2021 Croquet News Volume 4: Strong Comeback by uscacroquetnews

2021 Volume 4

CroquetNews The Official Magazine

of the United States Croquet Association

STRONG COMEBACK USCA's Fall Championships Attract High Entries

GC NATIONALS | AMERICAN SIX WICKET NATIONALS | FLORIDA 9W REGIONAL MIDWEST REGIONAL | MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL | SANDRA KNUTH

CroquetNews

courtside

2021 Volume 4

On The Cover

Jeff Soo's photo of the trophy table at the 2021 USCA Golf Croquet National Championship held at the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club.

Publisher

Dylan Goodwin | croquetnetwork@gmail.com

Managing Editor

Julie Jantzer-Ward | uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com

Art Director

Brandy Ferguson | www.wildfirecreativeco.com

Why Play? I have just returned from competing in the 2021 USCA Selection Eights (Association Croquet) in Florida. This event has been contested since 2004 and offers players continuous games over four days in a double round robin format. Congratulations to the winners: Zack Watson from Mount Jackson, Va., (First Eight), Thomas Balding from Shirley, N.Y. (Second Eight), Macey White from Hartfield, Va., (Third Eight), tied winners David Ekstrom from Pittsfield, Mass., and Brett Stovall from Jekyll Island, Ga., (Fourth Eight). After my lack of practice and preparation (rust) was thoroughly exposed with poor results, I was struck with a strange dichotomy, which for many competitors in many sports, would not be present. Despite the game outcomes, I was still enjoying the participation in competitive games, the comradeship of like-minded croquet devotees, making new acquaintances and, of course, seeing old friends. Also, after a visit to the USCA main office, I was also reminded of the care and attention that Ursula Peck and Johnny Mitchell, our fine USCA staff, provide to our membership and the frequent calls for information about this fun game. So, it is easy to answer the question: Why play? My answer is simple: the USCA provides a nationwide community of special people, a healthy life-long activity enjoyed by men and women and a competitive game that is played with good sportsmanship and respect that should be the envy of all games and competitive pursuits. The fabulous detail often overlooked is that we, as members, receive this gift and belong for less than the price of a cup of coffee per week. The USCA is committed to helping all our clubs further develop and increase participation in the sport of croquet. As a member of the USCA, please extend an invitation to any croquet player at any level to join our croquet community. In addition to becoming part of this special group, their USCA membership supports the continued stewardship and development of the game on many levels.

Inquiries

The other and shorter answer to the question is: It is fun! Let’s play!

Please submit all inquiries and stories to uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com.

Sincerely,

Text should be submitted as a Microsoft Word file and photos need to be FULL resolution (300 dpi). All content may be edited for length and photos will be adjusted appropriately. Croquet News is produced four times per year and is distributed as a benefit to USCA membership. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the publisher. Views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USCA.

Damon Bidencope

Proud USCA Member / USCA President President@uscroquet.com / croquetamerica.com

croquetamerica.com | 3

TheClubhouse 2021 US CROQUET HALL OF FAME RESCHEDULED DATE Due to the extraordinary increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the country in the fall, including a highly significant degree of breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals, especially in Florida, the U.S. Croquet Hall of Fame event scheduled for November 12, 2021, has been postponed to Friday, February 18, 2022, during the CFA’s Steuber Classic Benefit Tournament at the NCC. — W. David McCoy, Chairman Croquet Foundation of America, Inc.

Spain Wins the 2020 Tier 2 World Team GC Championships Spain defeated Wales 10-3 to claim the 2020 WCF World Team GC Championship Tier 2 title. The 2020 event was held October 11-16, 2021, in Cádiz, Spain, at the headquarters of Real Club de Golf Vista Hermosa, Sherry Croquet and the Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri. It was the first WCF tournament held since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic began and was contested by Wales, Switzerland, Latvia, Norway, Scotland, Spain and Canada (although only two players were able to attend) and an eighth Select Team that played friendly matches to help the schedule. The event website (www.gcwtspain2021.com) has additional details, photos, interviews and results. The semifinal and final matches were streamed on the FEC Facebook account. The win for Spain means they have now qualified for Tier 1. The roster for Spain included Jose Riva (captain), Jose Alvarez-Sala, Rafael Romero, Basilio Iglesias, Andrés Alvarez-Sala, J and Manuel Álvarez-Sala. The Wales roster included Angharrad Walters (captain), Ian Burridge, Arthur Rowe and Mike Parry.

PASSAGES

WHO WAS I?

Westhampton Mallet Club

I was born a long, long, time ago, in a world far, far away.

Bob Chilton, Hall of Fame, National Croquet Club, James Feeney, National Croquet Club Ian Harshman, At Large Member Sally Hester, Grand Haven Croquet Club Suna Irwin, Boca Raton Croquet Club Ali Iz, Ocean Reef Club Robert Lentz, Sarasota County Croquet Club Margaret Lord, Jupiter Island Club Walter Merz, City of Lakes Croquet Club Samuel G. Miller, John's Island Croquet Club Charles Perry, Naples Croquet Club of Florida Bradley Smith, Cary Mede Croquet Club Barbara White, Grand Haven Croquet Club

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My first name at birth was Adolph; it was later changed to Arthur. But if you know me, it is probably by my nickname. I have brothers you may also know. Croquet was a passion throughout my adulthood. Although I was a fun, zany and nice person, I was not so much when I played croquet. My love of croquet helped to popularize it throughout the US. Through my efforts, I was referred to by some as the “Croquet Evangelist.” But I referred to myself differently. I got a red jacket in 1979. Can you guess, who I was?

Croquet Comes to the Special Olympics

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 David Isaacs treasurer@uscroquet.com Secretary Rob Byrd secretary@uscroquet.com

Beau Dougherty, President of the SOCT, looks on September 1, 2021

On September 11 and 12, Special Olympics Connecticut (SOCT) and Rhode Island held their Croquet Olympics. This was the group’s first event under the USCA approved rules. I am reminded of my favorite 1966 animated Christmas movie when the Grinch asks, “How could it be so?” The participants of this event came without fanfare; without parades and torch lighting; without Olympic Village activities. They came without complaint, wearing masks all day—indoors and out. Maybe croquet together means a little bit more. This year COVID-19 did not steal our croquet. In fact, this was our largest group since croquet started in 2010. And, because of COVID-19, two of our regions did not participate. The photographs say it all. Two sunny days with ocean breezes, double-banked matches and happy coaches and players. Beau Doherty, President of the Connecticut Special Olympics, looks on during a Unified Experience match. Masks could not hide the smiles of being together again on the croquet court, as illustrated by this Special Olympics North Kingston athlete. We are already planning next year’s competitions. Before leaving, all our volunteer referees signed up for next year, hoping to be unencumbered by masks. –Bobbi Shorthouse, photographs by Denise Ciccarelli, volunteer photographer

INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSIONS Please submit all inquiries and stories to uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com. Articles and reports should be submitted as Microsoft Word files and photos should be full resolution (300 dpi). The best approach when writing a press release or story is to keep it simple, short and to the point. Start with the most important news, as opposed to who announced it.

United States Croquet Association (USCA) 700 Florida Mango Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Tel. (561) 478-0760 Fax (561) 686-5507 Email: usca@msn.com Website: www.croquetamerica.com ________________________ REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS Florida Gene Raymond floridarvp@uscroquet.com Mid-Atlantic Timothy Rapuano midatlanticrvp@uscroquet.com Midwest Russell S. Dilley midwestrvp@uscroquet.com Northeast Preston Stuart northeastrvp@uscroquet.com Southeast southeastrvp@uscroquet.com Western Rory Kelley westernrvp@uscroquet.com ________________________ USCA STAFF Membership Coordinator Ursula Peck membership@uscroquet.com Tournament & Schools Johnny Mitchell tournament@uscroquet.com www.CroquetAmerica.com croquetamerica.com | 5

theclubhouse

Bob Chilton 1932-2021 It is with deep sadness that the United States Croquet Association (USCA) and the Croquet Foundation of America (CFA) announce the passing of former USCA member since 1996, CFA Board and Hall of Fame member (Bob) James Edward Robert Chilton III. His death resulted from injuries sustained in a tragic car accident on Sunday, September 26, 2021. The accident occurred on his drive home following an American Six Wicket game at the National Croquet Center - his favorite game at his favorite location. Chilton provided substantial funds during construction of the National Croquet Center, and continued to be a major supporter and proponent of the American Six Wicket Croquet game, including recently funding a USCA grant to support instructors who travel to croquet clubs nationwide to teach the American Six Wicket game. He was a member of the National Croquet Club, The Beach Club and Westhampton Mallet Club.

Did you know James Edward Robert Chilton, III? It’s 9:00 a.m. on a Tuesday morning and the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday players are gathering on the veranda of the National Croquet Center. Usually a jovial crowd, but today they are quiet as they are down one player. Bob Chilton will not be on the courts today. It is a sad day for Bob’s beloved croquet friends. We all knew Bob as a fun-loving, fierce competitor, but just how much do you really know about this Renaissance man?

Did you know? In 1990, Bob sailed his 100-foot yacht across the Atlantic Ocean following the route that Columbus took from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to the West Indies in 13 days, almost shattering a world record.

He was a generous supporter and donor to many charities, including the Rockwell YMCA, Women in Need and the UT Southwestern Hospital. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dallas Museum of Art, where he funded a gallery in his name. He served on the board of the Croquet Foundation of America and he was a gracious supporter of the National Croquet Center. Bob was the CFA president who helped recruit David McCoy to the CFA board. And he funded the installation of the lounge/bar area of the National Croquet Center. Bob’s skills and contributions to the game of American Six-Wicket croquet led to his induction into the Croquet Hall of Fame in 2007. Bob was an avid fisherman, who traveled in his own plane, bringing his friends along with him to places such as the wilds of Alaska, the Caribbean, and later in his life, the not-so-exotic waters of Long Island Sound. Bobby Duryea tells us, “We fished together, and we photographed together and, once in a while, we played croquet. Only a good friend could get me to stand in the ocean at night with a sparkler in hand so he could shoot a photograph. We fished together, laughed together and I miss him terribly.”

While you may have been the subject of one of Bob’s amazing photographs, he authored two books of his photographs: “Serious Croquet” and “The Lightness of Darkness.”

Bob had a full-sized croquet court at his home in Heath, Texas, where he honed his skills, perfecting his American Six Wicket Game. For many years, his court was the home of the Dallas Croquet Club, where his family would wine and dine the players and entertain the group with his outrageous stories. The story of building his home court may have taken an hour to tell but he would have you rolling in laughter.

Bob used his technology skills to create the Bobchilton.com website. In Bill Sadowski’s words “Some time ago I discovered bobchilton.com. It is a beautiful place to visit for experiencing Bob Chilton way beyond his croquet life. It is a website about how Bob captured the world through his eyes and his camera.”

Joe Yoder, a player who knew Bob from his first days on the courts, tells us the reason he was so devoted to Bob was because he was just a great guy—he loved to laugh and was a fast and eager learner. “He also knew so many jokes that we were continually belly-laughing,” Yoder says.

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Only a good friend could get me to stand in the ocean at night with a sparkler in hand so he could shoot a photograph. – Bobby Duryea

Bob was a storyteller par excellence Suzanne Spradling reminds us, “As I remember Bob Chilton, these are some of the words that come to mind: enthusiastic, determined, sense of humor, love of life, generous, inclusive, curious, lifelong learner, mischievous, entertaining, raconteur, sincere, caring, fisher, sailor, croquet player, gentleman, gracious. Scott and I will miss his presence, our fishing trips, tournaments together, meals shared. His ability to spin a tale or joke is unequaled.” Bob was the first recipient of the Grandmasters Award, which is awarded to the player over the age of 80 with the best record at the USCA Seniors and Masters Tournament. At the 2021 tournament, the trophy was renamed the “Bob Chilton Grandmaster Trophy.” The next time you check your credit rating you should think of Bob because as former Chairman and CEO of the Chilton Corporation, his company revolutionized major credit reporting. Bob transformed Chilton Corporation from a small, private entity to one of the largest, most successful public organizations traded on the American Stock Exchange. Being a partner with Bob was great fun on and off the courts. Britt Ruby told us that he and Bob were doubles partners at several American Six Wicket national championships. “It was always a fun day on the courts with this nice gentleman,” Ruby

says. “My fondest memories occurred after the games were done and happy hour and a great dinner followed. There was always the rehash of the day’s good and bad shots. Soon there were other stories of distant travel, of his latest adventure or a good fish story. Inserted in the evening were the jokes that only Bob had the skill to tell.” Once you partnered with Bob, he considered you a partner forever. Ruth Summers recounts, “I was given Bob Chilton as my substitute partner in the Palm Beach Club Invitational. At that time Bob was an up-and-coming championship croquet player, soon to be a Hall of Fame member. We got along famously and together won that flight with gusto. Years later, whenever Bob and I met playing and socially, he always impishly greeted me as ‘partner.’ Each time we chuckled as we recalled our special win together.” Bob, a lifelong learner, encouraged others to be the same. He was more than willing to give croquet instruction to his new wife Missy and her friend Carla Rueck when they were mere beginners in the game. He continued to monitor their progress as they honed their skills to move on to tournament play. Carla says there was no better trophy than the big smile and hug received from Bob at the end of your match. Bob had a love for American Six-Wicket Croquet, winning tournaments such as the Peyton Ballenger at PGA Nationals several times. In fact, he was the last winner of that trophy. His love of the 6-Wicket game will stay alive with Bob and Missy’s grant to the USCA, which will establish a new program to support instructors to travel to croquet clubs nationwide to teach the game that was such an important part of his life. Happily, enough, Bob spent his last afternoon playing the game he loved so much with Sherif Abdelwahab and Sandy Knuth at the NCC. We have received many remembered moments from Bob’s friends. If you would like to read them to learn more about Bob’s life, visit https://bit.ly/BobChilton.

