2019 Croquet News Volume 3

CroquetNews USCA GOES SOCIAL

2019 National Croquet Day

The Official Magazine of the United States Croquet Association | 2019 Volume 3

Made in Australia

THE PFC HOOP MAKER ZELATRON STRIKING FACE MALLET Today’s technology has enabled the manufacture of the ZELATRON striking face mallet using a compound formulated by a croquet playing chemical engineer early in 2018.

Being a little ‘softer’ than other striking faces it ‘grips’ the ball better enabling more predictable rolls, passing rolls and rushes in Six Wicket American and more predictable distance strokes and jumps in GC Croquet.

AND With SHOCK ABSORBING TECHNOLOGY – to make each stroke more of a pleasure.

With IMPACT SENSITIVITY – to give you maximum feel in each stroke.

With SWEET SPOT IMPACT SOUND – to tell you have hit the ball in the centre of the mallet,

your croquet game will reach a new level of pleasure.

All these features are possible only using UNIQUE ALLOYS, UNIQUE STRIKING FACES and our patented INTERNAL DESIGN, made on a quarter of a million-dollar machine to within 1,000th of an inch tolerance, to give you the possibility of far greater control over your game

9 5/8 STANDARD

11” COMPETITION

Both mallets are available weighing 2lbs. 6ozs or 2lbs. 14.9ozs. (with a 36” handle) For folk with Arthritis or problematic hands, arms, shoulders or backs we strongly recommend you consider the lighter mallet. The really are wonderful solution for these problems.

All PFC Mallets are finely engineered using weather and moisture impervious Alloys so they come with a 5-year parts and labour guarantee (grips excluded) For more details please visit our web site www.croquetmalletmetal.com

The National Croquet Centre has stock so please contact Vickie Johnston: TEL 561 478 2300

CroquetNews 2019 Volume 3

Features 16 | 2019 US Hall of Fame Inductees 22 | National Croquet Day 26 | Club: Sparks Elementary School 28 | Member Profile: Lynda Sudderberg 36 | Event Reports

Departments 03 | Courtside with Sara Low 06 | The Clubhouse 09 | Who Am I? 15 | New Membership 30 | Let’s Talk Tactics 32 | GC America 34 | 9W Roundup 44 | 2019 Grand Prix Update

On The Cover:

Greg Clouse served as our hand model for this shot taken at the Kactus Creek Croquet Club in Parkville, Mo.

Publisher:

Dylan Goodwin | uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com

Editor:

Julie Jantzer-Ward

Inquiries

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

Text should be submitted as a Microsoft Word file and photos need to be FULL resolution (300 dpi).

All content may be edited for length and photos will be adjusted appropriately. Croquet News is produced 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. © 2019 United States Croquet Association

courtside

All Around the World The world is all about croquet this summer. At least it seems to be and Americans are playing everywhere.

In Spain and in England, croquet is being played at high levels of competition and US players are there. In addition to the competitors at the British Croquet Open, two US players played in the Under-21 Golf Croquet World Championships. Plus, Ireland is gearing up for an Irish women’s team to play against a team of women from the USCA. Go USA! Here at home, we are in the midst of tournaments—both regional and club levels—as well as more casual play.

Under the hot sun or cloudy skies, regional championships are off and running: American Six Wicket, Association Rules and Golf Croquet.

Private clubs are hosting tournaments from the traditional event at the Meadow Club on Long Island, N.Y., to the crazy and beloved Woodlawn Big Lobster in Ellsworth, Maine.

As air temperatures soar, croquet fever heats up. In early June, Annual Croquet Day brought long-standing croquet players and new recruits to the courts when clubs and players all over the US competed to show their best moves on Facebook and the lawns. Everyone was a winner, but those receiving prizes are highlighted in this issue of Croquet News.

Impressive competition is coming through in the many games played outside of tournaments. Cheers to the competitors who escape to play in the cool of the mountains, where there is better weather for outdoor activity, and applause to the people in warmer climates, such as Florida and Texas, who play in summer leagues.

I reserve top credit for those who create games of croquet where none existed before. In Rhode Island, a group of players gathered to take part in American Six Wicket doubles. Members of the group are associated in some way with Rhode Island—whether they spend the summer there, were originally born in the state, currently live in RI or just visit. This is not a club or structured event, just players who gather to play for the love of the game and a crystal trophy.

There are also fledglings: the croquet organizations that will be and that are currently being planned. Massachusetts alone has three: one on Cape Cod, one near Boston and one in New Bedford. These are organized by people who want to share this wonderful sport.

You see, croquet is all over the world. I hope you will be playing soon.

Sara Low

USCA President | president@uscroquet.com

croquetamerica.com | 3

To Those Who The Croquet Foundation of America

2018 Donor Wall of Honor Archie Peck Society - $35,000+ Hal Denton

President’s Circle - $10,000 to $14,999 Michael & Cynthia Gibbons Charlotte Hapak David McCoy Mary Lou Wagner

Leadership Circle - $5,000 to $8,999 Anonymous Baker Charitable Trust Digby Bridges Randy Cardo Edith Hall Friedheim Joy Guernsey-Diesel Vickie Johnston Dr. and Mrs. Alexander Lane San Francisco Croquet Club Ruth Summers

Gold - $500 to $999

Bob & Missy Chilton Esperanza (Hope) Harmon Highlands Country Club Oklahoma City Community Foundation Carla Rueck Michael Todorovich Susan Varey Anyse Winston

Patron Circle - $1,000 to $4,999 Ronald & Betsy Atkins Robert & Joan Comeau Harvey Geiger Conner Helms Brian & Pamela McIver Dr. Ralph & Lynn Olsen Ellen Playford Howard Sosin Marguerite Stinson Tom Tribby Lynda Sudderberg & Steve Grassbaugh

Silver - $100 to $499 Victoria Albrecht Billie Jean Berne Betty Crisler Marvin & Rita Ginsky Great Give – United Way Charles K. Loving, Jr. Thomas McCarthy Thomas & Barbara O’Laughlin Jo Papaleo Freear Pollard Joseph Warren Don Whalen Michael & Ann Young

Bronze - Up to $99 Amazon Smile Ginny Coyle Arthur Einstein Abe & Brenda Himelstein Geraldine McCauley Conrad & Jodie Rugart Marie Sweetser Steve & Laura Warner

Thank You on Behalf of Croquet Players Everywhere!

