS
Christiansted –
Bombay Mallet & Wicket Croquet Club
Frank Colangelo
John Heppe
VERMONT
Manchester –Ekwanok Country Club
Mark Tatusko
A Matter of Time
By Jeff SooAbbreviations used: blUe, Red, blacK, Yellow
A couple of issues back, we looked at an end-game “puzzle,” where the goal was to make the most of a small lead in last turns. Games often finish with this type of puzzle, making the end game a distinctly fun and interesting subset of American Six-Wicket tactics. That’s equally true for the opponent, who may need to make a desperation shot at a wicket or at a boundary ball from long range and may still need more good play if the shot works. It’s fun to take on such shots knowing that, given the situation, it is tactically correct to do so. And, on those rare occasions when the play succeeds and you snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, you won’t soon forget it.
But there’s a different type of end game that players outside Championship Flight rarely experience: winning by finishing (i.e. staking out with both balls to score 26 points and win the game outright). The usual 75- to 90-minute time limit isn’t enough for most players to get that far. Indeed, a remarkable number of players have never staked out even one ball, nor had much, if any, experience of rover play.
Figure 1 shows a Championship Flight game with a tie score and UK is making a break with U and is ball-in-hand on K at 4-back.
Both balls are for this wicket and UK had hoped to peel K, which is three-ball dead, but has failed to rush it into peeling position. When U scores 4-back, UK will have a one-point lead. What is UK’s best chance of winning from this position? As usual, the reader is encouraged to think through some possible plays before reading on.
Thoughtful readers may notice that I just asked a trick question (I’m writing this on April Fool’s Day, after all) because I’ve left out one vital piece of information: the amount of time left on the game clock. If U is first ball in last turns or is about to become so, UK is in the driver’s seat, and without too much difficulty can get to a very strong position. (Can you think of what this play might look like? I’ll give my answer later in the article.)
But if more time is on the clock, enough that R is assured of being able to play a shot before time runs out, it is a very different picture and UK is faced with difficult choices. What should you do if you know R will have at least one minute to play after U’s turn ends? Would you give the same answer if R had at least five minutes?
To understand UK’s dilemma, consider RY’s situation. If U scores at least two more points on this turn, which it can easily do, R must score a point to give RY any chance of winning (Y is a rover ball and can only score one point for itself). But if R can play a turn before time runs out, Y will have a chance to pick up K (or play a croquet-out) and set R for the winning three-ball break. That’s true even if U stakes out on this turn for a four-point lead. (Yes, U could stake out Y, but that is a chancy play to pull off from this position.) The more time RY has to join up and set a rush for Y, the stronger RY’s position becomes.
First let’s look at what UK should do if U can run out the clock on the turn in Figure 2
U has simply finished its break, leaving R behind at penult, then placing K hidden from R, before staking out (hence the traditional indication of “box” as where to place U’s clip). R must roquet Y and then score at least three points on this turn, a desperately hard play. (If you’ve never made the Figure 2 leave before, practice it, starting from the Figure 1 position: with two wickets and the stake as possible obstacles, it is quite easy to get R wired from K.)
If U can’t run out the clock and R can fire off a shot before time is called, this play probably still gives UK the advantage, but far from the overwhelming advantage UK would have if R doesn’t get that extra turn. If there’s only a minute or so left when R starts its turn, R should try to give Y an in-court rush, so that Y can attack. K should then play into corner IV (taking care to get right into the corner) to make R’s pickup from a croquet-out as difficult as possible.
And the more time on the clock, the stronger RY’s position becomes. The beauty of having extra time for the end game is that it encourages players to go for the finish, adding another dimension to the game. For example, with a lot of time left in the game, U might try for the position in Figure 3 instead: That is, score 4-back, rush K back into position, take off to R, then score penult and retire to corner IV. U might be able to wire R from K while approaching penult, but if not, it is worth taking the
deadness on R to get the wiring right (or to send R much farther from K). Even with the wiring this position still gives a slight advantage to RY, but with more time in the game it is essential for UK to get K clear. This makes for a much more interesting end game than the Figure 2 scenario.
Alternatively, U can attack to set up a potential finishing break for K, by placing K in position and scoring penult as in Figure 4, but then rushing R toward corner II and picking up Y:
Of course, this gives R a choice of shots. Y is deliberately placed well east of penult to avoid giving R too short a shot. (UK could swap the positions of Y and U, giving a better chance of wiring the penult pioneer from R, but at the cost of making it nearly impossible for K to finish and quite hard for K to make a strong leave.) Even if R hits, the position isn’t as strong for RY as it might seem; R needs some good play to pick up a break, and UK will get a clearance if R scores 1-back but then breaks down. If R misses, K will try for the finish. But if K can’t get U into good position for the rover peel, K can try for a leave analogous to the Figure 2 leave (except with U in better position at rover).