Goodbye dear friend, Bob. You may have been small in stature, but you are leaving a big void in the world of croquet. –Carla Rueck and Sara Low croquetamerica.com | 7

theclubhouse

“WHO WAS I?” ANSWER I was . . . Harpo Marx.

a Manhattan parking garage owner to let him turn the roof into a croquet lawn; and he once kept New York Governor Al Smith waiting on the telephone 20 minutes while he finished playing a croquet game.

Marx was born in 1888. He died in 1964 at the age of 75 due to complications from heart surgery. His birth name was Adolph Marx; however, he did not like that name and by 1911 he changed it to Arthur.

Marx was universally described by friends, family and adoring fans as fun, zany and a genuinely nice person. However, one of Marx’s sons, Bill Marx, wrote in his biography of his father, Son of Harpo Speaks, “The only mean thing (my dad) ever did was play croquet!”

He was part of a famous family entertainment act with his brothers, known as The Marx Brothers. They rose to fame through radio, movie comedies and television. The brothers got their nicknames from a man with whom they frequently played cards, who wanted to give them punchy names ending in “o.” For example, brother Julius, who was a moody card player, got the nickname “Groucho.” Arthur, who taught himself how to play the harp and became quite accomplished at it, got the nickname “Harpo.”

croquet was the only game in the US. Marx was just as comfortable playing 9-wicket croquet on extreme courts set on his friends’ yards in Long Island as on manicured lawns in Las Vegas and Beverly Hills.

Marx was a passionate croquet player. When he played in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, 9-wicket

Marx was so passionate about croquet that legend has it he (unsuccessfully) lobbied

Marx’s fame and love of croquet helped to popularize it throughout the US. Through his efforts, Marx was referred to by some as the “Croquet Evangelist.” However, Marx often referred to himself as “a croquet maniac.” Because of his croquet evangelism and efforts that helped to popularize the sport, in 1979 Marx was posthumously made a member of the inaugural class of the US Croquet Hall of Fame.

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theinbox The Pangborn Croquet Club

WESTHAMPTON MALLET CLUB’S

A top-quality six-wicket croquet court is now available in central Maryland, in the city of Hagerstown. The court is inside the Pangborn city park. It features a crushed stone dust, sand and clay mixture surface. This surface is fast, level and smooth. It does not need to be mowed, and it self-levels with each rainfall. The court is near full size at approximately 100 feet long by 70 feet wide. The court is fenced in, which keeps balls in and passersby out. It also has a lighting system, heated restrooms 50 feet away and is currently available seven days a week from sunrise to 8 p.m. A playground is located next to the court with a beautiful fishing pond next to the playground. Downtown Hagerstown is five minutes away by car or bike and has all the amenities any small city would have. Pangborn is also connected via a short bike path to the Fairgrounds complex with too many great activities available to list.

NEWEST TRY-OUT

The court is accessible to Pangborn Croquet Club members and guests. Visitors and beginners are always welcome when a member is present. Anyone may become a member and USCA members and anyone wanting to play croquet are welcome. Email us and we will coordinate a member to be present. We need new members to help get this club off the ground and keep it going. The court is the creation of croquet player, musician and entrepreneur, Ian Harshman. (Ian is known as Ian Carey in the music world.) Harshman noticed the area in the park that used to be home to a lawn bowling club. Abandoned for many years, the area was overgrown with young trees and weeds. He and a handful of helpers cleared all the weeds and brush, resurfaced the court with new crushed stone dust, leveled it and installed wickets. Sadly, we lost our good friend Harshman this summer when he passed away at the waytoo-young age of 46. But his legacy lives on with the club. If you would like to try out the court or get more information, contact us at pangborncroquet@gmail.com. –Gil Rocha

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Meet the Westhampton Mallet Club’s newest try-out: Winnie, granddaughter of Bev and Randy Cardo!

2021 TCCC JUNIOR/SENIOR WONDERLAND TOURNAMENT

n October 24, the Tega Cay Croquet Club’s (TCCC) Anderson Lawn looked like a scene from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” for the annual TCCC Junior/Senior Tournament. This event teams the club’s junior members with some of its adult members for a golf croquet tournament. This year, the event was held one week before Halloween and the juniors decided the players would dress as characters from the classic book “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” by Lewis Carroll, because in the book, Alice plays croquet with the Queen of Hearts. Alice and the Queen use live flamingos as mallets and hedgehogs as balls. The juniors also volunteered to bring refreshments that resembled food mentioned in the book. Most of the players arrived early to compare outfits. The tournament had an Alice, a Queen of Hearts, a Mad Hatter, a Cheshire Cat, a Tweedledee, a Mock Turtle, a Dormouse, a Rabbit, a Bloodhound and a March Hare. Most of the adults were dressed to represent the Playing Card Guards. The tournament director, who was also the timekeeper, came as the White Rabbit.

The mallets were decorated to resemble flamingos. Because hedgehogs were hard to find, regular croquet balls were used. Drinks and water were served. Beside them a sign warned “Drink Me to Shrink to Small.” Some of the food consisted of brownies and cupcakes with marshmallow mushrooms growing out of them. Beside them a sign warned “Eat Me to Grow to Large.” White roses were painted red. After introductions, instructions and pictures, the GC tournament began. With nine teams being in the tournament, a modified Swiss format was used on the two courts. All teams (except one) played three 25-minute games. A lot of spirited competition occurred, but no one lost their head. At the end of round three, the team of Kinsley Young and Barbara Williams were undefeated and took home the specially made, first-place trophies with flamingo mallets and hedgehog balls on them. The second-place team of Caroline Mandon and Marilyn Rhew also won custom-made trophies created by George Fiegel. Caroline Mandon (Tweedledee) took home the prize for best outfit. A good time was had by all! –Terry Hunt croquetamerica.com | 11

Matthew Essick

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USCA 2021 American Six Wicket National Championship National Croquet Club | West Palm Beach, Florida October 11-17, 2021

FOUNTAIN of youth

By Rich Curtis

After a hiatus of a year because of the pandemic, the 44th USCA American Six Wicket National Championships were held at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., from October 11-17, 2021. Forty-six players of all ages competed in Championship and First Flight, but in the end, the three youngest entrants, two of them under the age of 30, were dominant.

The first day and a half were devoted to doubles block play. The Championship Flight consisted of two blocks of six teams each, with the top eight advancing to a double-elimination ladder. The conditions were not challenging, although in the middle of the day on Sunday, a drenching rainstorm created standing water on all the courts. The courts drained quickly, and play resumed after an hour delay. Matthew Essick and Stephen Morgan were the only undefeated team after block play. They were followed by the teams of Danny Huneycutt/Randy Cardo and Macey White/Leo McBride with four wins each. Unfortunately, White and McBride withdrew from the doubles competition after block play. In First Flight doubles, 11 teams competed in a block of six and a block of

five, with the top four finishers in each block advancing to a double-elimination ladder. Danna Honeycutt and Becky Essick took top honors in their block, while Nancy Crouch and Mijai Pagano won the other block. Singles competition started on Monday with block play. Twenty-six Championship Flight players were divided into two blocks of seven and a cross-block of 12 with six players playing against the other six. The top 16 finishers advanced to a double-elimination, face-off ladder. The First Flight had a block of eight players and a block of nine players with the top four from each block moving on to a double-elimination ladder. Former national champions Sherif Abdelwahab and Doug Grimsley went undefeated in their blocks, as did Matthew

Shane Hettler

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2021 USCA American Six-Wicket Championship players

Essick and Shane Hettler. They were followed by Paul Bennett, Macey White and Stephen Morgan, all with five victories. Randy Cardo, the defending champion and Danny Huneycutt, another former champion followed with four wins apiece. A notable upset in the block was Sandy Knuth beating Morgan in a one-hoop nail-biter. Both First Flight singles blocks were won by women. In Block A, Mijai Pagano lost only one game. She was followed by Ron Millican, John Spaulding and Steve Grassbaugh. The top four spots in Block B were swept by women, with Deborah Millican first, Ellie Griffith second, Huneycutt third and Nancy Crouch fourth. In the Championship Flight doubles playoffs, Matthew Essick and Stephen Morgan continued their winning ways, ultimately advancing to the finals by beating Sherif Abdelwahab and Sandy Knuth. That set up the match in the finals of the losers’ bracket between Abdelwahab/ Knuth and the team of Steve Scalpone/ Bob Van Tassell to see who made it to the finals. Abdelwahab and Knuth won 19-10.

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American Six-Wicket doubles matches are often more interactive than singles matches and therefore more interesting from a spectator’s point of view. So, it was in the Championship Doubles final in which Abdelwahab and Knuth needed to beat Essick and Morgan twice. Morgan, playing Red made the first attack out of the fourth corner, rushing Yellow to between hoops 3 and 4 and then taking off to Blue and Black in the second corner. Red nicked Blue for a roquet on its way out of bounds. Morgan sent Blue to Yellow, caught position and ran hoop 2 before playing Red as a deep pioneer for Yellow between hoops 1 and 2. Black retired to just outside of the fourth corner. Essick then roqueted Blue and split it to hoop 3 while trying unsuccessfully to get a rush on Red to hoop 2. Instead, he roqueted Red and played a croquet out, sending Red into the fourth corner (giving Red a line rush on Black to hoop 3), while wiring Yellow behind hoop 4. Morgan made hoop 3 but then missed a long return roquet on Black.

Stephen Morgan

Beverley Cardo

Shortly thereafter, while Red and Yellow were joined in the first corner and Yellow still dead on Blue and Red, Abdelwahab scored hoop 2 with Black and attempted an attack by rushing Blue toward the opponent balls. Unfortunately, Blue went out of bounds, leaving Black even with hoop 2. Essick hit Black from the first corner, made hoops 2, 3 and 4 and then once again played a croquet out, sending Black to Red in the first corner. This time Morgan ran the break from hoop 4 through 2-back where he went out of bounds after scoring the wicket. After some back and forth, Essick two balled through hoops 5 and 6 and then attacked into the second corner, leaving Red with Black, destroying Blue and scoring 1-back before playing Yellow to 3-back. Morgan ran the break to rover but came up short at rover and failed the hoop. Until this point in the game, Essick and Morgan had done a masterful job of keeping the innings, although not being able to put together sustained breaks. However, a few turns later, Essick made an uncharacteristic mental error when he rushed Red to the center of the court

and then attempted and scored 3-back. Unfortunately, he was still for 2-back, although the clip was incorrectly on 3-back. Knuth took advantage of the error and hit Red before going to Yellow and setting her partner with a break. Abdelwahab ran the break to rover, peeling Red in the process. However, he stuffed the rover hoop and Essick hit and finished. Essick and Morgan won the doubles title while going undefeated. The First Flight doubles championship was between Crouch and Pagano, who were unbeaten in the ladder, and Ron Millican and Jon Spaulding. Millican/Spaulding won the first match 13-12 to force a second winner-take-all match. This one was also close, but Crouch/Pagano won it 14-12 and with it, the title. Ron Millican and Nancy Crouch again met each other in the First Flight singles finals. Millican advanced undefeated through the ladder, while Crouch had lost by one point to Millican in the finals on the winner’s side of the ladder and beat Deborah Millican to set up the return engagement. Crouch had to win croquetamerica.com | 15

two games and she did just that to take the championship, 18-8 and 14-11. Few surprises were in the Championship Flight singles ladder. On one side of the draw, Stephen Morgan defeated Leo McBride, Doug Grimsley and Sherif Abdelwahab (all former champions). On the other side, Shane Hettler and Matthew Essick squared off as the only two remaining undefeated players. Hettler won, sending Essick into the loser’s bracket, and advancing to the semifinals against Macey White, who defeated Abdelwahab in the loser’s bracket and was strong throughout the tournament. Essick defeated Danny Huneycutt to earn a spot in the other semifinal match against Morgan. Since Essick and White had already lost in the ladder, they each had to win two games, to advance to the finals, while Morgan and Hettler needed only one win. Hettler won the first game against White to advance. Essick won both games to set up a return engagement with Hettler, this time the best two-out-of-three.

Chris Smith

Essick was on a mission in the finals, winning both games, 26-2 and 26-3. Playing expeditiously, he took less than 45 minutes to finish each game. Hettler had a chance in the second game. With Yellow not yet in the game, he attacked and set a break for Blue with an on-court leave at hoop 3. Essick entered the game with Yellow and calmly drilled a 75-foot shot, then ran two breaks around to finish and take his first American Six Wicket Singles title. It probably won’t be his last. Steven Morgan and Shane Hettler may have something to say about that.