Please accept our apologies and call to our attention any errors or omissions.

Support the Game 2018 Volunteer Wall of Honor The Board of Directors of the Croquet Foundation of America is deeply grateful to the following croquet players who, during the year 2018, so generously donated their time and expertise to help the Foundation achieve its mission of promoting and developing the sport of croquet.

We literally could not have survived without you.

Sherif Abdelwahab Victoria Albrecht Charlie Alexander Bob Alman Ron Atkins Stuart Baker Carol & John Bannister James Bartle Anthea & John Blamire Dick Brackett Digby Bridges Cynnie Cagney Janet Catalano Missy & Bob Chilton Lois Clay Marianne Davidson Hal Denton Carol DiFazio Russell Dilley Lovejoy & Bobby Duryea Gerry Eubank Sandy Feeney Clint Fowlkes Connie & Wayne Gallo Harvey Geiger Linda & Jim Grady Tom Graham Stephen Grassbaugh Ron Grinsky Jill Harrold

Conner Helms Nanci Hunt Lin Irey Julia Johnston Vickie Johnston Peter Just Gerald Kagan Sharon Kenrick Sandra Knuth Lee Little Pat & Harry Lloyd Tim McCormick Millie & David McCoy Mac McDermott Johnny Mitchell Jeff Morrison Lenore Orlowska-Warren John Osborn John Parker Barbara Perlman Sheila Peterson Scott Reiser Marie Rittman Mary Robb Kat Robinson Carla Rueck Dick Scherf Mary Shields Rose Slaymaker Howard Sosin

David Spivey Arlene Strauss Lynda Sudderberg Ruth Summers Marie Sweetser Jim Taylor Tom Tribby Bill Trower Bob Van Tassel Sue Varey Mary Lou Wagner Julia Wallace John Warlick Donald Warren Derek Wassink Don Whalen Anyse Winston

We worked hard to ensure that this list is complete and secure. But mistakes happen.

If you notice any errors or omissions, please accept our apologies and do bring this to our attention.

W. David McCoy, Chairman Croquet Foundation of America

TheClubhouse MULTIPLE CLUB MEMBERS

New Class II (Regional) American Rules Referee

You asked, and we heard. Members can now list with the USCA all the croquet clubs they belong to, for just a small fee. Some of our members belong to more than one croquet club but opted to list only one club with the USCA to avoid paying USCA membership dues at all croquet clubs to which they belong. Now USCA members can list all their croquet club memberships by annually paying only an administration fee in addition to their first USCA membership.

Carla Rueck - Merrick, N.Y.

New Class III (Club) American Rules Referees Michael Kline - Belleair, Fla. James Orr - Belleair, Fla. Jim Watrous - Belleair, Fla.

Example: Mr. Flag belongs to the Wicket Croquet Society, the Stripes Croquet Association and Boola-Boola Hoops. Before this, Flag was a member of the USCA only through the Wicket Croquet Society and paid reduced membership fees to the Stripes Croquet Association and Boola-Boola Hoops. Now Flag can opt to join the USCA through the Wicket Croquet Society and for a $25 fee list his memberships at the other two clubs, still paying reduced membership fees to the Stripes Croquet Association and Boola-Boola Hoops. In 2019, an individual member of two clubs will have a savings of $40; for three clubs, the member will see a savings of $105. And the member gets to list all his croquet clubs!

NEW Class III (Club) American Rules Instructor

Gene Raymond - Venice, Fla./Linville, N.C.

NEW Class III (Club) Golf Croquet Referees

Julia Johnston - Boca Raton, Fla. Bill Trower - West Palm Beach, Fla.

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Golf Croquet: Steady Rise in the New Century

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

GC PARTICIPATION: As noted in the Southeast GC Regional report on page 42, GC entries continue to trend up. This chart tracks the WCF GC Rankings back to 2000 and indicates the number of US players that registered at least one game in each year. The 2019 figure denotes the number of US players active with at least one ranked GC game in the last 12 months. The trendline repesents a five-year moving average.

6 | croquetamerica.com

USCA Management Committee

James Hinson Hall, Jr. 1952-2019

________________________

James Hinson Hall, Jr., 66, (Jim the Cable Guy) beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather and friend, passed peacefully on May 12, 2019. He was born September 16, 1952, in Monroe, La., to James Hinson Hall, Sr,. and Anne Lewis Hall and was the oldest of four children. He spent his childhood years in Louisiana and Mississippi but graduated from Sarasota High School in Sarasota, Fla. Jim wed his wife Peggy on November 27, 1982, and together they enjoyed more than 37 years of marriage. Jobs in the cable television industry took him all over; he spent most of his career years living in Alpharetta, Ga., working for Showtime Networks, Inc. With the expansion and growth of Plantation Cablevision, a family business, Jim and his family moved out to Lake Oconee, Ga., in the late 1990s.

Jim was inducted into the Cable Pioneers in 1998 for his innovation and dedication to the industry.

Jim was a member of Greensboro First United Methodist Church where he was not only generous in donations to missions but also was instrumental in developing the video and sound systems at his church. Jim was always full of joy and the life of the party. He loved to sing and was known for his beautiful voice. He enjoyed playing American Six Wicket Croquet and was the Georgia State Champion for many years. He always had time for his friends, offering a shoulder to cry on or a joke to laugh at. We will remember those happy times and his belly laugh will live on in our memories.

Jim is survived by his wife Peggy, daughter Ashley Thompson (Billy) and son Hinson Hall, grandson Anson Thompson, father James Hinson Hall, Sr., siblings John Hall (Paulette), Joel Hall, Jan Dugan (Mark) and nieces and nephews Audrey Dugan, Josh Dugan (Abbie), Sean Dugan and Hank Hall.