A great way to increase the chance of getting to this kind of extended end game is to play the 14-point game. This is an official American Six-Wicket variation, in which 4 is the clearing wicket and a ball becomes a rover after scoring 6. With a time limit in the 60-75 minute range, players have a good chance to experience rover tactics and to finish games by staking out both balls, and this includes non-Championship players. I had the opportunity to play this version of the game at the 2023 President’s Matches, the American-Rules prelude to the Solomon Trophy. It is not just a shorter game with quicker breaks and hence less waiting, but also one where two-ball breaks become more of a threat. Plus, the clearing at 4 tends to reward more aggressive play. Give it a try!
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The Upside of Making Mistakes on the Croquet Lawn
By Cheryl BromleyWhen we play croquet, we are obviously trying to keep our mistakes to a minimum, but unfortunately, they creep in from time to time. If we can maintain a positive outlook, we can see the upside to making a mistake, which is — hindsight.
During a game, a mistake can be a mental error or an unfortunate result of a shot we’ve just taken. The good news is, that these kinds of moments present scenarios we can work on and improve, which might actually lead us to discovering a new tactic or trying a different technique.
• Mental errors essentially are caused by a loss of focus. Loss of focus can occur because:
• Not hydrating or eating properly before, during or after a match
• Not getting enough rest before or after a match
• Rushing and not considering various options before taking a shot and/or being uncommitted to the shot
• Inexperience
• Negative self-talk
Shot execution mistakes can happen for basic reasons such as:
• Not using a pre-shot routine consistently for each shot
• Not considering or playing a higher percentage shot instead of attempting one that is clearly not beneficial to the situation
• Peeking or looking up too soon when striking the ball
• Overhitting or underhitting
• Setting up too close to the opponent ball
• Lack of practice
How to Positively Turn It Around During a Game
Using the examples above, you can do several things while playing a game to get back on track. Below are just a few simple solutions.
1. At a minimum, stay hydrated. This means being prepared ahead of time with a water bottle that you have courtside. When you feel something slipping away, take a few sips of water while your opponent is hitting their shot to give yourself a mini-break and reset.
2. Commit to your shot and positively tell yourself that you can make it. Hindsight will reveal whether it was the best tactic or technique, and this information can be tucked away for future reference in the game or for an upcoming practice session.
3. Pay attention. Each shot you hit provides valuable feedback. Each player you play against allows you to learn new things.
4. Get over it quickly. This means that, yes, you need to acknowledge your error and even though you may not be happy about what just occurred, work on disciplining yourself to quickly dispense of it and focus on the next shot at hand.
5. Remember, it’s never over until it’s over. You always have a fighting chance to get back into a match. Stay positive and encourage yourself to hang in there! Momentum can change and swing back in your favor. No one makes 100 percent of their shots 100 percent of the time!
GC Scenarios: When to Play it Smart and When to Take a Risk
Scenario 1: It is Blue to shoot, and it is quite a distance from the hoop with Red set up nearby. If Blue sets up in front of the hoop, Red will clear it away on the next shot. If Blue sets up behind Red, Red will clear it and send it down the lawn to the other end.
The smarter choice is to set up toward the side near the “short” boundary leaving itself a potential hoop shot but not being as much of a juicy target for Red.
Scenario 2: It is Blue to shoot, and even though it is a difficult distance from the hoop, its partner Black is farther away and not in a good position to help. Clearing the Red danger ball still leaves Yellow with an upcoming hoop shot. In this case, it is wise for Blue to take a risk and try to score the hoop as it is outnumbered with two opponent balls in scoring position to only one for the Blue/ Black team.