Matt Griffith

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Sonja Alexandra

Brand Shank

Mijai Pagano

Stuart Price

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT SINGLES 01. Matthew Essick 02. Shane Hettler 03. Stephen Morgan 03. Macey White 05. Sherif Abdelwahab 05. Danny Huneycutt 07. Paul Bennett 07. Doug Grimsley 09. Beverley Cardo 09. Leo McBride 09. Matt Griffith 09. Randy Cardo 13. David Isaacs 14. David Ekstrom 15. Rick Sheely 16. Lynda Sudderberg 17. Derek Wassink 18. Steve Scalpone 19. Jay Hughes 20. Sandra Knuth 21. Rich Curtis 22. Brian Hovis 23. Gary Bennett 24. Rob Byrd 25. Randy Reid 26. Johnny Mitchell

Matthew Essick

Randy Cardo

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CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT DOUBLES 01. Matthew Essick/Stephen Morgan 02. S herif Abdelwahab/Sandy Knuth 03. Steve Scalpone/Bob Van Tassell 04. Doug Grimsley/Rich Curtis 05. Danny Huneycutt/Randy Cardo 05. Paul Bennett/Gary Bennett 07. Derek Wassink/Shane Hettler 07. Matt Griffith/Rick Sheely 09. Leo McBride/Macey White 10. Johnny Mitchell/Beverley Cardo 11. David Ekstrom/Lynda Sudderberg 12. David Isaacs/Rob Byrd

CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES PLATE 01. Steve Scalpone 02. Dick Sullivan 03. Brian Hovis 04. Gary Bennett 05. Derek Wassink 06. David Ekstrom 06. Rob Byrd 06. Sandra Knuth 06. Randy Reid

Doubles Winners Matthew Essick and Stephen Morgan

CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES PLATE 01. David Isaacs/Rob Byrd 02. Derek Wassink/Shane Hettler 03. Matt Griffith/Macey White 03. David Ekstrom/Lynda Sudderberg

FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES

Macey White

First Flight Singles Winner Nancy Crouch

First Flight Runner-up Ron Millican

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Beverley Cardo

01. Nancy Crouch 02. Ron Millican 03. Deborah Millican 04. Ellie Griffith 05. Danna Huneycutt 06. Jon Spaulding 07. Mijai Pagano 07. Steve Grassbaugh 09. John Grabow 10. Stuart Price 11. Brand Shank 12. Leo Leither 13. David Kepner 14. Lori Matway 15. Becky Essick 16. Chris Smith 17. Sonia Alexandra

First Flight Doubles Champions Mijai Pagano and Nancy Crouch

Second Place Championship Doubles: Sherif Abdelwahab and Sandra Knuth

FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES

09. Randy Reid/Sonia Alexandra 10. John Grabow/David Kepner 11. Robert Mitchell/Jane Bolduc

01. Nancy Crouch/Mijai Pagano 02. Ron Millican/Jon Spaulding 03. Steve Grassbaugh/Leo Leither 04. Brand Shank/Lori Matway 05. Becky Essick/Danna Huneycutt 05. Stuart Price/Daniel Bolduc 07. Deborah Millican/Ellie Griffith 07. Brian Hovis/Chris Smith

FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES PLATE

FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES PLATE 01. Deborah Millican/Ellie Griffith 02. Randy Reid/Sonia Alexandra 03. Robert Mitchell/Jane Bolduc

01. David Kepner 02. John Grabow 03. Stuart Price 04. Sonia Alexandra 04. Chris Smith

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USCA Golf Croquet National Championship Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, Virginia September 1-5, 2021

S N U G G YOUN

E T A N I M LS O

A N O I T A N , outlasts GC a d i r o l F om Essick, fr f Croquet

atthew win Gol M o t d l , o a i r n a r e o o-y alif Twenty-t w lake Fields, from C ld B ionship p 14-year-o m a h C s ingle National S EY MALON YNE BY WA

Matthew Essick. Photo by Jeff Soo.

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Blake Fields. Photo by Jeff Soo.

Sherif Abdelwahab. Photo by Jeff Soo.

Photo by Suzie Beer

The new, young faces of croquet faced off September 5 in the final of the 2021 Golf Croquet National Championship at the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club (CBCC) in Hartfield, Va. Taking a two-games-out-of-three final to log his first-ever national golf croquet championship was 22-year-old Matthew Essick of Daytona, Fla. He defeated 14-year-old Blake Fields, the top junior player in the US. Fields is from Rancho Mirage, Calif. The field of 58 competitors was the best the USCA has ever had in a GC national tournament. All the old-time big guns participated, including Sherif Abdelwahab, Danny Huneycutt, Jeff Soo, Rich Dell, Mohammad Kamal, Ahab Dincer ... and the list goes on. But when the dust settled, three new names were in the top four in singles: Essick, Fields and Kyle Maloof. Notably, Maloof was playing in his first GC tournament and only his second singles event.

On Saturday, Fields defeated defending champion Abdelwahab from West Palm Beach, Fla., to earn a spot in the singles final. Essick’s victory capped a five-day tournament that attracted possibly the strongest field in event history as it included almost all of the top-ranked players in America. “It was a great, well-contested match,” Essick says. “Two young guys, just getting started. Today was a display of top-level croquet.” Essick says Fields came out “red hot” in the first game and went on to win that contest, while Essick took the final two. “Blake is unbelievable. He has the best clearing shot in the US and is a powerful opponent.” Tournament Director Macey White says the fact that two young competitors living thousands of miles apart wound up competing for the title shows the growing popularity of croquet as a sport. “We had competitors from across the country,” he says. White explains that the east coast always sends a strong contingent and that this year the tournament had strong players from Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Florida and Canada. “In addition, we got the best players from California and the top US female athlete from Wisconsin. Americans from all walks of life are enjoying this exciting and growing sport, which has long enjoyed an international reputation.”

Mohammad Kamal and Blake Fields talk strategy. Photo by Jeff Soo.

croquetamerica.com | 21

FINAL ORDER CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES 01. Matthew Essick 02. Blake Fields 03. Sherif Abdelwahab 03. Kyle Maloof 05. Jeff Soo 05. Ahab Dincer 05. Amr Hamdy 05. Zack Watson 09. Danny Huneycutt 09. David Maloof 09. Mohammad Kamal 09. Macey White 09. Tom Balding 09. Jim Teel 09. Kent Lovvorn 09. Rich Dell 17. Jimmy Huff 18. Damon Bidencope 19. Ed Becker 19. Jay Hughes 21. Matthew Griffith 21. Shane Hettler 21. Stephen Jackson 24. Rick Darnell 24. Cheryl Bromley 24. Helen Covington 24. Billy Harper 24. Timothy Hasty 29. Rich Lamm 29. Michael Albert 29. Thomas Cooper 29. Justin Fields

Matthew Essick and Blake Fields. Photo by Suzie Beer.

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT (PLATE) Winner – Jimmy Huff Runner Up – Damon Bidencope

Essick surveys the court. Photo by Jeff Soo.

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Fields gets through. Photo by Jeff Soo.

FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES 01. Sean Miller 02. Bo Prillaman 03. Ellie Griffith 03. Marcus Stearns 05. Steve Thurston 05. James Creasey 05. James Podraza 05. Cynthia Shepherd 09. Gil Flowers 09. Bill Simmons 09. Diane Walker 09. Tate Russack 09. Kory Teoman 09. Priscilla Flowers 09. John Walker 09. Cami Russack 17. Bryan Christiansen 18. Ryan Eberlein 19. Douglas Murphy 19. Karin Karel 21. Betty Teoman 21. Joseph Fleming 21. Tom Bown 21. Stephen Shultz 25. Pedro Rivera 25. Lisa Maloney

USCA President Damon Bidencope (L) and TD Macey White (R) present to First Flight finalists Sean Miller and Bo Prillaman. Photo by Suzie Beer.

FIRST FLIGHT (PLATE) Winner – Bryan Christiansen Runner Up – Ryan Eberlein

First Flight Plate Winner Brian Christiansen (R) and Ryan Eberlein (L) runner-up. Photo by Suzie Beer.

Danny Huneycutt gets air with the black ball. Photo by Jeff Soo.

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FINAL ORDER CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES 01. Mohammad Kamal/Blake Fields 02. Danny Huneycutt/Tom Balding 03. Sherif Abdelwahab/Ahab Dincer 03. Matthew Essick/Jim Teel 05. Jeff Soo/Rich Lamm 05. David Maloof/Kyle Maloof 05. Macey White/Amr Hamdy 05. Zack Watson/Shane Hettler 09. Ed Becker/Rick Darnell 09. Damon Bidencope/Gil Flowers 09. Jimmy Huff/Kent Lovvorn 09. Jay Hughes/Thomas Cooper 09. Matthew Griffith/Justin Fields 09. Michael Albert/James Creasey 09. Billy Harper/Rich Dell 09. Cheryl Bromley/Stephen Thurston Doubles Champions Mohammad Kamal and Blake Fields. Photo by Suzie Beer.

Championship Doubles runner-up duo of Danny Huneycutt and Tom Balding. Photo by Suzie Beer.

FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES 01. James Podraza/Bryan Christiansen 02. Stephen Jackson/Bo Prillaman 03. Ellie Griffith/Priscilla Flowers 03. Helen Covington/Bill Simmons 05. Thomas Bown/Marc Stearns 05. Kory Teoman/Betty Teoman 05. Tate Russack/Cami Russack 05. Timothy Hasty/Cindy Shepard 09. Pedro Rivera/Lisa Maloney 09. Sean Miller/Ryan Eberlein

First Flight Doubles Champions James Podraza and Brian Christiansen. Photo by Suzie Beer.

ONLINE SCORES https://croquetscores.com/2021/gc/usca-nationals-at-chesapeake-bay

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USCA 2021 Florida Regional 9-Wicket Tournament National Croquet Club | West Palm Beach, Florida October 7-9, 2021

Tribby Takes Championship in Doubles and Singles By John Warlick

he USCA 2021 Florida Regional 9-Wicket Tournament was held early in October on the “Palm Courts” in the back of the National Croquet Center. The event was hosted by the National Croquet Club over three days with both championship and first flights. The turnout was light because of short notice and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, enough players stepped forward to bring a competitive and challenging atmosphere to both the singles and doubles competition. Thursday was dedicated to doubles play. A round-robin established the playoffs for Saturday morning in the two flights. The team of Tom Tribby and Priscilla Flowers got the championship flight bye and waited to play Gail Warlick and Linda Grady after they overcame a large deficit to beat John Warlick and Marianne Davidson. Tribby and Flowers remained consistent and outlasted Warlick and Grady for the championship flight victory. First flight doubles were hard fought with the team of Clint Fowlkes and Caryl Firth besting Nanci Hunt and Lou Tyrrell in the flight finals. Friday was all singles play with competitive battles on the four longer grass “Palm Courts.” Flight play sorted out the Saturday semifinal and final games. Linda Grady won first flight in a close battle with Priscilla Flowers on Saturday. Tom Tribby fought off John Warlick in the rain-delayed Championship final that ended on Sunday. Steadfast support from USCA representatives Ursula Peck and Johnny Mitchell was greatly appreciated. Thursday and Friday lunches at the NCC were provided by the fantastic SandyJames catering crew. Friday evening players enjoyed an early dinner on the outside patio at The Raindancer Steakhouse in West Palm Beach. Beautiful trophies created by George Fiegel were well received by all players. Congrats to all participants!

FINAL ORDER croquetamerica.com | 25

CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES 01. Tom Tribby 02. John Warlick 03. Gail Warlick 04. Clint Fowlkes

FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES 01. Linda Grady 02. Priscilla Flowers 03. Nanci Hunt

CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES 01. Tom Tribby/Priscilla Flowers 02. Gail Warlick/Linda Grady 03. John Warlick/Marianne Davidson

9W court John Warlick

FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES 01. Clint Fowlkes and Caryl Firth 02. Nanci Hunt and Lou Tyrrell

“GOOD SPORT” Awarded to Suzanne Turner

“BEST SPORT” Awarded to Marianne Davidson

Linda Grady, Tom Tribby, Priscilla Flowers and Gail Warlick

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Linda Grady, Paul Bennett, Gail Warlick and John Warlick

Priscilla Flowers and Linda Grady

John Warlick and Ursula Peck

Tom Tribby

Clint Fowlkes, Paul Bennett, Caryl Firth and John Warlick

Lou Tyrrell, Paul Bennett, Nanci Hunt and John Warlick

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croquetamerica.com | 27

2021 USCA Midwest Regional American Six Wicket Tournament Tulsa, Oklahoma | Tulsa Croquet Club September 3-6, 2021

High Handicaps

Score Big at Midwest Regionals By Bob Baker

Tulsa Croquet Club (TCC) was pleased to host the Midwest Regional over Labor Day weekend. We attempted to maintain a safe environment with box lunches and a tournament dinner with optional outdoor seating. The highlight of the event was the joy of gathering with so many wonderful friends old and new, some who just came to visit and say hello. Outstanding players upped their games to win First Place in every flight. Brian Hovis, with his 3 handicap, rose above four 0- to 2-handicap players to take first in Championship Singles over veteran player Walt Janitz, emerging with plus 31 tracking points. Kevin McQuigg took third place from partner Matt Baird with the ceremonial coin toss. Stuart Price is another great story. New to six-wicket a year ago when he joined Tulsa Croquet Club, with his 9 handicap, he plowed through the field of eight players of lower handicaps, including a 4.5, to beat Carl Archiniaco to win First Flight Singles and plus 42 tracking points. Lookout Championship, here he comes! Ron Millican shared third with Deborah Millican. Anna Hanson bested the seven singles players in the golf croquet event and beat her doubles partner Mariah Chitwood in that final. The GC players were made up of all TCC members. In doubles action, “the Brians,” Hovis and Zindel, beat Matt Baird and Kevin McQuigg for first, while Art Parsells and Joe Steiner were awarded third over the Walt Janitz/Russell Dilley team. In First Flight Doubles play, “the RonJons,” Ron Millican and Jon Spaulding, took the win over Bob Baker and Joe Schulte. Danny Bolduc and Price took third over Sandy Janitz and Deborah Millican. In golf croquet, Hanson and Chitwood beat Dan Campbell and Jim Simmons for First Place, with Ginny McQuigg and Karen Hampton taking third over Debby Godsey, who lost her partner Liam Watts to illness.