Jim was interred at Walker United Methodist Church Cemetery following a service at Greensboro First United Methodist Church on May 14, 2019, with Rev. Mike Morgan, Rev. Hugh Hendrickson, Pastor Merry Grayson and Dr. Jay Hodges officiating. Serving as pallbearers were Andrew Maddox, David Altmiller, Billy Wagner, Donald Smith, Matt Fontana and Chris Martin. Visit www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

John's Island Croquet Club

Ken Eckhart

L. Patton Kline

Mountain Lake Croquet Club

Priscilla J. Lamond

Pinehurst Croquet Club

John's Island Croquet Club

David Fullen

At Large Member and Croquet Canada Club

Burlingame Country Club

Jim Hall Jr.

At Large Member

Eileen Holberg

The Beach Club

First Vice President Damon Bidencope damonbidencope@bidencope.com Second Vice President Don Oakley Croquetdon@gmail.com Treasurer David Isaacs daisaacs@gmail.com Secretary Carla Rueck cprueck@aol.com United States Croquet Association (USCA) 700 Florida Mango Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Tel. (561) 478-0760 Fax (561) 686-5507 Email: usca@msn.com Website: www.croquetamerica.com ________________________ REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS Florida Gene Raymond (919) 612-3366 generaymond1@gmail.com Mid-Atlantic Timothy Rapuano (201) 887-0787 in9inches@gmail.com Midwest Russell S. Dilley (317) 903-6852 rs.dilley@comcast.net Northeast Patricia Spratt (860) 227-7297 psprattct@aol.com Southeast Macey White (804) 832-2824 maceywhite@gmail.com

PASSAGES Mary Daly

President Sara Low president@uscroquet.com

Western Rory Kelley (602) 686-3941 rory.kelley.43@aol.com ________________________ USCA STAFF

Kevan O'Connor

Membership Coordinator Ursula Peck membership@uscroquet.com

Warren Phillips

Tournament & Schools Johnny Mitchell tournament@uscroquet.com

National Croquet Club

Ham Shippee

Rumson Country Club

Bookkeeper Janice Arroyo admin@uscroquet.com www.CroquetAmerica.com croquetamerica.com | 7

theclubhouse

THE JOYS OF COACHING

A Primer on Helping Less Experienced Players, Winning Friends and Making Croquet a Better Sport

By Macey White Don’t be afraid of coaching. Helping others with the game is fun and has great rewards for you and for the sport!

Anyone can be a coach to a less experienced player. You don’t have to be a championship player to help new players learn the game. To the newbie, a person who has played for a few months is an expert. The person who has been playing for only a few months may also be able to relate to the newbie better than the old grizzled pro.

Helping less experienced players is a great way to meet new people and make new friends.

Coaching others will most likely improve your own game. When you show someone else something new to them, you will be asked questions that you never asked yourself. You can often learn more by teaching others than by taking a lesson yourself.

Helping new players will facilitate networking and create friendships among players at your club. For example, if you helped Sally yesterday and Bill the day before, maybe today you suggest that Sally play Bill and you can help them both. Most importantly, there is great joy in simply helping others.

8 | croquetamerica.com

How do you start? Scan the courts and find someone who is by themselves or a group of three. Go over and ask, “Can I play with you?” If the answer is yes, you are off to the races. If the answer is, “I’m waiting for Bill,” follow with, “How about if we warm up together while you are waiting?” Or they may say, “You are so much better than me. I’ll just get thumped.” You can follow with, “We don’t have to play a real game; let’s just practice together.”

Sometimes at our club I see people I don’t know watching from the sidelines. Wow! An opportunity to recruit another player/friend/ club member. On first approach, most of these people are curious but shy and will politely give a “no thank you” to an offer to play.

I use a more-stealthy approach. I say, “Come over here with me. I want to show you this grass” (most people are amazed by croquet grass). Feel the grass, marvel at it and discuss the type of grass, and maybe explain a little on how it is maintained. Then, “Want to hit a ball? Here’s a ball and you can use my mallet. Want to shoot a hoop?

Want to play a short game?” An hour later, you are making plans for your new friends to come back and play again.

Attire should not be a reason to keep from introducing a new player to croquet. If your club has a strict “all whites” policy, see if you can get special permission to occasionally let a beginner play in street clothes. Or better yet, get your club to relax the “all white” policy.

Who am I?

I dabbled in science fiction writing in the 1970s. Was I a flash-in-the-pan or Flash Gordon?

Whites can be a barrier to entry to the sport. By the way, most British clubs no longer have an “all-white” policy for casual play.

Some tips on making the session enjoyable: 1. Let the less experienced player play and replay shots. Turn a game into a learning experience.

2. Keep it simple. Plenty of time is available in the future to teach the complexities. Progress from the simple to the more complex slowly. Try not to “over-coach.” Give a few words of advice and try to focus on one simple thing at a time.

3. Use simple language, some croquet terms can be confusing.

Terms that are second nature to us are foreign to a newbie.

4. When they are in the “stance,” let them play without talking so they can concentrate on the one item you have suggested.

Encourage the player to replay shots that are not hit well.

5. Try starting with golf croquet. It is easier to learn.

6. Give tactical or strategic advice that is appropriate for the skill level of the player and no more. If you are playing six wicket with a beginner, don’t play or attempt to teach championship level shots or strategy. Beginner players in six wicket will not be able to attack from the sidelines nor will they be punished by a beginner opponent if they leave their ball on the court. Have them go straight to the next wicket. They will have more fun hitting balls and accumulating deadness than hiding on the sidelines. Let them make mistakes, learn from their mistakes and learn what they can and can’t get away with when playing their same-skill level opponents.

7. And make sure you are both having fun. Some joking and laughing will make this a great experience for all concerned.

My transition from nine wicket “guerilla croquet” to “USCA-style croquet” began in 1982, after reading an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about Jack Osborn and the USCA. I got hooked and joined the San Francisco Croquet Club (SFCC). I then introduced one of my croquet guerillas to the SFCC, and he is now online about croquet 24/7.

Talk about the Chronicle, I got involved on the ground floor of croquet publishing in the 1980s. You’ve probably seen my work somewhere.

Talk about croquet publications, one day driving from New York to California, I took a pit stop in Ohio and rediscovered something fascinating about a US President.

On March 6, 2010, I sat courtside and did play-by-play (for anyone willing to listen) of the shocking upset victory of Robert “Sandy Bob” Van Tassel over Ben Rothman in the finals of the Mission Hills Invitational.

I inadvertently invented a golf croquet shot where two wickets are scored on one shot, which was named after me that day by my victim, the author of this article.