USCA Florida SE District GC Championship
March 22-24, 2024
National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, Florida
Championship Flight
01. Ahab Abdelwahab
02. Lynda Sudderberg
03. Bruce Hindin
04. Tate Russack
05. Conrad Rugart
05. Cami Russack
05. Linda Merk
05. John Strasser
09. David McCoy
First Flight
01. Michael Kolowich
02. Rich Rose
03. Franck Meunier
04. Sarah Persons
05. Gay Cinque
05. Neill Trimble
05. Diane Rose
05. Richard Allen
09. Sheila Peterson
USCA Club Teams
March 14-17, 2024
National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, Florida
Lyons Trophy
Division 1 - Houston Croquet Association
Division 2 - Belleair Croquet Club
Division 3 - West River Wickets
Championship Flight
01. Bob Van Tassell/Dick Sullivan
02. John Brown/Robert Pulitzer
03. Danny Huneycutt/Bev Cardo
03. Randy Cardo/Kevin Hansley
05. John Young/Doug Moore
05. Jim Erwin/Lucas Van Alen
First Flight
01. Ron Eccles/Jeanne Branthover
02. Brand Shank/Lori Matway
03. John Warlick/Steve Tasker
03. John Craddock/Mary Craddock
05. Jim Watrous/Frank LaValla
05. Charles Alexander/Tim McCormick
05. Mark Ski/Cheryl Harders
05. Larry Lynch/Karen Heckman
09. John Grabow/Missy Chilton
10. Richard Carlson/Stuart Baker
10. Vickie Johnston/Craig Coats
10. Lee Hamel/Bass Wallace
Second
Flight
01. Richard Brinkley/Michael Jeary
02. Penny Pressler/Charlotte Pulitzer
03. Alex Galasso/Priscilla Flowers
03. Jeanette Hodgkins/Chris Hodgkins
05. George Claffey/Rita McNamara
05. Jeffery Scholz/David Beccia
05. Boyd Parker/Joe Leary
05. Allison Worthington/Richard Corey
09. Bill Sadowski/Anne Licursi
10. Gail Warlick/Flavia Logie
10. Rick Hayes/Liddy Chaney
10. Sonia Alexandra/Linda Merk
Third Flight
01. Don Chapoton/Mary Jo Chapoton
02. Jay Graham/Stephen Graham
03. Eileen Cornacchia/Laura Warner
03. Donald Kent/Nancy Hunt
05. Anthony Sessa/Donna Sessa
05. Donna Hamel/Jackie Wallace
05. Dan Lawrence/Pat Richmond
05. Jessica Beccia/Judy McDermott
09. Susan Koepp/Susan Sergeant
10. John Morgan/Ralph Worthington
10. Tom Hadlock/Ralph Confessore
10. Maude Carter/Mathilde Hoefer
USCA Croquet Week GC Tournament March 8-10, 2024
National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, Florida
Championship Flight
01. Chris Barley
02. Tate Russack
03. James Welch
03. Cami Russack
05. James Podraza
05. John Strasser
05. Bo Prillaman
05. Jay Carey
09. Caryl Firth - Plate Winner
10. David McCoy
11. Jim Sansalone
11. Daniel Horton
13. Alex Galasso
13. John Warlick
First Flight
01. Juan Milciunas
02. Spike Gonzales
03. Jeff Smith
03. Conrad Rugart
05. Mary Churchill
05. Pamela Groh
05. Lynda Bjorklund
05. George Claffey
09. Vicky Naranjo - Plate Winner
10. Asher Scantlin
11. Mary Churchill
11. Fred Heald
13. Wendall Thompson
13. Nicholas Capobianco
13. Franck Meunier
13. Luka Nettleton
Second Flight
01. Bob Smith
02. Tom Eggleston
03. Steve Fisher
03. Richard Rendleman
05. Richard Hayes
05. Trudy Crowetz
05. Susu Day
05. Lee Robinson
09. Jane Louise Smith - Plate Winner
10. Susie Day
11. Nancy Sansalone
11. Lynn Foley
13. Gregory Presley
13. Joyce Eggleston
15. Stanley Fisher
15. Bess Gallanis
15. Thomas Wilson
15. Jane Grandusky
Sarasota County CC 6W Club Singles
March 8-10, 2024
Sarasota County Croquet Club
Venice, Florida
Championship Flight
01. Neil Houghton
02. Matt Griffith
03. Gene Raymond
03. Donald Parker
05. Bob Worrell
05. Arthur Olsen
07. Walt Janitz
First Flight
01. Roger Vorraber
02. Sandy Janitz
03. Ellie Griffith
04. Ken Deason
04. George Quallich
06. Christine Smith
07. Christof Weihs
08. Cathleen Rivers-Carroll
Second Flight
01. Mervyn Harvey
02. Dean Ricci
03. Rusty Rose
04. Bob Taber
04. Karen Weihs
04. Katie Bull
07. Lester Taufen
Third Flight
01. Linda Taber
02. Kathie Hart
03. Debbie Martin
04. Connie Coling
04. J.R. Rowell
06. Toni Marie Gelineau
06. Pauline Harvey
Blaine Davis Invitational
February 29 - March 3, 2024
Gasparilla Croquet Club
Boca Grande, Florida
Championship Flight
01. Matt Griffith
02. Lynda Sudderberg
03. Oakley Johnson
04. Conrad Rugart
05. Donald Parker
06. Stephen Grassbaugh
07. Jodie Rugart