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We raised a toast to our dear departed friend and longtime TCC Member, Pat Garner, at the tournament dinner on Sunday evening; we took a group photo on and around the newly-installed bench dedicated to Garner by his family. The plaque reads, “In Memory of Pat Garner; See you on the Croquet Court.” Garner was our longtime USCA District President and former TCC President. He did many things to help our club, including the landscape design of our future croquet complex at LaFortune Park. Tournament Director Matt Baird kept our games to a reasonable length because of the mid- to high-90’s in the afternoons. We did have some rain late Saturday, which gave us a cooler day on Sunday. We had a great team of club members led by the indispensable Joe Steiner, who invents and “MacGyvers” whatever we need to keep things working well. Steiner, Danny Bolduc, Joe Schulte and others, like Brian Zindel (his first time in Tulsa), pitched in hammering wickets and setting up as part of the 6:45 a.m. crew. Mary Baird, Barbara Parsells, Ginny McQuigg and Karen Hampton made sure we had a variety of lunches throughout

the tournament and cold water and drinks were continuously available. The Sunday evening dinner at Waterfront Grill was wellreceived by all who attended. We appreciated the contributions of some and especially from the Price family who compensated for the lower entry fees for the GC players. Lastly, I’d like to say that it was such a joy to see old friends like Walt and Sandy Janitz, who had stepped away from croquet for many years. And, it appears that you just need to say how you miss seeing someone and they suddenly appear, like Stu Brodsky, to say hello, visit and keep deadness for a few matches. And then Howard and Lois Holdsclaw from Purcell, Okla., who have retired from the sport, walk up for virtual hugs. A big thanks to USCA Regional VP Russ Dilley for joining us and helping us get the event organized by working with our great friends at the USCA Headquarters, Johnny Mitchell and Damon Bidencope.

Brian Hovis

CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES

CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES

01. Brian Hovis 02. Walt Janitz 03. Matt Baird 03. Kevin McQuigg 05. Russ Dilley 05. Joe Steiner 07. Art Parsells 07. Brian Zindel

01. Brian Hovis/Brian Zindel 02. Matt Baird/Kevin McQuigg 03. Art Parsells/Joe Steiner 04. Walt Janitz/Russ Dilley

FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES

Anna Hanson and Mariah Chitwood

First Flight Doubles Champions Jon Spaulding and Ron Millican

01. Stuart Price 02. Carl Archiniaco 03. Ron Millican 03. Deborah Millican 05. Bob Baker 05. Daniel Bolduc 07. Sandy Janitz 07. Ford Austin 09. Joe Schulte

FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES

01. Ron Millican/Jon Spaulding 02. Bob Baker/Joe Schulte 03. Carl Archiniaco/Ford Austin 04. Daniel Bolduc/Stuart Price 05. Deborah Millican/Sandy Janitz

ONLINE SCORES https://croquetscores.com/2021/a6w/usca-midwest-regional-us-rules croquetamerica.com | 29

USCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Green Gables Croquet Club | Sea Girt, New Jersey September 27-29, 2021

Friday Morning Group Picture

Green Gables Hosts

MIDATLANTIC RETURN Photography by Richard Ricciardi. Additional photos from the event are available on the Green Gables Croquet Club website at www.ggccnj.com.

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fter a hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Mid-Atlantic Regional returned to the Green Gables Croquet Club in 2021. Fourteen players with -1.5 to 12 handicaps from Florida to Massachusetts enjoyed six to nine singles matches over three days in late August 2021, at the beautiful lawns near the Jersey Shore. Players were divided into two flights for block play. The Championship Flight had six players ranging from -1.5 to 7 handicaps. The first and second flights were combined into a single first flight for block play because the field consisted of six players with 10 handicaps accompanied by eight and 12 players. All block games took place Friday and Saturday. After block play, all championship flight players were seeded by block standings into a single-elimination knockout (KO) ladder that started Sunday morning. Likewise, all combined first and second flight players also began a KO, but all losers from the first flight quarterfinals moved on to the second flight semifinals. The first day Friday, August 27, provided literally no place to hide. The sun was strong all day until the end when a lightning warning was set. After players bathed themselves in sunblock, pulled on wide-brimmed hats or slipped on their favorite golf gloves, the tournament commenced with a great series of games. Double banking was a rare sight although it did occur occasionally. Once the lightning warning was sounded, current games were pegged down and rescheduled to play at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Mid-Atlantic's Friday Night Dinner August 27, 2021

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While Jo-Anne Nappi provided breakfasts and Tim Rapuano provided lunches courtside each day, the tournament dinner was held at the home of Karen Leoncavallo and Richard Ricciardi’s home on Friday night. Almost all were in attendance and enjoyed delicious catering from Joe Leone’s Italian delicatessen. Bright and early on Saturday morning, players descended onto the lawns to finish games from the day before. Contrasted with the bright and sunny weather, Saturday was now overcast and windy with threats of rain. Championship flight saw a few upsets with Scott Kennedy playing up with a 7-handicap making trouble for Temp Peck (4) and Peter Woolley (4.5). Likewise, club champion Tom Cooper took a loss to his fastidious partner, Loretta Cooper. The combined first and second flight saw the new Green Gables player Dennis Leddy (8) take no prisoners while the fast-improving Jim Daniels (10) was hot on his heels with just one loss in block play. Other contenders with four victories at the end of the day were Ron Rapuano (10) from Florida and Ezra Roth (10) from New York. Sunday’s weather was more of the same but much drier. While some players had gone to bed earlier to prepare for finals, others went out to see musicals and other shenanigans. Sometimes the play of the day is all about which side of the

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bed you wake up on. In either case, it was clear that some players played better than the day before. One such player is club favorite Ric Venino (10). In the block, Venino won just one match against the highest-seeded player George Claffey (12). However, on finals day, Venino defeated Ezra Roth (10) and Jim Daniels (10) to make it into the first flight singles final against Dennis Leddy. As the leader in the block, Leddy made quick work of Venino (15-9), but it was a great showing by Venino. Similarly, George Claffey, who just won two games in the block, rose up to take second flight glory against New York Croquet Club player Roth in a stunning victory, 16-8. In the championship flight, New York player Temp Peck squeezed by Loretta Cooper (2) with a one-point victory, 14-13, to send him into the finals with Tom Cooper. Cooper took the final match, winning the Mid-Atlantic Tournament, 15-11. We want to thank all of the referees, board keepers, food deliverers, spectators, lawnmowers (and people that mow them), supporters and photographers for this wonderful event. Too many people to mention (but you know who you are!) volunteered their time to make this tournament a success. And finally, thanks to the Green Gables Croquet Club for partnering with the USCA to bring the Mid-Atlantic Regional back for a second time!

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT SINGLES 01. Tom Cooper 02. Temp Peck 03. Loretta Cooper 03. Scott Kennedy III 05. Jay Hughes DNF 06. Peter Woolley DNF

FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES 01. Dennis Leddy 02. Ric Venino 03. Ron Rapuano 03. Jim Daniels

ONLINE SCORES https://croquetscores.com/2021/a6w/ usca-midatlantic-regional

SECOND FLIGHT SINGLES 01. George Claffey 02. Ezra Roth 03. Scott McMurray 03. Cecily Greenaway

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memberprofile

Sandra Knuth Age: Younger than Mae West Home base: Wellington, Florida Home clubs: Palm Beach Polo Country Club. Member of the NCC since 2007. I dabble in all forms of croquet; master of none. Grip: Standard Mallets: Don Oakley, Ed Roberts, George Wood, Pidcock (Jerry Stark’s, RIP) and the Terminator for rainbow colors. Lengths ~38”, mallet heads 10-12 inches, weights varied. Years playing croquet: Irregularly irregular play since youth Favorite croquet venue: Egypt … cats on courts, ball boys, referees, scorekeepers, mid-game prayer breaks, worldrenowned ball strike speed, spirited chatter in throaty Arabic, freakish traffic, hookahs, street vendors with warm aromas of roasted nuts and corn, Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Tut, camels, pigeons, horse-drawn carts, Sahara dust, Nile falukas…utter, wonderful chaos. How did you get into the game? My condo was across from the croquet courts at Palm Beach Polo in 1999. This is still my home more than 20 years later. Croquet highlights/tournament wins: Britt Ruby said to keep trophies in the same place or you’ll forget. I forget. My favorites are from the Palm Beach Invitational, which consisted of Digby Bridges carved animals from South Africa. The finals were held at the Breakers with a lot of hats and champagne. Also playing on the lawn of the Kremlin at midnight with USCA member Yuri Ilyukhin. I won First Flight twice in American Six Wicket. I have played in Egypt, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, England, Ireland, Spain, Mexico and my mini mallet summited Kilimanjaro in 2014. Two mallets, two balls and Michael Albert’s practice hoop circumnavigated the globe on the ship, Viking Sun, 2019-2020. Some tournament results: 2021: Big Lobster American Six Wicket: First place in the First Flight singles 2021: Snowbirds/Flamingos Doubles winner

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2021: USCA American Six Wicket Nationals, Championship Flight Doubles Runner-Up with Sherif Abdelwahab (played against Matthew Essick and Stephen Morgan) 2021, 2017, 2016: Snowbirds-Flamingos, GC First place 2020: NCC GC Doubles First Place, Championship Flight 2019: Women’s Worlds participant, New Zealand 2018: GC Club Teams, First Place in the Championship Flight Doubles 2017: Florida Regional Doubles GC First Place 2017: Bermuda Invitational Doubles First Place 2017: Croquet Week, GC, First Place, Championship Flight Singles 2016: Pinehurst First Place, First Flight Other wins before 2016: Bermuda Invitational, American Six Wicket Doubles Winner Croquet Week Club Teams, American Six Wicket Meadow Club Invitational, First Place, First Flight Westhampton Mallet Club, First place, Championship American Six Wicket Doubles and First Flight Singles American Six Wicket Mar-a-Lago, First Place in First Flight and Championship Flight, American Six Wicket Laura Hart, Palm Beach Polo, Doubles, American Six Wicket Do you play other sports? Mountain climbing. I summited Kilimanjaro the day the Malaysian plane disappeared: March 8, 2014, which was also International Women’s Day. Favorite sports teams: Chicago Bulls and Cubs Pop culture favorites: 102.7 the Beach, Miami. The Idiot’s Guide to Pole Dancing. 1Q84. Michael Saylor of “Microstrategy.” “Altcoin Daily,” “InvestAnswers,” Raoul Pal, Max Keiser, Lark Davis – all on YouTube. The amount of free education on YouTube is changing my view of education in general. What is the best thing the USCA has done for croquet? It reinstated tournaments since COVID-19 pandemic.

What is the USCA’s greatest weakness? Reducing tournament sizes. What would you like to see happen in the sport over the next 10 years? In 10 years, the USCA may have a place in the digital metaverse. “Decentraland,” for example, could become its virtual headquarters. Croquet might be played on NFT-purchased lawns that will attract crowds to a virtual stadium, rewarding investors of the croquet social tokens using smart contracts. 3D renderings of croquet players will be obtained in a fraction of a second by globe-shaped cameras that will allow players to be built into full-sized avatars. What have you learned from croquet? To quote the great Charles Lazarus, Hall of Famer and Toys”R”Us founder, “I used to like croquet because of the people. Now I like croquet in spite of the people.” Quick croquet tip: When planning a roquet, pick a spot on the grass that is six- to 12-inches in front of the ball, keep your head down and…trust your swing. croquetamerica.com | 35

let’stalktactics

Ending With a Classic By Bob Kroeger and John C. Osborn

This will be our last “Let’s Talk Tactics” column from Bob Kroeger and John Osborn. Starting with the 2022 spring edition, 13-time American Six Wicket national champion Jeff Soo will be taking over this column. Soo’s breadth of croquet knowledge guarantees USCA members will continue to get great tactical guidance on this version of the game. To wrap up this era for the column, we wanted to pay tribute to Teddy Prentis with a column written by Prentis and Kroeger in 2014.