I have a red jacket in my closet, baby!

Do you? By the way, I have defeated the following legends in Association Croquet matches: Ben Rothman, Jerry Stark, Paul Bennett (twice, take that!), Mik Mehas, Jim Bast, Mark Avery and Debbie Cornelius.

Have you?

Not only do I have my own website, but it contains the definition of the word “Orgulous.” Do you know what that means?

Can you guess, Who am I?

Find someone to coach and have fun, make friends, play well! croquetamerica.com | 9

theclubhouse

QUADWAY HOOP ASSESSMENT:

CAN THEY PLAY "NICE" IN THE SANDPIT?

By Damon Bidencope

The Quadway Hoop was recently tested for the first time in a North American tournament.

Simon Jenkins, the US agent for Quadway and Terminator mallets, graciously provided the hoops. This trial is significant because the predominant construction method for courts in the US is sand-based or a sand-based root zone mix, which is not the case in many other playing countries. So how did these Kiwi hoops (wickets) stack up when playing in our sand box?

The event was the Croquet Network States Shield Southeast Quad Qualifier golf croquet team competition played at Tega Cay, S.C., with teams from North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. The court has a mini-verde (dwarf Bermuda) grass on an eight- to 10-inch root zone mix of mostly sand. The court speed was 16.5 nels / 9.5 feet on a stim meter after significant rain showers. The current hoop design has adjustability of four settings 3 & ¾ inches, 3 & 47/64 inches, 3 & 44/64 inches, 3 & 43/64 inches, which gives a 5/16-inch range.

The dibber tool (pictured) was used to provide the precise hole to receive the hoop/wicket carrots so the setting of court was quick and easy. Using the dibber negated the chance and poor practice of pounding the cross bar of the hoop and bowing the legs out if the cross bar deflects and eliminated the wear and tear of the hoop finish. It also placed all the hoops with uniform widths and within tournament specification in a snap. By eliminating the outside pressure from clamping, the hoops remained constant, whereas the former practice places pressure from a clamp that releases and during a day the width changes or reverts.

Below are comments collected from several of the top players reflecting on the performance of the hoops at the event:

David Maloof “Surprisingly good in the wet soil. Even when the hoops loosened a bit, they still rejected mediocre shots. I have had a chance to test the hoops in soft soil playing AC. My first impression was that they were not much more difficult than our three fin hoops, but our members were struggling with them. The bottom line is that they don't react well to bad swings.

We are most likely going to order two more sets for Linville Ridge, based on the ease of setting them. I would love to see how they would work for a National Championship. From my experience with them in New Zealand, they could make us all better players.”

10 | croquetamerica.com

Gene Raymond “The hoops were fine. Their ease in setting up is great. They require some time to become accustomed to the characteristics and ultimately may make you a better shooter. If they are the international standard for hoops, then we may want to increase their use in the US to be more widespread.”

Robert Hurst “Preface to all my thoughts is that I was out of practice and had relatively few chances to see how the hoops react to a wide variety of shots. I was extremely skeptical that the Quadway hoops would hold up in soft, wet sand. I was impressed to see that they did. I wonder if that has anything to do with the dibber method of setting them, which must compact, to some extent, the sand/substrate immediately adjacent to the carrot/parsnip (whatever it’s being called).

They are bouncy, and that leads to rejections at angles and shot end points, that I have really just never seen. I thought that they were fair and really couldn’t be bullied (they gave a bit but still rejected).

Without perfect pace, they were hard to jaws. They rejected a couple of shots that I saw that hit them squarely in the teeth, perhaps unfairly. It’s not up to me whether that is desirable or not.

I’ve not played them in difficult conditions, trying to make peels, or in circumstances of needing to run them with specific control, so I can’t really give any opinion about any of those circumstances.

For golf croquet, in wet conditions on a sand based lawn, they put up as much resistance as any hoop I’ve played, and in my mind (moisture being a big factor), including super hoops.”

Chris Barley “I thoroughly enjoyed playing them. Granted it was soft. I saw some big swings move them because it was so wet and the sand foundation (used for excellent drainage) naturally has some give. I found playing to the jaws...either were in the jaws or got bumped against the stanchion, effectively punishing a bad attempt with two more turns to get through, despite that they were set wider than I’ve seen other hoops in tournament play. Possibly because we had so many matches to get through.”

Matthew Essick “I was against using these hoops prior to the event, due to a fear of wear and tear throughout the course of a day causing the hoops to become loose. Despite the weather, they stayed firm and consistent.

Now a very big fan of the Quadway hoops moving forward.”

Jeff Soo “Since we didn't do a side-to-side test, my conclusions are tentative, but I do think even in wet sandy soil the hoops were more likely to reject gentle and moderately-paced shots than standard hoops.

Deliberate jaws attempts were difficult. There is a springiness to the hoops that seems to offset the softness of the turf (at least to some extent). Having played a couple of events in New Zealand with these hoops, I know they are challenging in firm soil, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well they performed here.”

Final Analysis Personally, I was skeptical. The key features were the ease of adjustment, the uniformity of setting across all hoops using the dibber tool and the long-term benefit of letting the dibber take the pounding and not the hoop crown.

The areas for improvement: increasing the mass of the hoop to resist deflection from a half jump at pace (I understand the manufacturer has made modifications in that direction already) and dampening the sound from rejection if possible.

The one area that I believe would be the Holy Grail for a “club hoop” is also offer adjustability to a four-inch width for beginners. This could be done with an alternate cross bar that is a quarter-inch longer or a cross bar that has two holes appropriately spaced on one end.

Given the excellence of the engineering present in this equipment, I am sure this company could achieve this adaption with ease and then the Quadway would truly be a hoop for all seasons and players. The Quadway gets a thumbs up for playing well in our sand pit!

1. Easy Set 2. Easy Adjust 3. Easy Care • Stainless Steel Legs and Powder coated Crowns.

• Zinc Electroplated Square Carrots • Adjustable Hoop legs, by unscrewing the cap and rotating the leg 180 degrees.

• Dibber Tool for precise easy hoop setting.

For further details on Terminator Mallets & Quadway Hoops in USA.

