All’s Well That Ends ... in a Tie?

By Doug Moore & Carla Rueck

Seventy-four players in three flights competed in singles and doubles this year in sunny South Florida at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach. Players came from all over the country to compete in five flights of singles and three flights of doubles. Block play throughout the week progressed relatively smoothly. Except, from the tournament directors’ points of view … it did get tricky keeping track of two J. Josephs’, two D. Huneycutt’s, more than one Cardo, Duryea, Griffith, McGrath, Millican, Rugart, Shorthouse and Spradling as well as a pair of McAndrews brothers. All that was missing was two turtle doves and a partridge in a palm tree. Needless to say, as co-directors, we did get a little tongue-tied and twisted from time to time.

Bobbi Shorthouse and Larry Lynch

The one game that must be mentioned, which was also the fan favorite, was the Midnight Mallet Match that took place Thursday night between Leo McBride and Tim Bitting facing off against Dick Sullivan and Bob Van Tassell. Daylight savings cost us an hour of light and darkness was setting in shortly after the coin toss. Before you knew it, players and spectators were pulling out cell phones for flashlights. The situation needed to be remedied, but one team refused to peg the game down and the other refused to move to the court with the lights … luckily none of these stubborn quixotic curmudgeons were hurt (to the relief of the TDs). So, they played on, and McBride and Bitting pulled off an exciting victory well into the dark of night.

As is often the case in this crazy sport of croquet, Mother Nature was the relentless force. Scheduling was tricky because the tournament needed to end early for an NCC corporate event on Wednesday and the Hall of Fame dinner on Friday. Not dreamy conditions for the Tournament Directors’ team, but the playoffs were going to be great. Until they weren’t. Just as the last of the semifinal matches were finishing up, the rain came, and it was a deluge. Play was permanently suspended. What to do? The Tournament Directors and Tournament Manager decided: all’s well that ends … in a tie.

Jennifer Joseph and the rains came

“So, they left the subject and played croquet, which is a very good game for people who are annoyed with one another, giving many opportunities for venting rancor.”

Randy and Beverley Cardo

On behalf of the both of us, we leave you with one of our favorite croquet quotes from Rose Macaulay:

“So, they left the subject and played croquet, which is a very good game for people who are annoyed with one another, giving many opportunities for venting rancor.”

Mark Ski and Doug Moore

Cameron James and Debra Millican