In this column, we deal with one of the most interesting aspects of croquet tactics– that is one of enticing (tice for short) your opponent into a line of play you believe they think they can execute but you believe they can’t. Obviously, this can backfire if you have miscalculated your opponent’s skills, but it’s amazing how often it works. With so many examples we could show you, we are picking one that may come up fairly often. The example here might apply to players who play breaks but have a struggle doing long-distance, wide-angle split shots (let’s say 4 to 6 handicaps). For players with a handicap above 6, we will show ball positions that would apply to that skill level as well. It’s important to note that championship level players (2 and below) are very capable of creating something out of nothing; hence, they are more difficult (but not impossible) to tice. In our example (Diagram 1), Blue and Black are going for wicket #2 and Red and Yellow for #3. There is no deadness and it is Yellow to play. Yellow has a good rush to #3 while Blue has a difficult, wide-angle cut rush to #2. Yellow will strive to have Blue attempt that big cut rush and if successful, face a very long, wide-angled split shot to establish a break. Diagram 2 shows Yellow making a rush a bit to the west of #3 (intentionally) to send it toward the east boundary and slightly north. Obviously, Yellow will want to get position at the wicket in this croquet shot and have Blue believe the Red ball to be an adequate pioneer ball (the motivating factor to try the big cut rush at #2). Diagram 3 shows a good croquet shot with Red landing in its tice position

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while Yellow gets position at the wicket. To use this type of tactic effectively, you need to know your croquet shots. Diagram 4 shows Yellow scoring #3 and then shooting out of bounds in the fourth corner (Diagram 5). The various choices of location for Yellow could take up a whole column. For this example, it shoots far away from Blue’s current location. In Diagram 6, Blue accepts the tice, makes a reasonable cut rush and faces a croquet shot, which might be problematic at this handicap level. Diagram 7 shows a good result and, in Diagram 8, has Blue scoring #2. Now if Blue chooses to roquet partner Black to play a break or even take off to Red, she/he has a challenge. Blue would really like a rush on Red to #3 whether it splits or takes off. Herein lies the challenge at this handicap level. If the shot is under hit, no rush will occur. And if the shot is over hit, Blue could easily go out of bounds. Clearly court conditions will be a big factor here (fast and slow courts could be tricky). X in Diagram 8 might be an appropriate tice position for 7 to 9 handicap players, while Y might work good for players 10 handicap and above. The thought in these cases is Blue would likely fail to make #2 due to the difficulty of the big cut rush and the following croquet shot, so Blue would never get a chance to roquet Red. We encourage you to try tices in your friendly games at your club and keep track of your success rate. As a spectator, tices are a great way to observe and evaluate players’ skills and tactics–players you may be playing against or with in a tournament.

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gcamerica

First USCA GC Women's Event a Success By Cheryl Bromley

This inaugural event was the first time an USCA sanctioned Golf Croquet tournament was held exclusively for women in the United States. Twenty-five women from eight different states traveled to Hartfield, Virginia for the event that took place at the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club from October 20-24, 2021.

Semifinal Playoffs (1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3)

Prior to the start of the tournament, players were able to take to the practice courts or sign up for private and group lessons. A men’s doubles mixer was also available for the fellas who made the trip and a fun doubles round-robin giving the ladies a chance to get to know one another.

Championship Flight

The format of the tournament provided for a lot of singles games to be played and started with scramble blocks where players would later be sorted out into Championship, First and Second flights based on their results. Lunches were provided daily, and special dinners were planned to enjoy courtside. The Chesapeake Bay Club features eight beautiful croquet lawns with amenities, great hospitality and truly caters to the players and spectators’ comforts. Flighted block play followed, and the women battled for a topfour berth in their respective semifinal playoffs. It wasn’t until the last match was played that the top four positions in each flight were determined. After the semifinals, great matches ensued and the level of play continued to rise as players moved on to the final rounds.

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First Flight Semifinal Cami Russack vs. Geri O’Neill and Lisa Maloney vs. Caryl Firth

Winner: Helen Covington Finalist: Cheryl Bromley Score: 7-6, 5-7, 7-3 Covington had a fantastic tournament dropping only two games throughout the entire event. Her long, hard-hitting clearance shots and precision placement made her a formidable opponent to face. Championship Flight Semifinals: Helen Covington vs. Priscilla Flowers and Cheryl Bromley vs. Sandy Knuth

First Flight Winner: Geri O’Neill Finalist: Caryl Firth Score: 7-4 O’Neill had a close, competitive match in her semifinal with a 7-6 victory over undefeated Cami Russack to gain her spot in the final. She kept her focus to win in a well-played match against Firth. First Flight Semifinals: Cami Russack vs. Geri O’Neill and Lisa Maloney vs. Caryl Firth

Courtenay Rodonets and Pamela Darney

Pictured left to right: Cheryl Bromley, Caryl Firth, Geri O’Neill, Helen Covington, Pamela Groh, Karin Karel, Macey White, and Kathie Clarke

Pinky Hayden and Kathie Clarke.

Second Flight

Fast Facts

Winner: Karin Karel Finalist: Pamela Groh Score: 7-6 Karel avenged two earlier losses in block play to turn the tables and take home the title. Groh was a worthy opponent who had gone undefeated in block play leading up to the final. Second Flight Semifinals: Mary Hennelly vs. Karin Karel and Pamela Groh vs. Marcie Ridenour

Spirit Award Kathie Clarke of Pasadena Croquet Club was given the Spirit Award for embodying the essence of this tournament with a smile on her face and a friendly word to all throughout the entire event.

• Players came from California, Florida, Delaware, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin • 84% of the women started playing regulation croquet after the age of 55 • Check out www.croquetscores.com for all of the match results.

Upcoming Women’s Events • January 20 – 23, 2022 Women’s Hurricane GC Open National Croquet Center, Florida • October 20 – 23, 2022 Women’s GC International Friendship Cup – Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club, Virginia

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9wroundup

Nine Wicket Croquet on the Island of Vinalhaven, Maine By Paul Bennett game. He mentioned that the island is small enough that one might easily get in trouble by suggesting changes to their game of the croquet. I suspect that is not much different than most communities that have grown to love the game of croquet on their courts in their backyards. On this small island in Vinalhaven, croquet has expanded to play on one of five different lawns, each with its own playing characteristics. Some slope uphill for 20 degrees or more, some up and down and others strive for a flatter-than-most lawn. When Geiger first started, they were playing with six colored balls and finding it difficult to keep track of deadness without a board, and so, with his suggestion, they decided to drop that carry-over deadness rule and start out each turn alive on all balls.

When I think of summer vacation in Maine, I think of wonderful coastlines and remote islands of Penobscot Bay. I received a call from a local resident of Vinalhaven about the game of 9-wicket croquet and a local set of rules its group drafted based on the basic USCA 9-wicket set of rules. Vinalhaven is just over an hour’s ferry ride from the mainland. It’s a tightknit community, home to lobster fishermen and their families, on an island that swells

to 1400 residents during the summer. For 40 years, it was home to a famous contemporary artist, Robert Indiana, who is best known for iconic LOVE symbol sculpture. He escaped from New York city to enjoy being an artist on this island. I spoke with Harvey Geiger after reading his local set of rules and was most fascinated with the out-of-bounds variation to the

Now when Geiger mentions that he winters at Bald Head Island, S.C., I figured he plays the American Six Wicket game with carry-over deadness, and who would not want to try to go five-ball-dead and then miss a wicket! Instead, maybe he plays a bit of the Association game, where balls can be rushed outside of the boundary and croquet can be carried on from that ball once it has been brought in nine inches perpendicular to where it had gone out. In rule 1d, intentionally sending a ball out of bounds is commonly done in both 6-wicket games in order to “get the ball out of the middle of the court.” In the Kentucky 9-wicket rules, a player is “put on a spot” and cannot roquet a ball in that zone while on it.

[IMAGE- Robert Indiana Love Sculpture, istockphoto/AndreyKrav]

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Vinalhaven Croquet Club Common Court Rules In the interest of simplicity and developing a common understanding, the Rules Committee of the Vinalhaven Croquet Club has adopted this set of rules. With some exceptions, these rules follow the “Basic Rules of 9 Wicket Croquet” of the United States Croquet Association (USCA 2016). Individual courses may have additional rules unique to a court, but those rules should be communicated to all players before play begins. All disputes shall be resolved by the host of each court. The Rules Committee is comprised of the following members: Brighton Knoll Croquet, Patrick and Patience Trainor; The Glade, David and Sally Wylie; Indian Creek Croquet Park, George and Cay Kendrick; and Shore Acres, Bruce Cohen.

1. Boundaries

located a mallet’s head away from the boundary at 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the boundary line, and play continues with no loss of bonus shots or turn. f. If both the striker’s ball and the opponent’s ball go out, the striker’s ball is placed in ﬁrst, then the opponent’s ball is placed in any direction one mallet’s head away from the striker’s ball and the turn ends. All bonus shots are negated. g. If the striker makes a croquet on another ball and then goes out of bounds, the ball is played as a regular croquet from the struck ball.

2. Shots a. If a player plays out of turn, there is no penalty.

a. A struck ball, on coming to rest, must be completely beyond the boundary to be considered out of bounds.

b. Any ball moved during the out-of-turn play is replaced to its position prior to the error and play recommences properly.

b. The ball should be replaced immediately, located a mallet’s head away from the boundary at 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the boundary line.

c. If an out of turn is initially condoned (not discovered) but then later discovered, only the last ball played out of turn is replaced and the correct ball then proceeds.

c. The player’s turn ends if the ball goes out of bounds and all bonus shots are negated.

d. If the striker takes a swing at his/her ball and misses entirely, the miss counts as a shot and the turn ends, unless the striker had a second “bonus” shot.

d. A player shall not intentionally send his or her ball out of bounds. If, in the opinion of other players or an independent referee or observer, such a shot is deemed to be intentional, the ball shall be returned to its original position and the player’s turn ends. e. If a player’s ball strikes an opponent’s ball and the opponent’s ball goes out of bounds but the player’s ball remains within bounds, the opponent’s ball should be replaced immediately,

e. If the striker’s mallet accidentally hits another player’s ball, the action counts as a shot, and the struck ball is replaced. f. If a player’s ball goes through a wicket that has already been earned or goes through backward, it results in the end of the turn. This rule does not apply if the ball is propelled by another player’s actions.

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3. Bonus or continuation shots

4. Wicket and Roquet

a. The striker earns one bonus shot if the striker ball scores a wicket or hits the turning stake. b. The striker earns two bonus shots if the striker ball hits another ball (a “roquet”).

a. When the striker ball scores a wicket and then in the same shot hits another ball, only the wicket counts and the striker has earned only the one extra shot for scoring the wicket. The striker may then roquet any ball to earn two extra shots.

c. You are “dead” on a ball for extra shots until you clear your next wicket or until your next turn, whichever comes ﬁrst.

5. Deadness

d. The maximum number of bonus shots earned by a striker is two; there is never a time when a striker is allowed three shots. (See the “Exceptions” section below for examples.) e. If two bonus shots are scored by striking another ball, the ﬁrst of these shots may be taken in any of four ways: i. From a mallet-head distance or less away from the ball that was hit (“taking a mallet-head”). ii. From a position in contact with the ball that was hit, with the striker ball held steady by the striker’s foot. iii. From a position in contact with or close to the ball that was hit, with the striker ball not held by foot (a “croquet shot” iv. From where the striker ball stopped after the roquet. f. If the striker ball goes out of bounds after roqueting another ball, the striker may choose to play the ball in any of the ways outlined above. The ball does not incur the same penalties as it would by simply going out of bounds. g. The second bonus shot after a roquet is an ordinary shot played from where the striker ball came to rest. h. Bonus shots may not be accumulated. i. Upon earning a bonus shot by scoring a wicket, hitting the turning stake, or roqueting another ball, any bonus shot(s) previously earned are forfeited. For example, if a ball roquets a ball and in that same stroke the striker ball hits another ball, the second ball hit is not a roquet and remains where it comes to rest (with no deadness incurred on that ball). j. Bonus shot exceptions: i. Two extra shots are earned when the striker ball scores two wickets in one shot. ii. If the striker ball scores the seventh wicket and hits the turning stake in the same shot, it earns two shots. iii. If the ball also hits the turning stake after scoring two wickets, two strokes are earned, not three. iv. After the striker ball roquets another ball, it does not earn any extra shots for hitting it again in the same turn before scoring the next wicket in order. However, there is no penalty for hitting the ball again. v. If the striker ball hits two or more balls in a single shot, the roquet is on the ﬁrst ball hit.

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a. Deadness occurs after a roquet is made and the striker is unable to score his/her wicket. b. The consequences are that the striker is not allowed to roquet the ball(s) again until either scoring the wicket or upon starting the next turn, whichever comes ﬁrst. c. Once the wicket is scored, the striker becomes “alive” and is able to roquet again. d. Deadness does NOT carry over from turn to turn.

6. Starting Deadness a. No bonus shots are earned by hitting another ball until the striker ball has cleared the ﬁrst wicket. If a ball does not clear the ﬁrst wicket, it is “not in the game” and is then removed and played again at the striker’s next turn back at the starting point.