Simon Jenkins 1-800-650-1582 Email: Sales@terminatormallets.com www.terminatormallets.com

croquetamerica.com | 11

theinbox

Hello, From The 2019 British Open

This year, the British Open was in Surbiton, a suburb southwest of going belly up with all the balls Christmas gifted to Patel. He went London (one train stop past Wimbledon). The club has been around to rover and quadruple-peeled my first ball. This is usually a death since 1984 and has seven courts and a nearby lawn bowl that it can sentence. He left his brown in corner 4 and his green in corner 3. I borrow for an eighth. had a lift to contact with my pink ball. Pink was for hoop 2. I did a big split out of the fourth corner leaving brown next to 3 and getting The Surbiton Croquet Club has a single clubhouse (25’ x 60’) with close enough to green to roquet it. I did a full roll-out of three and bathrooms, a small kitchen a small bar and open area. Two tents got set up 12 feet in front of 2, which I scored. Now I had an “easy” are set up for the championship: A large white one (25x40 feet) three ball break to win the game. About hoop 8 or so, nerves got the with tables and chairs for meals and gathering and a small (12x12 better of me and a not-so-good setup followed by a less-than-perfect foot) for scoring and scheduling. This club is all about croquet. No weddings, bar mitzvah’s or dinner parties are held there. At Surbiton, hoop shot gave Patel all three balls. He scored 1 and then put my pink on the boundary near corner 4 and put his balls behind hoop croquet is king.

2. I hit in, ran a few more hoops and got to penault where nerves The courts are faster than almost all US courts and the hoops are got me again. Patel hit in, ran a break and won, 26-23. tight. A team of a few volunteers set the hoops every morning with The British Open experience is quite different from most American a feeler gauge with 0.3 to 0.8 mm of clearance. The courts are not tournaments, even American Association Croquet tournaments. perfectly flat but play very nice. The courts are not watered during Play is super-advanced rules. Games are paired by Swiss format in the tournament and the dry courts play faster and the hoops set the play-in and then best two-of-three in the knockout. If you don’t firmer. The ground here is not sand-based and when the soil is dry, carrot hoops set as if potted in concrete. The lines are painted with a make the knockout or get bumped out of the knockout in the early rounds, you go to the Plate and play double elimination (draw and very impressive laser guided painting machine. process). For losers, zed games are played into the last day. This year’s Barbara and I are staying in Hounslow, just 10 miles away (as the open started on June 29 and finished on July 7. Nine days of great crow flies). That’s 35 minutes on the weekend and 1.75 hours during croquet and plenty of chances to play, even for those who don’t win the week. It looked so close on the map when we booked it online. a lot of games.

We’ve taken several different routes and they all send us up one-lane What does this cost? Entry to the British Open is £95, which is roads used for two-way traffic, swarming with pedestrians, bicycles, motorbikes, embedded with lots of zebra crossings and roundabouts about $125. Most tournaments here cost about £25 or less. That every quarter mile or so. I don’t think I could make the trip without only includes the play and meals, tea etc. are pay as you go. the nice little lady in the GPS telling what to do.

Most clubs here have a bar, and Surbiton’s bar is stocked with beer, wine and soft drinks. One of the great traditions here is that when The players at the British open are some of the best in the world. you win a game, you offer to buy your opponent a drink. One of Reggie Bamford has been the odds-on favorite, but he was beaten the lessons I learned is that British players generally can drink better two straight in the finals by James Death. Death won the doubles than me. So, if I win a drink, I make it a lemonade. also with partner Samir Patel. I’m not winning a lot of games, but I’m learning a lot and had a good game against Patel, who is a –Macey White 2400-something grade. I had the first hit in and scored one hoop.

Then I got the first break with the other ball and scored 8 before

12 | croquetamerica.com

“WHO AM I?” ANSWER

I am ... Mike Orgill Mike Orgill wrote several science fiction stories in the 1970s, including A World Named Cleopatra.

He told me his sci-fi career was a “flash-in-thepan,” but I just think he writes like an Egyptian.

In 1982, Orgill was reading his beloved Chronicle, when he came across an article about how people could pass the time on Sundays during the NFL strike that year. One of many suggested activities was croquet. He was able to get in touch with Tom Lufkin McDonnell, who was mentioned in the article. Fast forward to when Orgill joined the SFCC and recruited a good friend to join, the great Bob Alman, who had previously addicted Orgill to guerrilla croquet. Alman went on to found and publish Croquet World Online Magazine and the rest is history. That’s right: Orgill is responsible for connecting Bob Alman and the USCA! Send your donations or complaints in care of the editor of this fine publication.

Talk about fine publications, Orgill, Bob Alman and Hans Peterson founded Croquet Magazine, the first glossy croquet magazine printed in North America. Orgill also was heavily involved in the inceptions of Garth Eliassen’s Croquet Calendar and Croquet World Online Magazine.

Orgill’s pit stop on his cross-country journey was at the Hayes Presidential Center in Ohio, where a vague memory let him rediscover this country’s largest croquet library. He helped promote the collection to the national croquet community

and helped found a croquet club there.

Even though President Hayes was nicknamed “Rutherfraud” B. Hayes by virtue of the way he was elected President, there are no books on how to cheat in croquet in his collection.

The author of this article sat next to Orgill in March 2010 when Sandy Bob Van Tassel beat Rothman in what has been dubbed “The Perfect Game.” A handful of people in the immediate area were chuckling at Orgill’s comments, like when Van Tassel rushed a ball within three feet of a wicket but was given the grade of a B- by Orgill because, “we expect better from Sandy Bob.” The author named the golf croquet shot in question the “Orgill Special,” after Orgill roqueted his ball into his other ball in the jaws of one-back and we both watched that ball roll all the way down to, and through, two-back. He then yelled, “Ya’, baby, that’s how it’s done!”

Orgill was inducted into the US Croquet Hall of Fame in 2015, but wears his red jacket so often it is now pink.

The World Croquet Federation’s website in fact confirms that Orgill has beaten those listed players in AC. That’s not a bad list. He has also beaten the author in AC, once, and I still bear the psychic scar from that day.

Orgill’s website is www.michaelorgill.com, with the subtitle 37 West Oak Street. It has his personal observations, curious photos, quotes, links to other sites and the definition of the word orgulous, which means “haughty,” which in turn means “arrogantly superior and disdainful.”