07. Bob Worrell
First Flight
01. Cecil Creasey
02. Karen Heckman
03. John Joseph
04. Christof Weihs
05. Ted Welsh
06. Bob Bake
07. Christine Smith
07. Rob Franks
Second Flight
01. Lauren Trowell
02. Jennifer Joseph
03. Lauren Weihs
04. Katie Bull
05. Kathie Hart
05. Steve Brink
07. Susan Creasey
Steuber Classic
February 28 - March 3, 2024
National Croquet Center
West Palm Beach, Florida
American 6W
Championship Flight Singles
01. Bob Van Tassell
02. Dick Sullivan
03. Danny Huneycutt
04. Randy Cardo
05. Scott Spradling
06. Norris Settlemyre
07. David Ekstrom
08. Kevin Hansley
09. Jim Erwin
10. Randy Reid
First Flight Singles
01. Nancy Crouch
02. Mark Ski
03. Yen Sullivan
04. Yvette Donato Selby
05. Steve Thurston
06. Ron Eccles
07. Jeff Morrison
08. Anne Frost Robinson
Second Flight Singles
01. Carl Archiniaco
02. David Kepner
03. George Claffey
04. Richard Hayes
05. Jan Fisher
06. Melissa Nelson
07. Sonia Alexandra
08. Ralph Worthington
Championship Waterford Doubles
01. Jeff Morrison
02. Nancy Crouch
03. Dick Sullivan
04. Steve Thurston
05. David Ekstrom
06. Bob Van Tassell
07. Macey White
08. Scott Spradling
09. Mark Ski
10. Doug Moore
11. Norris Settlemyre
12. Jim Erwin
First Flight Waterford Doubles
01. Yvette Donato Selby
02. Allison Worthington
03. Rick Hayes
04. George Claffey
05. Jan Fisher
06. Ralph Worthington
07. Alex Galasso
08. David Kepner
09. Anne Frost Robinson
10. Dick Corey
11. Melissa Nelson
12. Yen Sullivan
Golf Croquet Championship Flight Singles
01. Tamer Hatata
02. Macey White
03. Adam Barr
04. Christopher Olsen
05. Marc Stearns
06. Amr Hamdy
07. Billy Harper
08. James Creasey
09. Jim Jamison
10. Kendall Hendrick
11. Bev Cardo
12. Daniel Horton
First Flight Singles
01. Chris Morris
02. Tom Lindley
03. Bill Simmons
04. David McCoy
05. Alex Galasso
06. Ned Sperry
07. Cami Russack
08. Laura Hendrick
09. Dick Corey
10. Suzanne Spradling
11. Barbara Jamison
12. Brian Brittain
Second Flight Singles
01. Michael Kolowich
02. Mike Hoggatt
03. Don Allison
04. Janet Allison
05. Mary Galasso
06. Doug Moore
07. Linda Merk
08. Jay Carey
09. Mary Carol Stearns
10. Phil Robinson
11. Holly Sperry
12. Bess Gallanis
Championship Waterford Doubles
01. Daniel Horton
02. Laura Hendrick
03. James Creasey
04. Randy Cardo
05. Adam Barr
06. David McCoy
07. Amr Hamdy
08. Ned Sperry
09. Tom Cooper
10. Carl Archiniaco
11. Bev Cardo
12. Jim Jamison
13. Billy Harper
14. Cami Russack
15. Kendall Hendrick
16. Chris Olsen
First Flight Waterford Doubles
01. Michael Kolowich
02. Mike Hoggatt
03. Ron Eccles
04. Tom Lindley
05. Linda Merk
06. Brian Brittain
07. Holly Sperry
08. Chris Morris
09. Jay Carey
10. Mary Galasso
11. Bill Simmons
12. Barbara Jamison
13. Suzanne Spradling
14. Bess Gallanis
Mission Hills Invitational
February 27 - March 2, 2024
Mission Hills Country Club
Rancho Mirage, California
Championship Flight
01. Steve Scalpone
02. Patrick Sweeney
03. Peter Bach
03. Donna Dixon
05. Mary Rodeberg
05. John Watson
07. George Peterkin
First Flight
01. Charlotte Pulitzer
02. Penny Pressler
03. Nick Gray
03. Bill Sullivan
05. Georgia Carter
05. Lee Hamel
Second Flight
01. Tish Peterkin
02. Spencer Hood
03. David Collins
03. Doris Priddle
05. Donna Wilson Hamel
05. Nora Watson
Championship Doubles
01. George Peterkin/John Watson
02. Peter Bach/Tracey Roche
03. Donna Dixon/Bill Sullivan
03. Patrick Sweeney/Lee Hamel
First Flight Doubles
01. Georgia Carter/Tish Peterkin
02. Doris Priddle/Ted Kalmon
03. Penny Pressler/Charlotte Pulitzer
03. David Collins/Spencer Hood
05. Marty Ormsby/Ray Ogden
05. Donna Hamel/Nora Watson
Grand Haven Loggerhead Open GC Tournament
February 24-25, 2024
Grand Haven Croquet Club
Palm Coast, Florida Championship Flight
01. Macey White
02. Gary Gamble
03. Dorothy Silliman
04. Nanct Crouch
05. Tate Russack
06. Steve Thurston
07. Anne Killilea
08. Cami Russack
First Flight
01. Jim Hester
02. Kathie Gamble
03. Howard Chodak
04. Linda Merk
05. Susu Day
06. Kevin Killilea
07. George Claffey
08. Dana Silliman
09. Lynda Bjorklund
10. Craig Sellner
11. David Paukovich
12. Susie Day
13. Lisa Chodak