7. Timed Play a. At the end of the time allowed for a game, the current player may then complete his or her turn, and each other player can complete a single turn to complete the round. b. At the end of the ﬁnal player’s turn, the total number of wickets (including the turning post) scored is tallied for each team. c. If the score is tied at the end of the last turn, the ball closest to its contested wicket gets an extra point for the win. Wow! Thanks for sending me your set of rules and speaking with me about your wonderful island. The 9-wicket committee loves hearing about how different folks approach the game we all love. I enjoy playing many varieties of the game and find it interesting to see how the rules affect its strategy. If in the neighborhood while on my next summer vacation, I will remember to bring my mallet and look up your club on Vinalhaven island. This is one of the best reasons to join the USCA, a confederation of many small clubs joined together to enjoy the sport of croquet.

eventresults Houston Invitational October 21-24, 2021 Houston Croquet Association Houston, Texas

04. Maryfaith Cartwright 05. Chris Brown 06. Patti Molloy

Championship Singles

North Carolina State GC Open October 7-10, 2021 Bald Head Island Bald Head Island, North Carolina

01. Bob Hafner 02. John Brown 03. Britt Ruby 04. George Peterkin, III 05. John Watson 06. Bob Pulitzer 07. Bill Miller 08. Stuart Coco 09. Scott Kennedy 10. Lee Hamel First Flight Singles 01. Carl Archiniaco 02. Ed McCullough 03. Harold Menzel 04. Rob Franks 05. John Craddock 06. Ford Austin 07. Penny Pressler 08. Chris Helton Second Flight Singles 01. Joe Leary 02. Boyd Parker 03. Debbie Hafner 04. Mary Craddock 05. Kit Detering 06. Carl Detering 07. Charlotte Pulitzer 08. Patricia Wilde

Pinehurst Croquet Club 6W Singles Championship October 13-15, 2021 Pinehurst Croquet Club Pinehurst, North Carolina Championship Flight Singles 01. Mike Taylor 02. Jim Spoonhour 03. Bob Cherry 04. Elaine Moody 05. Steve Errickson 06. Horace Hayworth First Flight Singles 01. Hank Wallace 02. Carol Wallace 03. Mike Conry 04. Terry Lauer 05. Alan Langley Second Flight Singles 01. Teresa Errickson 02. Joanie O’Brien 03. Maggie Langley

Championship Singles 01. Jeff Soo 02. David Maloof 03. Mike Taylor 04. Rich Dell 05. Eileen Soo 06. Ted Thelin 07. Bill Simmons 08. Doug Ledgett First Flight Singles 01. Dick Johnston 02. Kathie Gamble 03. Kendall Hendrick 03. Tom Howell 05. Alex Galasso 06. Mike Malpass 07. Laura Hendrick 08. Anne Killilea 09. John Gottshall 10. Kim Gottshall 11. Tom Bown 12. Patti Malpass 13. Cindy Howell 14. Mary Galasso

NCC Club Doubles GC October 1-3, 2021 National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, Florida Championship Flight 01. Hal Denton/Sherif Abdelwahab 02. Leo McBride/Howard Sosin 03. John Warlick/Vernon Pierce 03. Priscilla Flowers/Johnny Mitchell 05. Sandy Knuth/Cami Russack 05. Tate Russack/Kat Robinson First Flight 01. Devin Burress/Stephen Tasker 02. Debra Bradley/Pam Groh 03. Alex Galasso/Mary Galasso 03. Tom Lindley/Caryl Firth 05. Trudy Crowetz/Lois Clay 05. Gay Cinque/Geri O’Neill 07. John Bannister/Janet Schwartz Second Flight 01. Marianne Davidson/ Michael Miller 02. Joan Therien/Lin Irey 03. Michael Schaeffer/Shari Gallucci

03. Pam Myers/Phil Robinson 05. John Strasser/Franck Meunier 05. Herb Libowitz/Linda Merk 07. Vera Chapman/Lynn Epstein

Pinehurst Invitational September 22-26, 2021 Pinehurst Country Club Pinehurst, North Carolina Championship Singles 01. Mike Taylor 02. Chris Barley 03. Shane Hettler 03. Mark Fields 05. Stuart Lawrence 05. Paul Bennett 05. Macey White 05. David Ekstrom 09. Lynda Sudderberg 09. Jim Spoonhour 11. Rob Byrd 11. Brett Stoval 13. Gary Bennett 13. Ed Becker 15. Ed Roberts 15. Horace Hayworth 17. Gene Raymond 17. John Curington 19. Rich Schiller 19. John Donohue First Flight Singles 01. Vickie Johnston 02. Brian Hovis 03. Ron Millican 03. Linda Trifone 05. Steve Errickson 05. Steve Grassbaugh 07. Leon Leither 07. Mijai Pagano 09. Nancy Crouch 09. Ken Deason 11. John Schoo 11. Becky Essick Second Flight Singles 01. Randy Reid 02. Michael Kukla 03. Gail Barley 04. Deborah Millican 05. Danna Huneycutt 06. Nancy Hart 07. Martie Ekstrom Third Flight Singles 01. Karen Heckman 02. David Trigiani 03. Tim Williams 04. John Joseph 05. Teresa Errickson

06. Jennifer Joseph 07. Val Terry Championship Doubles 01. Mike Taylor/Gary Bennett 02. David Ekstrom/Brett Stovall 03. Shane Hettler/Gene Raymond 03. Chris Barley/Rich Schiller 05. Paul Bennett/Ed Becker 05. Macey White/John Curington 07. Lynda Suddeberg/Ed Roberts 07. Stuart Lawrence/John Donohue 09. Jim Spoonhour/Mark Fields 09. Rob Byrd/Horace Hayworth First Flight Doubles 01. Steve Errickson/Mijai Pagano 02. Brian Hovis/Becky Essick 03. John Schoo/Linda Trifone 04. Steve Grassbaugh/Ken Deason 05. Leon Leither/Nancy Crouch 06. Vickie Johnston/Ron Millican Second Flight Doubles 01. Michael Kukla/David Trigiani 02. Martie Ekstrom/Val Terry 03. Danne Huneycutt/Tim Williams 04. Gail Barley/John Joseph 05. Deborah Millican/ Teressa Errickson 06. Nancy Hart/Karen Heckman

Merion Cricket Club Invitational September 18-19, 2021 Merion Cricket Club Haverford, Pennsylvania American Six Wicket

Championship Singles 01. Tim Rapuano 02. Micah Beck 03. Tom Hughes 04. Leon Leither 05. John Oehrle First Flight Singles 01. Noreen Rice 02. Byron Lee 03. John Rice 04. Jane Zhao 05. Eugenia Wilkie Doubles 01. John Oehrle/Noreen Rice 02. Tim Rapuano/Leon Leither 03. Micah Beck/John Rice 04. Tom Hughes/Jane Zhao

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Golf Croquet

Championship Singles 01. Jay Hughes 02. Justin Berbig 03. Bill Simmons 04. Dennis Leddy 05. Darrell DeMoss 06. Ash Eldredge First Flight Singles 01. Christina Wiskowski 02. Margaretta Walton 03. David McQuaid 03. Ann Leddy 05. Tom Bown 05. Kevin Roller 07. Barry Noone 07. Pat Richmond 09. Jen Justice 09. Diane Fitzsimons

Turkey Trot Double Digit September 17-19, 2021 Lenox Croquet Club Lenox, Massachusetts Final Order

Turkeys 01. Robert Snyder 02. Rita Ginsky 03. Katie Bull 04. Douglas Greeff 05. George Claffey 06. Hilary Michaels 07. Claude Lourie 08. Ken Heim 09. Claudia Parks Gobblers 01. John Welch 02. Ellen Snyder 03. Steve Zoric 04. Larry Schmutz 05. Carol Stuart 06. Sarah Persons 07. Constance “Kim” Beaty 08. Karen Kay

Scissortail Invitational September 16-19, 2021 Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Final Order

Championship Singles 01. Scott Spradling 02. Randy Cardo 03. Conner Helms 04. Kevin McQuigg 05. John Brown 05. Beverley Cardo

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07. George Peterkin III 07. Dale Jordan First Flight Singles 01. Suzanne Spradling 02. John Craddock 03. Jim Loftis 04. Joe Schulte 05. Carl Archiniaco 06. Ford Austin 06. Mary Craddock

Highlands Shootout IV September 11-12, 2021 Highland Falls Country Club Highlands, North Carolina Championship Singles 01. Jeff Soo 02. David Maloof 03. Jim Teel 04. Kyle Maloof 05. Jochen Lucke 06. Onifer Wilmoth 07. Damon Bidencope 08. Hammond Rauers 09. Dawn Jupin 10. Debbie Davidoff 11. Eileen Soo 12. Terri Young

Woodlawn Big Lobster Tournament September 9-12, 2021 Woodlawn Croquet Program Ellsworth, Maine Nine Wicket Doubles 01. Bob Worrell/Don Parker 02. Perry Mattson/Neil Houghton 03. Carl Mabee/Oakley Johnson 04. Sandra Knuth/Skip Strong 05. Ford Fay/Charlie Law 06. Lloyd Hadden/ Randall McAndrews 07. Fred Beck/Adam Law 08. Tina Hinkley/Tim McCormick 09. Barbara Entzminger/Jim Lane American Six Wicket

Championship Flight

Second Flight

First Flight Singles

01. Janet Pearson 02. George Forsyth 03. Fred Beck 04. Tim McCormick 05. John McGrath 06. Jim Lane 07. Barbara Entzminger

01. Ron Millican 02. Deborah Millican 03. Peter Bowers 04. John Joseph 05. Norm Pike

Westhampton Mallet Club Invitational July 10-September 4, 2021 Westhampton Mallet Club Westhampton, New York Championship Singles 01. Randy Cardo 02. Alex Muradian 03. Beverley Cardo 04. Vickie Johnston 05. Sally McGrath 05. John Grabow 05. Stuart Baker First Flight Singles 01. Mary Cassidy 02. David Kepner 03. Bob Duryea 04. John McGrath 05. Alan Lazarescu 06. Mark Benincase 06. Susan Cushing 06. Terry Cassidy 06. Mary Anne Mathys 06. Lovejoy Duryea 06. Bill Sadowski 07. Franklin Perrell 07. Eileen Cornacchia 07. Jim Tiberg 07. Sheila McCauley 07. Freear Pollard Second Flight Singles 01. Patricia Prentis 02. David Beccia 03. Jessica Beccia 04. Tom Hadlock 05. Anthony Sessa

01. Don Parker 02. Perry Mattson 03. Tom Hughes 04. Neil Houghton 05. Robert Worrell

8th Rochester Invitational August 13-15, 2021 Rochester Croquet Club Rochester, New York

First Flight

01. Bob Hafner 02. Rich Laging 03. Ryan Thompson 04. Rich Watson 05. Leo Leither

01. Sandy Knuth 02. Mark Masselink 03. Oakley Johnson 04. Lloyd Hadden 05. Tina Hinkley 06. Sally McGrath

Championship Singles

Hi/Lo Doubles 01. Deborah Millican/John Joseph 02. Ron Millican/Peter Bowers 03. Bob Hafner/Judy Onorati 04. Rich Watson/Debbie Hafner 05. Leo Leither/Jennifer Joseph 06. Ryan Thompson/Byron Lee 07. Rich Curtis/John Gorsline 08. Norm Pike/Linda Pike

Quogue Field Club Members Tournament August 7-22, 2021 Quogue Field Club Quogue, New York Championship Flight Singles 01. Randy Cardo 02. Beverley Cardo First Flight Singles 01. David Kepner 02. Bruce Peiffer Second Flight Singles 01. Doug Greeff 02. Dick Corey 03. Barbara Sartorius 04. Kevin Hogan 05. Lynda Confessore 06. David Platt 07. John Morgan 08. Ralph Confessore 09. Connie Walsh 10. Cristina Kepner 11. Jan Allison 12. Judy McDermott

Westhampton Mallet Club Invitational August 5-8, 2021 Westhampton Mallet Club Westhampton, New York Championship Singles 01. Randy Cardo 02. David Ekstrom 03. Bob Chilton 03. Conner Helms 05. Vickie Johnston 06. Jeannie Branthover 07. Calvert Chaney 08. Dick Carlson

First Flight Singles 01. Linda Trifone 02. Alex Muradian 03. Sally McGrath 03. Martie Ekstrom 05. John Grabow 06. Pat Spratt 07. Missy Chilton 08. Beatty Cramer Second Flight Singles 01. David Kepner 02. Mary Cassidy 03. Bill Sadowski 03. Anne Licursi 05. Jim Tiberg 06. Bob Duryea 07. Jane Helms 08. Sheila McCauley Third Flight Singles 01. Freear Pollard 02. John McGrath 03. Franklin Perrell 03. Tom Hadlock 05. Terry Cassidy 06. Maggie Kirkbride 07. David Beccia 08. Jessica Beccia Championship Waterford Doubles 01. Randy Cardo 02. Pat Spratt 03. Linda Trifone 04. Sally McGrath 05. David Ekstrom 06. Jeannie Branthover 07. Stuart Baker 08. Vickie Johnston 09. Calvert Chaney 10. Martie Ekstrom 11. Conner Helms 12. Bob Chilton 13. John Grabow 14. Dick Carlson 15. Ruth Summers 16. Beatty Cramer First Flight Waterford Doubles 01. Jane Helms 02. David Kepner 03. Anne Licursi 04. Bob Duryea 05. Mary Cassidy 06. Lovejoy Duryea 07. Hildegard Jones 08. Nancy Reynolds 09. Kelso Sutton 10. Missy Chilton

11. Jim Tiberg 12. Sheila McCauley

08. Jim Erwin 09. Doug Moore

Second Flight Waterford Doubles

First Flight Waterford Doubles

01. Terry Cassidy 02. Jessica Beccia 03. Yolande Hadlock 04. Pam Walker 05. Susie Wagner 06. Maggie Kirkbride 07. Freear Pollard 08. Tom Hadlock 09. Franklin Perrell 10. John McGrath 11. David Beccia 12. David Platt

01. Bob Gannon 02. Rich Laging 03. Deborah Millican 04. Templeton Peck 05. Gary Anderson 06. Leo Leither 07. Lee Anderson 08. Ron Millican