Maybe I should rename his golf croquet shot the “Orgulous Special?”

–Submitted by Eric Sawyer

Balding's Fast AC Start

The USCA’s 2018 Jr. Player of the Year, Thomas Balding, certainly lived up to the billing as he opened his AC career with a 27-game win streak and now boasts a 2059 dynamic grade and is #15 in the US AC rankings. The streak began in June 2018 in the USCA Mid-Atlantic First Flight Regional and only recently ended in block play with a loss to Doug Grimsley in the North Carolina Open in May. He’s now started a new eightgame streak and has a career AC record of 39-3.

–Submitted by Macey White

croquetamerica.com | 13

P ro A m Tou r na m e n t at t h e c h at toog a c l u b

Fundraiser for the USCA Lee Olsen fund PROCEEDS FUND TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR USCA TEAM MEMBERS PLAYING IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS

Thursday, August 22, 2019 Opening Gala and Live Auction at 6:00 pm Friday, August 23, 2019 ProAm at The Chattooga Club at 9:00 am Saturday, August 24, 2019 Clinics with the Pros from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Sanctioned Golf Croquet Tournament (for Pros only) at 1:00 pm Sunday, August 25, 2019 Tournament play (for Pros only) continues at 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. The 2018 ProAm Participants and Pros

CO M E P L AY I N T H E P R OA M I N N O R T H C A R O L I N A A N D WATC H T H E P R O S CO M P E T E .

YOUR SUPPORT WILL ALLOW THE USCA TO FIELD OUR BEST PLAYERS FOR FUTURE COMPETITIONS. CALL 941-376-1200 OR EMAIL MYCOPRES@AOL.COM.

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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

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croquetamerica.com | 15

Croquet Greats

To Be Inducted Into Hall of Fame On November 22, 2019, the Croquet Foundation of America (CFA), in conjunction with the United States Croquet Association (USCA), will induct Danny Huneycutt, Harvey Geiger and John Solomon (posthumously) into the United States Croquet Hall of Fame.

The Induction Ceremony, followed by a fun, Italian-themed Gala Dinner Dance, will take place during the week of the USCA Seniors Masters Championship at the Charles P. Steuber National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Directors of the CFA and USCA encourage their friends, guests and croquet enthusiasts worldwide to join them in paying tribute to these esteemed members of its croquet family as we acknowledge their accomplishments in great style and with high enthusiasm. Biographies of the inductees follow.

Invitations to the dinner will be emailed to all USCA members in late summer. For information or to make reservations for the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala, call Marie Sweetser at (561) 478-2300, Ext. 3.

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HARVEY GEIGER

Harvey Geiger is highly regarded by all who know him well. His enthusiasm, personal commitment, high energy and generosity toward any activity with which he becomes associated is infectious.

We are very fortunate that croquet is one of his most passionate interests. His spirited inventiveness sparks the minds of people who know nothing about the game as well as those who were already deeply involved in promoting and developing the sport.

In 1998, Harvey and his wife Pam were introduced to croquet at the Meadowood Resort in California by Jerry Stark. They took a series of lessons and fell in love…with the game. Returning home to Hilton Head, Geiger helped organize a group of players, which became the Wexford Croquet Club. In 2002, he became its president and joined the USCA and the National Croquet Center as a National Patron.

Subsequently, Geiger, representing Wexford, was a founding member of the Coastal Croquet Clubs. He is still president of Wexford and maintains memberships in the Croquet Club of Vermont and Woodlawn Croquet Club in Ellsworth, Maine. The Geigers are strong and steady supporters of the game. He has played in more than 50 USCA tournaments, has a 2.0 handicap and is a USCA referee.

Geiger expresses his generosity and enthusiasm for the sport in many ways. He saw the need to strengthen the National Croquet Center so it would be financially secure as the permanent “home” of croquet in the USA. In 2015, he established a challenge grant to pay off the CFA’s $300,000 first mortgage on the NCC, held by the Diane Blow Estate, and pledged $50,000 toward the goal.

The challenge was a success! The mortgage was burned at a 2016 ceremony and excess funds were raised allowing a reduction of more than $100,000 on the second mortgage. Geiger was recognized in the CFA’s Donor Wall of Honor as a member of the Charles P. Steuber Society.

In 2018, Harvey challenged us again by agreeing to leave $200,000 in his estate plan, if we could raise another $800,000 in demonstrated bequest pledges or actual cash donations for the CFA/NCC. These funds, when realized, will go to the CFA’s Heritage Fund, dedicated mainly to making capital improvements, supporting special projects at the National Croquet Center and building much needed emergency reserves. The deadline for meeting the challenge is by the 2019 Hall of Fame Gala. The CFA is working hard to achieve that goal.

Geiger sees the need to engage our youth for the future of the sport.

His extraordinary enthusiasm and philanthropy was apparent when, in 2015, he established the Outer Island Croquet League, consisting of eight schools located on islands off the coast of Maine. The schools are small with low populations and few resources. To get their programs started, Harvey and Pam purchased all the necessary equipment and Brighton mallets from The Croquet Store for each school. He then rounded up croquet players from nearby clubs to introduce basic instruction and simplified golf croquet rules. Bob Kroeger and members of the Woodlawn Croquet Club, including Perry Mattson and Tina Hinckley, were the teachers.

The program is still active with the volunteer players providing frequent clinics. Geiger also coordinated the design of croquet logos donated by Chuck Stanko of DB Graphics for each school and provided caps for their participants. For the idle winter months,

Geiger invented an indoor croquet game played on indoor/outdoor 24-foot by 36-foot carpet using plastic street hockey pucks with Velcro base hoops – all of which he provided.

In 2015, he introduced Marlboro College in southern Vermont to the sport and provided them with similar equipment as the Maine school project. Bob Kroeger and members of the Vermont Croquet Club provided initial instruction.

More recently, Geiger has worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County to establish croquet teams at the Stephanis and Moran Clubs, donating equipment and caps, while the CFA organized teaching staff and tournament outings to the NCC. Plans are to expand to other chapters as these become established.

To help promote the sport, Geiger authored an article on the Islands’ Croquet League published in The Working Waterfront, and the Wexford Club Times carried a full profile about his involvement in croquet.