14. Judy Sellner
GC Shootout | February 23-25, 2024
Sarasota County Croquet Club
Venice, Florida
Championship A Flight
01. Adam Barr
02. J. Billie Ray
02. Gene Raymond
04. Peter Carlin
04. Kendall Hendrick
06. Mervyn Harvey
06. Jose Benjumea
08. Christof Weihs
Championship B Flight
01. Michael Kukla
02. Doug Ledgett
03. Diane Walker
03. Bill Simmons
05. Joe Fairbanks
05. Sally Mills
07. Brian Brittain
08. John Rymer
First Flight A
01. Gene Lockard
02. Graydon Bell
02. Sandy Janitz
02. Christine Smith
05. Roger Vorraber
05. Karen Weihs
05. Pauline Harvey
08. Bob Merritt
First Flight B
01. Lee Robinson
02. Debbie Martin
03. Penn Pendleton
04. Judy Carlin
04. Rita McNamara
04. Jon Ayers
04. Alex Feinstein
08. Carl Caruso
Second Flight
01. Walt Janitz
02. John E Walker
03. Bob Taber
03. Katie Bull
05. Gillian Merritt
06. Arlene Stevens
06. Linda Kemerer
08. Jane Crossland
Third Flight
01. Kathie Hart
02. Matthew St. Hilaire
03. Robert Ferraro
04. Jason Collins
04. Linda Taber
06. Russell Grace
06. Theresa Chick
08. William Jackson
West Indies Invitational
February 15-18, 2024
St. Croix Tennis Club
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Championship Flight
01. Ron Eccles/Tyson Roberts
02. Dan Lawrence/Gail Warlick
03. Doug Moore/Karen Heckman
03. John Warlick/Cheryl Harders
First Flight
01. Whitney Young/Nancy Hasoon
02. Flavia Logie/John Heppe
03. Ann Margret Nagel-Gutierrez/James Gutierrez
03. Pat Richmond/Jessica Cuyler
05. Carla Rueck/Norma Jean Brent
05. Perry Sheraw/Tony B. Tender
2024 Sarasota CCC Club 6W Doubles
February 9-11, 2024
Sarasota County Croquet Club
Venice, Florida
Championship Flight
01. Walt Janitz/Michael Kukla
02. Matt Griffith/Lynda Sudderberg
02. Webster Bull/Gene Raymond
04. Arthur Olsen/Robert Worrell
First Flight
01. Ellie Griffith/Bob Gelineau
02. Roger Vorraber/Christine Smith
03. Brand Shank/Lori Matway
04. Ken Deason/Sue Williams
04. George Quallich/Christof Weihs
04. Lee Anderson/Rita McNamara
04. Sandy Janitz/Kathleen Rivers-Carroll
08. Nancy Hart/Trudy Harris
Second Flight
01. Mervyn Harvey/Rusty Rose
02. Robert Merritt/Gillian Merritt
03. Bob Taber/Linda Taber
04. Dean Ricci/Shirley Ricci
04. Linda Orff/Debbie Martin
04. Katie Bull/Kathie Hart
04. Toni Marie Gelineau/Connie Coling
08. Camilia Monteforte/Nona McGinnis
Flagler Cup
February 3-4, 2024
Grand Haven Croquet Club
Palm Coast, Florida
Championship Singles
01. Macey White
02. Brian Zindel
03. Nancy Crouch
04. Michael Kukla
05. William Todd
06. Steve Thurston
07. John Curington
First Flight Singles
01. Gary Gamble
02. Howard Chodak
03. James Podraza
04. David Paukovich
05. Devin Burress
06. Noreen Rice
07. Bill Sims
The Beach Club Invitational
February 1-4, 2024
The Beach Club
Palm Beach, Florida
Championship Singles
01. John Brown
02. David Isaacs
03. Tom Cooper
03. Preston Stuart
05. Randy Cardo
05. David Ekstrom
05. Bev Cardo
05. Alex Muradian
09. Michael Todorovich
09. Robert Pulitzer
09. David McCoy
09. Thomas Hughes
09. Randy Reid
09. Bill Hartmann
09. Linda Trifone
09. Ron Eccles
17. Jim Erwin
17. Mary Rodeberg
First Flight Singles
01. George Peterkin
02. Yvette Donato Selby
03. Mark Ski
03. John Craddock
05. Courtney Green
05. John Watson
05. Thomas Tribby
05. John Grabow
09. Jeanne Branthover
09. David Kemper
11. Sally McGrath
11. Richard Carlson
Second Flight Singles
01. Cheryl Harders
02. Jan Fisher
03. Georgia Carter
03. Jane Casey
05. Karen Heckman
05. Penny Pressler
05. Richard Corey
05. Richard Hayes
09. Danna Huneycutt
09. John McGrath
11. Anne Carr
11. Joe Leary
Whisky & Wickets
5-STAR LUXURY CROQUET TRIPS IN SCOTLAND
6 days/5 nights
June 10-15
July 15-20
$9,950
Castles, kilts and bagpipers, Georgian streets and Gothic alleys are all part of the vitality and romance of Edinburgh. We’ll scour the city for the best Cranachan, experience 6 days of croquet, fine dining and luxurious accommodations; enjoy tours of an Iron Age Fort, the 900yr old Edinburgh Castle and 3 of the oldest distilleries in the land. Stay in the Edwardian splendour of the Balmoral Hotel and the 5-Star luxury of the Gleneagles resort.