Buffalo 6W Invitational August 5-8, 2021 Buffalo Croquet Club Buffalo, New York Championship Singles 01. Tim Rapuano 02. Rich Curtis 03. David Isaacs 04. Doug Moore 05. Norris Settlemyre 06. Paul Neubecker 07. Chris Patmore 08. Webster Bull 09. Jim Erwin First Flight Singles 01. Rich Laging 02. Ron Millican 03. Lee Anderson 04. Deborah Millican 05. Leo Leither 06. Ryan Thompson 07. Bob Gannon 08. Templeton Peck 09. Gary Anderson Second Flight Singles 01. Peter Bowers 02. Steve Poland 03. Paul Strada 04. John Welch 05. Jane Zhao 06. Bill Vrooman Championship Waterford Doubles 01. Chris Patmore 02. David Isaacs 03. Webster Bull 04. Paul Neubecker 05. Rich Curtis 06. Tim Rapuano 07. Norris Settlemyre

Second Flight Waterford Doubles 1. Bill Vrooman 2. Peter Bowers 3. Jane Zhao 4. Sue Sherer 5. Paul Strada 6. John Welch 7. Steve Poland

Massachusetts State Croquet Championship 2021 July 31 – August 1, 2021 Lenox Croquet Club Lenox, Massachusetts Final Order 01. Stuart Lawrence 02. Courtney Green 03. Bill Miller 04. Martie Ekstrom 05. Rita McNamara 06. Claude Lourie 07. Kathleen Green 07. Sarah Persons

National Croquet Club Singles Open July 16-18, 2021 National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, Florida Championship A 01. Sherif Abdelwahab 02. Randy Cardo 03. Dick Sullivan 03. Johnny Mitchell

First Flight B 01. Mijai Pagano 02. John Grabow 03. John Joseph 03. Randy Reid Second Flight A 01. Marsha Cargill 02. Anne Carr 03. Carl Archiniaco 03. Gerry Eubank Second Flight B 01. Bill Todd 02. David Paukovich 03. David Kepner 03. Sonia Alexandra 05. Byron Lee Third Flight A 01. Kat Robertson 02. Rosemarie Maccario 03. Jennifer Joseph 03. Jan Fisher Third Flight B 01. Jim Hester 02. Margaret Matuszak 03. Tom Lindley 03. Edmund Giancola

Seattle Open July 9-11, 2021 Puget Sound Croquet Club Seattle, Washington Championship Flight 01. Patrick Sweeney 02. Steve Scalpone 03. Jason Torla 04. Nick Gray 05. Cameron Guernsey 06. Gary Anderson 07. Wally Clark

Championship B 01. Lynda Sudderberg 02. Bill Trower 03. Beverley Cardo 03. John Warlick First Flight A 01. Robert Brightman 02. Nancy Crouch 03. Steve Grassbaugh 03. Jeff Morrison

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newmembers ALABAMA

Eufaula–Eufaula Country Club

Mary Barrows Glenn Kasper

Palm Beach Gardens– 9-Wicket Member

Linda Pikula

Palm Harbor–At Large Member

ALASKA

Kim Clark

Girdwood– Creaux Crique Croquet Club

The Villages– Villages Croquet Club, The

Willie Costello Phil Freeman

Christopher Gardiner Vero Beach–Oak Harbor Club

ARIZONA

Joanna Findley

Dee Dee Steiner Gary Steiner

Biggs Kilborne

Scottsdale–Mountain Mallets

CALIFORNIA

Rohnert Park– Sonoma Croquet Club

Jim Abbott Lori Abbott Trish Baldwin Julie Berman Alyce Sandbach Sarah Sanders Aaron Sanders

COLORADO

Denver–Denver Country Club

Morna Steninger

CONNECTICUT

Greenwich– Greenwich Croquet Club

Michael Holden Judy Holden Anne Miller Philip Miller

FLORIDA

Bonita Springs– Bonita Bay Club

John Grout Lynette Grout Fort Lauderdale – At Large Member

Irving Dobbs Robin Dobbs

Hobe Sound–At Large Member

West Palm Beach– At Large Member West Palm Beach– National Croquet Club

Bob Broadway Devin Burress Joni Cherbo Barbara Cook Abbe Horsburgh Linda Merk Franck Meunier Pamela Acheson Myers Courtenay Rodonets Nancy Sansalone Janet Schwartz John Strasser Louis Tyrrell Lucy Webster Michael Ziebarth Winter Park– Interlachen Country Club

Elizabeth Hartnett Robert Hartnett

GEORGIA

Atlanta–Peachtree Hills Place Croquet Club

Phillips Jones Sky Valley– Sky Valley Club, Inc.

Diane Heald Fred Heald

ILLINOIS

Chicago–At Large Member

April Ljung Michael Ljung Hobe Sound–Jupiter Island Club Julianne Migely Stephen Bent Peter Migely William Fisher Glencoe– Patricia Norton

Naples–Club Pelican Bay, The

Village of Glencoe Croquet Club

Ying Benns

Stella Nanos

Naples–Naples Croquet Club of Florida

Ying Benns Jeffrey Cohen Barbara Wolf

Naples– Wyndemere Country Club

Michael Hawke Candice Kehoe Kevin O'Driscoll Jicham Zaatini

Orlando– Country Club of Orlando, The

Deborah Cook Thomas Cook

INDIANA

Chesterton–At Large Member

Steve Beigle Roxann Erxleben Judith Sawyier Michael Sawyier

MAINE

Ellsworth– Woodlawn Croquet Program

Glenn McAndrews Oakland–At Large Member

Robert Mitchell

MARYLAND

Annapolis–St. Johns College

Charles Strong Jr

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MASSACHUSETTS Boston –At Large Member

Advit Agarwal Anne Stetson Lenox–Lenox Croquet Club

Paul Barros Kaveri Barros Martha Pike Bob Pike Jean Solomon

NEW CLUBS

Bentley University Club Team..........................Waltham, Massachusetts Creaux Crique Croquet Club........................................ Girdwood, Alaska Decker Lawn Croquet............................................... St. Louis, Missouri Lehi High School................................................................... Lehi, Utah Oak Harbor Club......................................................Vero Beach, Florida Village of Glencoe Croquet Club................................... Glencoe, Illinois

Marion– Marion Mallet Club Inc.

Nancy Corkery Karen Manning

NEW MEXICO

Cashiers– Trillium Links and Lake Club

SOUTH CAROLINA

Waltham–Bentley University Club Team

Scott Lucas

Janice Baysden Ronald Baysden

Robert Voigt

Rebecca Blakely Kolleen Bouchard Alex Bozek Louis Chambaud Maria Daly Cedric Dashiell II Melanie Dhaussy Jackson Downs Uzoemezie Edozie Maja Egger Taylor Gangi Seth Goldman Silvana Gomez Breese Hill Geoffrey Kollmer Ava Marko Erin McCool James Monday Shannon Ngo Rebecca Nguyen Isabella Pellegrine Sean Pocock Corey Sullivan Guillaume Tadyszak Paula Torres Leah Tufts Riordan West Geary Brian Wright-Kinsey

MISSISSIPPI

Guatier–Mississippi State Croquet Club at Mississippi

Patrick Gonzalez Stephen Mikel

Las Cruces–At Large Member

NEW YORK

Buffalo–Buffalo Croquet Club

Highlands–Highlands Falls Croquet Association

David Butler Joel MacDonald

Allyson Kirkpatrick Teri Young

Dunkirk–At Large Member

Robert Moss Locust Valley–Creek Club, The

Bryan McMillen New York– New York Croquet Club

Mark Altherr James Baker Susan Battley Jean Entwistle John Entwistle Louis Perlman Chiali Rousmaniere Joe Rousmaniere Quogue–At Large Member

Melissa Nelson Quogue–Quogue Field Club

Marcia Bradley Barbara Callahan Edward Callahan Edward Corballis Joan Corey Lynn Joyce Jack Lentz Mary Vermylen Carol Winklevoss

Highlands– Highlands Strikers Croquet Club

Cheryl Grigg Highlands– Wildcat Cliffs Country Club, Inc

Matt Fitzgerald Shirley Fitzgerald Ron Hilah Autrey Hilah Nancy Morley Russ Morley Louise Tranquilli Rick Tranquilli Kris Visk Mark Visk Linville–Grandfather Golf & Country Club

Hope Goins Ann Hitch Linville–Linville Croquet Club

Rebecca Elderkin Leigh Green

NEW JERSEY

Patricia Butler

Allison Wise

Spring Lake– Green Gables Croquet Club

Monica Anderson Annette Carrar Pamela Delaney Robert Delaney Elizabeth Kennedy Margaret Mahoney Nancy McMahon Eileen Mountford Ruthanne Wagner

Webster–At Large Member

NORTH CAROLINA Asheville– Deerfield Croquet Club

Herman Boda Lynn Boda Bald Head Island– Bald Head Island Croquet Club

Richard Beavers Cashiers–Cedar Creek Club

Ivo Dentchev

Kathleen Cooney

TENNESSEE

Chattanooga–Lookout Battleground Croquet Club

Brownwood–At Large Member

Margaret Hayden

Spring Lake–At Large Member

Okatie– Spring Island Croquet Club

Lake Toxaway–Lake Toxaway Mallet Club

James Peasley Southampton– Meadow Club of Southampton Deborah Edwards William Edwards

Linda Decker Ralph Decker

John Page Peggy Page

Ying Benns

Winston Salem– Arbor Acres Croquet

St. Louis–Decker Lawn Croquet

Greenville–At Large Member

Robert Wulbern Sharon Wulbern

Rochester– Rochester Croquet Club

MISSOURI

Charleston–Bishop Gadsden

OKLAHOMA

Tulsa–Tulsa Croquet Club

Deborah Godsey

OREGON

Portland– Portland Croquet Club

Kiki Bittner

PENNSYLVANIA

Hanover–At Large Member

Sean Miller Haverford– Merion Cricket Club

David McQuaid Pittsburgh–At Large Member

Ryan Eberlein

TEXAS

Bob Wall Houston– Houston Croquet Association

Elizabeth Gibbens Wayne Gibbens Dawn Herrington Elyse Lanier Kathryn Smyth Runnells Jackie Wallace Bass Wallace

VERMONT

Dorset–Dorset Field Club

Glenn Dunn Intida Sathityavanit Sara Zoric Steven Zoric

VIRGINIA

Hartfield–Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club

Lisa Maloney Williamsburg– At Large Member

Dianna Mattern

WEST VIRGINIA Berkeley Springs– At Large Member

Stephen Shultz Milton–At Large Member

Noel Jordan

WISCONSIN

Milwaukee– Milwaukee Croquet Club

Gwendolyn Connolly Sheboygan–At Large Member

R Timothy Ebenreiter Diane Ebenreiter

grandprixstandings 2021 A6W OVERALL GP TOP 60 (Updated 10/22/2021) # Player Singles Doubles Total 01 Randy Cardo 11930 9951 21881 02 Mike Taylor 10840 4460 15300 03 Sherif Abdelwahab 7800 6705 14505 04 David Ekstrom 8100 3307 11407 05 Matthew Essick 6300 5100 11400 06 Danny Huneycutt 8220 2992 11212 07 Beverley Cardo 3665 6786 10451 08 Shane Hettler 7500 2150 9650 09 Macey W. White 7940 1588 9528 10 Stephen Morgan 4200 5100 9300 11 Chris Barley 7200 1960 9160 12 David Isaacs 5200 3902 9102 13 Paul T. Bennett 6650 2410 9060 14 Timothy Rapuano 7290 800 8090 15 Derek Wassink 4000 3555 7555 16 Webster Bull 5580 1410 6990 17 Stuart Lawrence 6575 300 6875 18 Sandra Knuth 1930 3960 5890 19 Jodie Rugart 2620 2905 5525 20 John O. Brown 910 4590 5500 21 Scott Spradling 3660 1802 5462 22 Brett Stovall 2992 2368 5360 23 J. Gary Bennett 700 4550 5250 24 Richard G. Curtis 2500 2725 5225 25 James M. Spoonhour 3340 1460 4800 26 Matthew Griffith 3050 1730 4780 27 Doug Grimsley 2550 2100 4650 28 Robert Pulitzer 4590 4590 29 Rob Byrd 3540 1004 4544 30 David McCoy 2900 1642 4542 31 Robert Van Tassell 4402 4402 32 Steve Scalpone 1400 3000 4400 33 Brian D. Hovis 2610 1494 4104 34 Thomas Cooper 3876 3876 35 Daniel W. Pailas 2000 1820 3820 36 Adam Lassiter 3400 3400 37 Lynda P. Sudderberg 2400 982 3382 38 Mark Fields 2640 704 3344 39 Matt Baird 1530 1808 3338 40 Kevin McQuigg 1490 1808 3298 41 Richard Sheely 1700 1590 3290 42 Richard Sullivan 2300 982 3282 43 Patrick Sweeney 2800 360 3160 44 Ron Millican 2152 972 3124 45 Don C. Parker 3110 3110 46 Stephen P. Grassbaugh 1116 1765 2881 47 Bill Daigle 840 2016 2856 48 Gene Raymond 1200 1610 2810 49 Stewart Jackson 2805 2805 50 Linda Trifone 1206 1594 2800 51 Vickie Johnston 1731 1035 2766 52 Chris Patmore 400 2200 2600 53 Jeanne Branthover 1201 1335 2536 54 Bob Hafner 2335 150 2485 55 Matt B. Smith 2040 400 2440 56 Paul Neubecker 1200 1200 2400 57 John Knott 240 2016 2256 58 Leo McBride 1650 600 2250 59 Brian Zindel 758 1358 2116 60 George Cochran 2100 2100