Geiger’s other life is just as interesting and passionate. At Yale, he graduated in 1964 and went on to get his master’s degree there in both Architecture and City Planning in 1969. Geiger was a professor in the Graduate Program of City and Regional Planning at Ohio State, and had a successful career in architecture.

Retiring in his early 40s, Harvey and Pam were active sailors with major passages on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and on their barge on the canals of Europe. Geiger is a member of the Cruising Club of America and the Ocean Cruising Club. He is also a car enthusiast and collector. He was one of the founders of the Hilton Head Concours and a national concours judge. He was a contributing editor to Auto Events and Car Collector Magazine and has published more than 200 articles. In 2013, he was awarded the prestigious Lee Iacocca Award for his contributions “to Excellence in Perpetuating an American Automotive Tradition.” croquetamerica.com | 17

Married to his wife Pam for 46 years, they enjoy giving opportunities to others via internships, Geiger Fellowships and scholarships for individual travel and enrichment activities. These awards go to high school and college students annually at Yale, the Island Institute, the Historical Society of Vermont as well as other community-based charities.

Harvey Geiger is someone who supports his passion for croquet by generously committing his time, money and experience. He has opened doors to those who never expected it and has enlightened his corner of the world about the remarkable joy and benefits of the game of croquet.

DANNY HUNEYCUTT

Danny Huneycutt’s accomplishments as a competitor are remarkable and rivaled by very few in this country. Just as important, however, are his contributions to the sport of croquet.

He is a gentleman and an inspiration…on the court as well as off.

Huneycutt has a true passion and love for the game that inspired him to make a lifestyle change and dedicate his career to teaching and encouraging others to enter the world of croquet. He has a magical ability to connect with players at all levels with his infectious enthusiasm, sincerity, warmth and care for his students.

His ability as an instructor has enabled many players to gain impressive handicaps, well beyond their imagination. Originally mentored by Hall of Fame member Mack Penwell, Huneycutt, in turn, continues to mentor others to championship-level play, including top-ranked players such as Matthew Essick and Randy Cardo. He recently formed and is managing a Ladies Croquet Development Program for Association Rules. A select group of these women will compete in 2019 against Great Britain’s Ladies Team and will also play in the Irish Championships in Dublin, Ireland.

Huneycutt began playing croquet in 2002. He quickly became immersed in the game and was named USCA Co-Rookie-of-theyear. In his first tournament, the North Carolina Open, he recorded the quickest career triple peel in the world. He soon became an adept triple peeler, and subsequently joined that elite band who have completed a sextuple peel in a ranked game! The combination of his break-making skills and accurate shooting make him a formidable opponent at the highest levels of croquet.

Huneycutt started the Meadows Mallet Club that went on to shatter the North Carolina Club Teams record by winning the event 10 times.

He also won eight North Carolina State Singles Championships and seven Regional Singles or Doubles Championships.

In 2003, he became the North Carolina District President. Under his leadership, many tournaments and instructional events were developed. Two major Association Croquet events he championed were the US vs. North Carolina Test Match and the North Carolina vs. World Test Match at Pinehurst Resort. These events were an important springboard for the US becoming competitive internationally in Association Rules croquet.

In 2003 and 2004, Huneycutt created the nationwide Croquet Fever Purse Series, a 2-3 day, 17-tournament, Association Rules competition.

In 2005, he won the Association National Singles Championship and was on the American Team for the Solomon Trophy. From that year on, Huneycutt represented the United States in almost all the

18 | croquetamerica.com

Solomon Trophy and MacRobertson Shield Tournaments, and was captain for six of them. This may represent the quickest rise for a croquet player in the history of the game.

Huneycutt played numerous times on the United States team during international competitions as well as serving as captain eight times. At the 2009 Solomon Trophy event, he was undefeated when the US beat Great Britain for the first time, captaining the only US team to beat Great Britain on its own soil.

For many years, Huneycutt traveled the country teaching croquet.

In 2013, he was hired by John’s Island to develop croquet for the club. In three short seasons, he increased the number of regular players from 12 to more than 60. During his four seasons at John’s Island, Huneycutt brought the Florida Regional Tournament there for two years and also started the John’s Island Invitational.

In 2017, Huneycutt was hired as Winter Director of Croquet at The Beach Club in Palm Beach, Fla., and Summer Director of Croquet at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. At both locations, he built strong programs and significantly increased membership.

Huneycutt has run clinics and schools in more than 10 states and has started or helped to start four new croquet clubs. He also is tournament director of 12-15 tournaments around the country each year. In all, Huneycutt has won more than 60 USCA tournaments and won the USCA Grand Prix three times! He holds nine National Titles and is one of only four US players who have won five of the six annual titles. He is the current USCA National Champion for American Rules, National Seniors and Club Teams Doubles Tournaments.

Danny Huneycutt qualifies for induction into the 2019 US Croquet Hall of Fame as a player who has reached the very highest levels of today’s game. He plays with integrity and respect for his opponents, partners and team mates. Huneycutt is the complete package, embodying skill, passion, sportsmanship and generosity. He is a remarkable ambassador for the sport.

JOHN W. SOLOMON

John Solomon was inducted into the venerable World Croquet Federation Hall of Fame in 2006 for his extraordinary contributions to the sport internationally, but he was never inducted into the US Croquet Hall of Fame, despite his major impact on the sport in this country…until now. His activities in support of croquet in the US epitomize the qualities we seek in a United States Croquet Hall of Fame member. Solomon was an outstanding teacher and ambassador for croquet with a lifetime of croquet achievements and the highest regard for the spirit and etiquette of the game. He is the first international player to be so honored.

Born in Wandsworth, South London, John Solomon emerged onto the English tournament croquet scene at age 16 in 1948, just after World War II, when croquet could be said to be hanging by a thread. An entry from the WCF website notes, “Affected by the loss of many clubs and about half of the Croquet Association’s members, it seemed to be a game almost exclusively for old people and doomed to fizzle out in the next decade or so. Fortunately for croquet, John appeared and, aided by youth and exceptional ability, did much to keep the flame alive for many years.”