Tour the Royal Yacht Britannia and spend an unforgettable night aboard her sistership MV Fingal. Play croquet at Gleneagles, the Meadows Croquet Club and the National Croquet Centre of Scotland; then wrap all this up with a fun Roaring ’20s Awards Ceremony and dinner. Door-to-door by Range Rover. All proceeds support our work with Special Olympics. Limit 4 - 8 guests.
Third Flight Singles
01. Charlotte Pulitzer
02. Kathleen Green
03. Alex Galasso
03. David Beccia
05. Alan Lazarescu
05. Kit Detering
07. Mary Craddock
Fourth Flight Singles
01. Carl Detering
02. Scott McMurray
03. Tish Peterkin
03. Jessica Beccia
05. Nora Watson
05. Fei Fei Williams
Championship Waterford Doubles
01. David Ekstrom
02. Mark Ski
03. Preston Stuart
04. Ron Eccles
05. David Isaacs
06. John Brown
07. Courtney Green
08. George Peterkin
09. Tom Cooper
To register or for more information: info@JiminyWicket.org
10. Bev Cardo
11. Alex Muradian
12. John Watson
13. Randy Cardo
14. Thomas Hughes
15. Mary Rodeberg
16. Jeanne Branthover
17. Robert Pulitzer
18. Jim Erwin
19. Bill Hartmann
20. Vickie Johnston
21. David McCoy
22. Linda Trifone
First Flight Waterford Doubles
01. Sally McGrath
02. Danna Huneycutt
03. Richard Carlson
04. Karen Heckman
05. John Grabow
06. David Kepner
07. Jan Fisher
08. Missy Chilton
09. Thomas Tribby
10. Anne Carr
11. John Craddock
12. Cheryl Harders
Second Flight Waterford Doubles
01. Allison Worthington
02. Alex Galasso
03. Penny Pressler
04. Joe Leary
05. John McGrath
06. Jane Casey
07. Richard Hayes
08. Kathleen Green
09. Richard Corey
10. Georgia Carter
11. Alex Lazarescu
Third Flight Waterford Doubles
01. Kit Detering
02. Carl Detering
03. Charlotte Pulitzer
04. Mary Ann Mathys
05. Eileen Cornacchia
06. Tish Peterkin
07. Scott McMurray
08. Nora Watson
09. Mary Craddock
10. Jessica Beccia
11. David Beccia
©2024 Jiminy Wicket The Croquet Lawn at Gleneagles Resort Edradour Distillery est.18252024 Jones Invitational
January 25-28, 2024
Sarasota County Croquet Club
Venice, Florida
Championship Flight
01. Rodney Lassiter
02. Matt Griffith
03. Gene Raymond
04. Lynda Sudderberg
05. Bob Worrell
06. Arthur Olsen
07. Matt Smith
07. Brian Hovis
First Flight
01. Brian Zindel
02. Robert Gannon
03. Linda Trifone
04. Oakley Johnson
05. Stephen Grassbaugh
05. Ron Millican
07. Mary Rodeberg
07. Deborah Millican
Second Flight
01. Roger Vorraber
02. John Steninger
03. Bob Gelineau
04. William Todd
05. David Kepner
05. Ken Deason
07. Ellie Griffith
07. Sally McGrath
Third Flight
01. Steve Berry
02. Christof Weihs
03. George Quallich
04. Sandy Janitz
05. Jan Fisher
05. Stephen Jackson
07. Christine Smith
07. Dean Ricci
Fourth Flight
01. Rusty Rose
02. Bob Taber
03. Richard Hayes
04. Robert Funk
05. Mervyn Harvey
06. John McGrath
07. Judith McKeon
Fifth Flight
01. Karen Weihs
02. Shirley Ricci
03. Ellen Goldener
04. Todd Marshall
05. Linda Orff
06. Linda Taber
06. Kathleen Lomas
DNF Mark Klein
Sixth Flight
01. Cynthia Chess
02. Kathie Hart
03. Jeffery Cohen
04. Kathleen Bull
05. Debbie Martin
05. Alex Feinstein
07. Lynn Lomas
07. Cindy Duranko
May
05/02/24 - 05/05/24
USCA Southeast Regional 6W Championship| US
Pinehurst Country Club | Pinehurst, NC
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
05/02/24 - 05/05/24
USCA Florida 6W Regional | US
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
05/07/24 - 06/30/24
Stingray Golf Croquet Tournament | GC
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Macey W White | 804-694-9771 maceywhite@gmail.com
05/09/24 - 05/12/24
NC Open AC | AC
Pinehurst Country Club | Pinehurst, NC
Mike Taylor | 910-986-3343 | mrtaylor1022@gmail.com
05/16/24 - 05/19/24
Croquet by The Bay 6W | US
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Macey W White | 804-694-9771 maceywhite@gmail.com
05/16/24 - 05/19/24
Texas State Championship 6W | US
Memorial Park | Houston, TX
Paul Chan | 713-864-1120 | chanpaul@swbell.net
05/24/24 - 05/27/24
Indian Territory Open | US & GC
LaFortune Park | Tulsa, OK
Bob Baker | 918-688-7777 | bobbaker688@gmail.com
05/30/24 - 06/02/24