2021 GC OVERALL GP TOP 30 (Updated 10/19/2021) # Player Singles Doubles Total 01 Macey White 4760 2178 6938 02 Sherif Abdelwahab 2940 2535 5475 03 Jeff Soo 4547 854 5401 04 Jim Teel 3666 1698 5364 05 Matthew Essick 3948 1128 5076 06 Blake Fields 2804 2052 4856 07 Mohammad Kamal 2702 2052 4754 08 Rich Dell 3243 888 4131 09 Kyle Maloof 2841 854 3695 10 David Maloof 2747 854 3601 11 Kent Lovvorn 2529 1059 3588 12 Cami Russack 1867 1507 3374 13 Tate Russack 2062 1279 3341 14 Ahab Dincer 1980 1128 3108 15 Billy Harper 2268 731 2999 16 Jimmy Huff 2123 839 2962 17 Danny Huneycutt 1558 1387 2945 18 Thomas Balding 1558 1387 2945 19 Amr Hamdy 1980 854 2834 20 Zack Watson 1980 854 2834 21 Bo Prillaman 1940 752 2692 22 Helen Covington 2134 552 2686 23 Alex Galasso 1626 1026 2652 24 Steve Thurston 1798 812 2610 25 Bill Simmons 1902 477 2379 26 James Creasey 1338 1025 2363 27 Jim Podraza 1689 660 2349 28 Cheryl Bromley 1199 1028 2227 29 Rick Darnell 1177 992 2169 30 Marcus Stearns 1607 504 2111 2021 AC OVERALL GP TOP 30 (Updated 6/11/2021) # Player Singles Doubles Total 01 Matthew Essick 2729 1612 4341 02 Stephen Morgan 2722 1075 3797 03 Jeff Soo 3014 635 3649 04 Charles Xavier 1472 1612 3084 05 Damon Bidencope 2102 863 2965 06 Sherif Abdelwahab 1472 1075 2547 07 Blake Fields 1682 863 2545 08 Thomas C. Balding 1606 863 2469 09 Danny Huneycutt 1631 635 2266 10 Macey W. White 1388 635 2023 11 Chris Barley 1573 415 1988 12 Shane Hettler 1472 415 1887 13 David Maloof 1472 415 1887 14 Daniel W. Pailas 1329 415 1744 15 Mathew Griffith 698 863 1561 16 Mike Taylor 893 635 1528 17 Kyle Maloof 1037 415 1452 18 Randy Cardo 812 635 1447 19 Michael Albert 870 415 1285 20 Merle Berkshire 563 635 1198 21 Rob Byrd 772 415 1187 22 Paul Neubecker 672 415 1087 23 Thomas Cooper 484 415 899 24 Gene Raymond 320 415 735 25 Jodie Rugart 567 168 735 26 Randy W. Reid 252 415 667 27 Sandra Knuth 247 415 662 28 Michael Todorovich 655 0 655 29 Ronald L. Eccles 293 297 590 30 Samual Collins 148 415 563

croquetamerica.com | 47

Reach Your Target

2022 Per Issue Advertising Rates Inside Front Cover (8.5” W x 11” H)...................................$850 Inside Back Cover (8.5” W x 11” H)...................................$850 Full Page (8.5” W x 11” H)................................................$700 Half Horizontal Island (4.875” H x 7.38” W).............................$475 Quarter Page (3.62” W x 4.875” H)...................................$295 One Sixth Page (2.34” W x 4.875” H)................................$150

Upcoming Ad/Copy Deadlines

2022 February Issue (Spring) – 01/14/22 2022 May Issue (Summer) – 04/22/22 2022 August Digital Only Issue (Fall) – 07/15/22 2022 November Issue (Winter) – 10/28/22

For a full 2022 Croquet News media kit, contact Dylan Goodwin at uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com

USCA 2021-2022 Sanctioned Events DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, the tournment calendar is rapidly changing. For the most up-to-date event listings, please check www.croquetamerica.com/calendar/tournaments/. Entry forms to USCA events will now be emailed to members and can also be found on the USCA website at: www.croquetamerica.com/members/forms/ or call the USCA office (561) 478-0760 for a copy.

December

February

12/1/2021 - 12/2 2021

2/2/2022 - 2/3/2022

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

USCA Golf Croquet School | GC

12/3/2021 - 12/5 2021

2/16/2022 - 2/20/2022

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL

USCA Golf Croquet Club Teams | GC 12/10/2021 - 12/12 2021

NCC Club Doubles American Rules | US

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Timothy McCormick | 207-329-5343 | tmccorm1@gmail.com

12/10/2021 - 12/12/2021

The Holiday Invitational (6W) | US

Sarasota County Croquet Club | Venice, FL Nancy Hart | 803-530-2035 | nh13sc@gmail.com

12/12/2021

MacRobertson Shield Team Selection Availability Deadline | AC

January 1/6/2022 - 1/9/2022

Steuber Classic (6W, GC) | US & GC 2/22/2022 - 2/26/2022

Mission Hills Invitational (6W) | US

Mission Hills Country Club \ Rancho Mirage, CA Nicholas Gray | 760-770-2052 | nickgray723@comcast.net

March 3/3/2022 - 3/6/2022

Blaine Davis Invitational (6W) | US

Gasparilla Mallet Club | Boca Grande, FL Bob Worrell | 402-677-2683 | rgworrell@hotmail.com

3/8/2022 - 3/10/2022

USCA American Rules School | US

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

USCA Florida Regional Golf Croquet | GC

Sarasota County Croquet Club | Venice, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

1/11/2022 - 1/15/2022

Desert Classic (AC) | AC

Mission Hills Country Club | Rancho Mirage, CA Nicholas Gray | 760-770-2052 | nickgray723@comcast.net

1/11/2022 - 1/13/2022

USCA American Rules School | US

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

1/14/2022 - 1/16/2022

NCC Club Singles Championship (6W) | US

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Timothy McCormick | 207-329-5343 | tmccorm1@gmail.com

1/19/2022 - 1/23/2022

Beach Club Invitational | US

Whether buying or selling, trust the largest transaction of your life to a proven professional.

Linda Grady, PA 561-512-0852

lindagradyrealtor@gmail.com

The Beach Club | Palm Beach, FL Danny Huneycutt | 336-764-4554 | huney1322@gmail.com

1/20/2022 - 1/23/2022

Women’s Hurricane GC Open | GC

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Priscilla M Flowers | 828-421-3543 | pmflowers375@gmail.com

1/27/2022 - 1/30/2022

Jones Invitational (6W) | US

Sarasota County Croquet Club | Venice, FL Nancy Hart | 803-530-2035 | nh13sc@gmail.com

croquetamerica.com | 49

3/9/2022 - 3/10/2022

SHOP

USCA

Whatever the occasion think USCA for those special gifts Books

Croquet the Sport - By Jack Osborn (Hard Cover) ............................................................$24.95 Croquet the Sport - By Jack Osborn (Paperback)...............................................................$15.95 Croquet - By J.W. Solomon....................................................................................................... $25.00 It’s a Wicket Kitchen Cookbook................................................................................................ $12.00 Monograph Series On Club Building Vol.1, 2 or 3 @$9.95 or all three for $25.00.......................................................................... $25.00 USCA Croquet Shot-Making Manual.........................................................................................$15.95 USCA Rulebook (revised 2013 edition)....................................................................................$ 7.00 International Rules -The Laws of Association Croquet.................................................... $12.00 Golf Croquet Rulebook.................................................................................................................$7.00 A Guide to Croquet Court Planning, Building & Maintenance.........................................$39.95

CD’s

Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD & Bound Books (Beg/Interm/Adv)....................................................................................$124.95 Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD & Unbound Books (Beg/Interm/Adv)..........................................................................................$72.95 Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD (Advanced)......................................................................................$29.95 Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD (Beg/Interm)...................................................................................$29.95 Bob & Ted’s Strategy CD (Beg/Interm/Advanced)...............................................................$39.95 Bob & Ted’s “Know the Rules” CD Understanding the USCA Rules ..............................................................................................$24.95

DVD’s

2004 USCA National Singles Final DVD..................................................................................$10.00 Bob & Ted’s “Mastering Croquet Shots” DVD.......................................................................$29.95 Bob & Ted’s “Excellent Croquet” DVD.....................................................................................$49.95 Bob & Ted’s “Most Wanted Croquet Strategy” 2 Disc DVD................................................$64.95 Bob & Ted’s “Break Play - What You Need to Know” DVD.................................................$29.95 Bob & Ted’s “Staying Alive” DVD - Winning Croquet Tactics............................................$39.95 Bob & Ted’s “You Make the Call” DVD.....................................................................................$29.95 Bob & Ted’s “Excellent” & “Most Wanted” DVD set.............................................................$99.95 Bob & Ted’s “Staying Alive” and “You Make the Call” DVD set...................................... $64.90 Bob & Ted’s “Excellent”, “Most Wanted”,“Staying Alive” 3 DVD set............................$140.95 Bob & Ted’s Four DVD set.........................................................................................................$170.00 Bob & Ted’s Five DVD set..........................................................................................................$185.00 Kamal vs Rothman - GC Pasadena Playoff.............................................................................$19.95 USCA Historical Video DVD.........................................................................................................$15.95

USCA Golf Croquet School | GC

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

3/11/2022 - 3/13/2022

USCA Croquet Week Golf Croquet Tournament | GC National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

3/15/2022 - 3/16/2022

USCA American Rules Tournament Play School | US National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

3/17/2022 - 3/20/2022

USCA Club Teams (6W) | US

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

April 4/5/2022 - 4/7/2022

USCA American Rules School | US

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

4/7/2022 - 4/10/2022

The Sarasota Open (AC) | AC

Sarasota County Croquet Club | Venice, FL Nancy Hart | 803-530-2035 | tnh13sc@gmail.com

4/21/2022 - 4/24/2022

USCA SE Regional GC | GC

Croquet Club of Dataw Island | Dataw Island, SC Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

4/28/2022 - 5/12/022

USCA Golf Croquet Eights | GC

Sarasota County Croquet Club | Venice, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

May 5/5/2022 - 5/8/2022

Rockfish Open (GC) | GC

Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA Macey W. White | 804-694-9771 | maceywhite@gmail.com

CDs & DVDs are not returnable.

5/16/2022 - 5/22/2022

Clothing

Defective disks may be replaced within 2 weeks of purchase. USCA Logo Hats - Brim: S/M L/XL Baseball: One Size....................................................... $20.00 USCA Jacket with Logo on front............................................................................................$80.00 USCA Shirts (USCA Logo or Croquet Week).........................................................................$40.00 USCA Logo Long-Sleeve Shirts................................................................................................$50.00 USCA logo Ladies Sweater....................................................................................................... $70.00

Misc.

Large Mallet Cover with USCA Logo..........................................Up to 12” mallet head – $52.95 Small Mallet Cover with USCA Logo...........................................Up to 9” mallet head – $49.95 Note Cards or Croquet Party Invitations (10/pk)..................................................................$5.00 Croquet Paper Placemats (24/pk)...........................................................................................$10.00 USCA Patch Small...........................................................................................................................$5.00 USCA Ballmarkers (dozen)............................................................................................................$1.00 USCA Cufflinks (USCA shield)...................................................................................................$29.95

Prices subject to change

Contact the USCA at 561-478-0760; fax: 561-686-5507; email usca@msn.com or mail to

USCA, 700 Florida Mango Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33406

50 | croquetamerica.com

USCA Golf Croquet Nationals | GC 5/19/2022 - 5/22/2022

USCA SE Regional 6W | US

Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club | Hartfield, VA Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

June 6/16/2022 - 6/19/2022

New York State Golf Croquet Championship | GC New York Croquet Club | New York, NY Ezra Roth | 612-701-4675 | ezra.a.roth@gmail.com

July 7/30/2022 - 7/30/2022

The Tiger Wicket (6W) | US

New York Croquet Club | New York, NY Ezra Roth | 612-701-4675 | ezra.a.roth@gmail.com

NEED HELP? LEARN FROM THE PROS Whether you are new to the game or just want to learn some of the finer points of the game

USCA CROQUET SCHOOLS

can add that extra boost to help get your game started the right way

Learn with USCA Certified Instructors

5 hours/day of on-court instruction Learn shotmaking skills and strategy tips Official USCA Rulebook (for new American Rules or Golf Croquet members) USCA Shot making manual (for first time American Rules students only)

Daily Continental Breakfast and Lunches Certificate of Completion and Class Photograph

USCA Schools are held at the National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, Florida

UPCOMING DATES American Rules January 11-13, 2022 March 8-10, 2022 April 5-7, 2022

Golf Croquet

December 1-2, 2021 February 2-3, 2022 March 9-10, 2022

Association Laws October 26, 2022

PRIVATE GROUP PROGRAM

Groups of 6 or more players (of the same level) may arrange for a date (dependent on court and instructor availability) that is convenient for group’s participants with special group rates

Registration is easy. Just go to our website www.croquetamerica.com and find the event on our calendar. Click on the event and it will take you to the registration link. Contact the USCA office for more information 561-478-0760 or email tournament@uscroquet.com

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2021 Croquet News Volume 4: Strong Comeback

Articles inside

Courtside with Damon Bidencope

The Inbox

2021 GC Nationals