USCA 9W National Championship | 9W
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
June
06/01/24
National Croquet Day Your Club
06/06/24 - 06/09/24
Albemarle GC Invitational | GC Albemarle Croquet Club | Belvidere, NC Adam Lassiter | 252-326-1231 adamllassiter@gmail.com
06/07/24 - 06/09/24
Western NC GC Open | GC Highlands Falls Country Club | Highlands, NC Lynda Bjorklun | 407-273-8835 | lyndab.nc@gmail.com
, Our most popular custom hand made mallet by George Wood, of New Zealand, & largest quality mallet producer in the world! Choose 10 or even more options for your custom personal mallet which we then send to your door with FREE AIR SHIPPING in 8 –10 days.
DEMO DAYS
We have lots of mallets for you to “Try & Buy” at our Boca Grande, Florida location. Or contact us if you would like to hold a free Demo Day at your club.
06/12/24 - 06/15/24
USCA Western 6W Regional | US
Denver Croquet Club - Washington Park | Denver, CO
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
06/13/24 - 06/16/24
NC State Singles Championship 6W | US Albemarle Croquet Club | Belvidere, NC Mike Taylor | 910-986-3343 | mrtaylor1022@gmail.com
06/13/24 - 06/16/24
Woodlawn Invitational 6W | US Woodlawn Croquet Program | Ellsworth, ME Perry A Mattson | 207-667-9335 newburyneckshore@gmail.com
06/13/24 - 06/16/24
ScissorTail Championship 6W | US Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club | Nichols Hills, OK Suzanne Spradling | 405-590-7264 sshawsprad@cox.net
06/20/24 - 06/23/24
Berkshire Invitational 6W | US Lenox Croquet Club | Lenox, MA Stuart Lawrence | 646-483-3000 | plus26tp@gmail.com
06/20/24 - 06/23/24
USCA Midwest 6W Regional | US
Memorial Park & The Bayou Club | Houston, TX Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
SIZES & SHAPES of our mallets are now available to TRY & BUY at Macey White’s Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club Hartfield, VA maceywhite@gmail.com
06/21/24 - 06/23/24
NY State GC Championship | GC
New York Croquet Club | New York City, NY
Mark Ski | 917-494-8827 | markski125@gmail.com
06/27/24 - 06/30/24
Greenwich Invitational | US
Greenwich Croquet Club | Greenwich, CT
Bill Miller | 203-530-6788 | billmiller8@snet.net
July
07/04/24 - 07/07/24
Rockfish GC Tournament | GC
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Macey White | 804-694-9771 | maceywhite@gmail.com
07/14/24 - 08/30/24
CBCC Summer Challenge GC | GC
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Macey White | 804-694-9771 | maceywhite@gmail.com
07/20/24 - 07/21/24
Massachusetts State 6W Tournament | US
Hazelwood Park & Community Center | New Bedford, MA
Courtney Green | 978-407-3553 cgreen@begleycompanies.com
07/25/24 - 07/28/24
USCA North Carolina Club Teams GC | GC
Grandfather Golf & Country Club, Linville Ridge, Linville Golf Club | Linville, NC
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
August
08/01/24 - 08/04/24
Buffalo Invitational 6W | US
Buffalo Croquet Club | Buffalo, NY
Robert Gannon | 716-432-1500 thehangmen@msn.com
08/08/24 - 08/11/24
Vacationland Golf Croquet Tournament | GC
Woodlawn Croquet Program | Ellsworth, ME
Tim McCormick | 207-329-5343 | tmccorm1@gmail.com
08/09/24 - 08/11/24
Rochester Invitational 6W | US
Rochester Croquet Club | Rochester, NY
Denise Ireland | 585-287-4531 hutchisondenise@gmail.com
08/16/24 - 08/18/24
The Prosser Cup GC | GC
Ocean House Mallet Club | Watch Hill, RI
Patricia K Spratt | 860-227-7297 | psprattct@aol.com
08/30/24 - 09/02/24
Tulsa Classic | US & GC
LaFortune Park | Tulsa, OK
Bob Baker | 918-688-7777 | bobbaker688@gmail.com
September
09/04/24 - 09/08/24
Woodlawn Big Lobster 6W & 9W | US & 9W
Woodlawn Croquet Program | Ellsworth, ME
Perry A Mattson | 207-667-9335 newburyneckshore@gmail.com
09/12/24 - 09/15/24
Blue Crab 6W Tournament | US
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Macey White | 804-694-9771 | maceywhite@gmail.com
09/12/24 - 09/15/24
Osborn Cup 6W | US
New York Croquet Club | New York City, NY
Mark Ski | 917-494-8827 | markski125@gmail.com
09/17/24 - 09/21/24
USCA Selection Eights AC | AC
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
09/20/24 - 09/21/24
Merion Cricket Club 6W & GC Interclub | US & GC
Merion Cricket Club | Haverford, PA
Whitney Thain | 610-642-5800 | wthain@merioncricket.com
09/25/24 - 09/29/24
Pinehurst Invitational 6W | US
Pinehurst Country Club | Pinehurst, NC
Elaine Moody | 910-986-3164 | halliburton_2@msn.com
09/27/24 - 09/29/24
Cape Cod 6W Invitational | US
Sandwich Croquet Club | East Sandwich, MA
Kathleen Green | 617-877-1879 | kmcginnis94@gmail.com
October
10/01/24 - 11/30/24
Autumn GC Challenge | GC
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Macey White | 804-694-9771 | maceywhite@gmail.com
10/01/24 - 11/05/24
USCA SE Regional GC Championship | GC
Linville Ridge, Linville Golf Club & Grandfather Linville, NC
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
10/06/24 - 10/12/24
USCA American 6W Nationals | US
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
10/08/24 - 10/09/24
USCA GC School | GC
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
10/13/24 - 10/16/24
WCF World GC Championship Qualifier | GC
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
10/14/24 - 10/16/24
Big Oyster GC Tournament | GC
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Macey White | 804-694-9771 | maceywhite@gmail.com
10/15/24 - 10/16/24
Association Laws Croquet School | AC
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
10/18/24 - 10/26/24
2024 World GC Championship | GC
Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
10/29/24 - 10/31/24
USCA American 6W School | US
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
10/31/24 - 11/03/24
PVCC Seahorse GC Tournament | GC
Ponte Vedra Croquet Club | Ponte Vedra, FL
Marc H Stearns | 562-762-5400 mstearns2@bellsouth.net
November
11/01/24 - 11/03/24
NCClub GC Doubles | GC
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Julia Johnston | 561-852-1413 | medstone100@me.com
11/06/24 - 11/10/24
USCA Seniors Masters 6W | US
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
11/15/24 - 11/17/24
Sharktooth GC | GC
Sarasota County Croquet Club | Venice, FL
Nancy Hart | 803-530-2035 | nh13sc@gmail.com
11/15/24 - 11/17/24
NCClub 6W Doubles Championship | US
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
11/21/24 - 11/24/24
USCA GC Masters Tournament | GC
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
December
12/03/24 - 12/03/24
USCA GC School | GC
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
12/06/24 - 12/08/24
USCA GC Club Teams | GC
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 tournament@uscroquet.com
12/11/24 - 12/12/24
Snowbirds & Flamingos GC | GC
National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL
Julia Johnston | 561-852-1413 | medstone100@me.com
12/13/24 - 12/15/24
Beach Club GC Invitational | GC
The Beach Club | Palm Beach, FL
Thomas Tribby | 561-308-9447 | thomastribby@gmail.com
USCA SCHOOLS
Our schools are taught by top USCA-certified instructors who are qualified and experienced players selected by our staff because of their croquet expertise and ability to communicate to those who wish to learn to play the game correctly. Students will have the opportunity to play croquet in a structured environment. Classes are small (8:1 or less student-to-teacher ratio) and are tailored to the specific playing levels of the participants.
AMERICAN 6W (3 days)
October 29, 2024
GOLF CROQUET (2 days)
October 8, 2024
December 3, 2024
ASSOCIATION (2 days) October 15, 2024
5 hours/day of on-court instruction
Use of equipment
Official Rulebook (New A6W or GC members
USCA Shot-making Manual (1st time A6W)) Daily
Certificate of Completion & Photograph Wine and Cheese Graduation Party.
Gryphon
2-piece travel shaft mallet
• easily fits in a suitcase
• assembles effortlessly in seconds
• no tools
• alignment pin keeps ever ything in perfect position
• ergonomic design
• reduces hyper-extension of wrist joints
• allows for relaxed grip
• single or double bend for different grip styles
• bigger back swing for greater control