Making rapid progress in his first two seasons of Association Rules tournaments, he was invited to join the English team for the 1950/51 Test series in New Zealand. Although he was only 18 at the time and had never played in a championship or won a major event, Solomon played extremely well in the Test Matches and went on to win the New Zealand Open Championship and Doubles Championship for good measure.

He returned home to begin a croquet career that dominated the English game throughout the 1950s and 60s. He amassed 10 Open Championships, 10 Men’s Championships, 10 Doubles Championships, nine President’s Cups, four Champion of Champions victories, a mixed Doubles Championship and two New Zealand Open and Doubles Championships, a total of 48 championship titles! It was an extraordinary tally, which remained unequalled until 2012. Even the way he held his mallet is known respectfully as the “Solomon Grip,” and used enthusiastically by many top players today.

Solomon also represented England in the MacRobertson Shield on five occasions from 1950-1974. However, it is not for just his many successes that croquet players are indebted to him. Instead, what mattered more was the way he achieved his success and how he was willing to use his legendary status of success to promote the sport.

John Solomon’s special talent was to make croquet look easy, rhythmic and elegant. Although croquet was thought of as a game suitable for the elderly, with Solomon on the court it was obvious that it was also a game of great skill and precision and one for all ages. Not content just to reel off the victories, he particularly enjoyed pushing the boundaries by trying new openings and tactics, such as the triple-ball triple and the jump over rover to hit the peg.

John Prince, another international croquet legend who met Solomon in New Zealand in 1963, says “the Solomon effect was to give the spectator the impression that they were watching a virtuoso playing a favorite piece of music, and that John was to croquet what Roger Federer is to tennis, particularly in his demeanor on court and sportsmanship. He was simply the consummate sportsman.”

To give something back to the game, Solomon directed his efforts into croquet administration and promotion. At age 30, he became Chairman of Council, and later served as President of the Croquet Association for 22 years. His legendary status drew many invitations from outside the UK. His visits to croquet clubs on several continents were greatly appreciated and played an important part in assisting and encouraging the birth of organized croquet.

In 1967, he met the late Jack Osborn, founder of the US Croquet Association. At Osborn’s invitation, Solomon brought a Hurlingham team to Westhampton Beach, N.Y., to play the Westhampton Mallet Club. Osborn later expressly acknowledges the impact of Solomon’s strong advice regarding the important first step in establishing a national croquet body, to “develop a single, agreed upon set of rules.” From that flowed the formation of the USCA, the involvement of American players in international croquet, the first Test between the US and Great Britain at Nottingham in 1985, the establishment in 1988 of the Solomon Trophy for annual competition between Great Britain and the US, and the admission of the US to the MacRobertson Shield in 1993. As the senior international croquet statesman, Solomon made many truly great contributions to the world of croquet, which fully complemented his illustrious playing.

Solomon’s legacy is a game established in almost 30 countries throughout the world and a succession of champions who have followed in his footsteps over the last 50 years. Nigel Aspinall, Keith Wylie, Robert Fulford, Reg Bamford and Robert Fletcher are the names that spring immediately to mind. However, it is very uncertain where they might have been in the game of croquet and whether any of them would have become players and champions had the young John Solomon not taken up the game almost 70 years ago and played it with such expertise and style. He is a welcome new member of the US Croquet Hall of Fame. croquetamerica.com | 19

UNITES STATES CROQUET HALL OF FAME

The Croquet Foundation of America (CFA) is now accepting nominations for the 2020 United States Croquet Hall of Fame.The deadline for filing a nomination is December 31, 2019.

POLICY AND NOMINATING GUIDELINES FOR ELECTION TO THE UNITED STATES CROQUET HALL OF FAME

The Croquet Foundation of America, Inc. (CFA), in coordination with the United States Croquet Association, Inc. (USCA), seeks to honor individuals who have made prolonged, outstanding contributions to the sport of croquet. Such contributions may take the form of either extraordinary skill and achievement in the sport at the highest level over an extended period; or other personal actions having a widely-recognized, lasting impact on the sport; or very extensive service in developing, managing or promoting the sport of croquet, or its charitable and educational croquet programs, in America.

This document gives guidance as to the qualifications that will be considered for election to the United States Croquet Hall of Fame.

This process is designed to maintain election to the Hall of Fame as a high honor for the inductees and one which reflects credit on the individuals involved in electing them.

I. NOMINATING PROCEDURE A. A notice shall be published yearly in the Summer/Fall edition of the USCA’s Croquet News stating that the Foundation will accept nominations to the United States Croquet Hall of Fame until December 31 of the current year, for induction in the following calendar year.

The published notice shall state that (i.) any USCA member in good standing may nominate an individual, (ii.) nominees are considered on an individual basis only, and (iii.) the nominee does not have to be a member of the USCA. B. The nominator must submit a completed application on or before the December 31 deadline.

It must include the following: 1. Nominator’s name and relationship, if any, to the nominee – business, friendship, etc.; 2. Written permission of the individual to be nominated and their agreement to participate in the induction ceremony (or family permission for posthumous recognition); 3. Brief biographical sketch of the nominee, including age, family status, address; highlights of past or present occupation(s); charitable and civic involvements; and other matters of general interest unrelated to croquet; and 4. Detailed croquet biography, including number of years of participation, the croquet clubs of which the nominee is or has been a member, the year the nominee joined the USCA and whether still active, and details of all croquet-related achievements.

5. There is no official application form. Plain 8 ½” x 11” letter size paper should be used. The completed application, including any and all supporting letters, must be emailed as an attachment to HOF Chair of Nominations at Beachtwobeach@yahoo.com.

II. QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES Above all, candidates must display personal behavior that demonstrates high regard for the spirit and etiquette of the game which results in greater enjoyment for all – actions that would entitle the nominee to be considered an “ambassador” for croquet, as well as a Hall of Fame member. They should be further evaluated, based on their achievements and contributions to the sport as follows: A. ACHIEVEMENTS are defined as outstanding performances in sanctioned or titled USCA events; and/or international competitions, sponsored by a member association of the WCF (World Croquet Federation), including six wicket, nine wicket and golf croquet.

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B. CONTRIBUTIONS are defined as actions off of the croquet court, which have promoted or enhanced the sport. Contributions at the core are volunteer efforts. Contributions are not limited to but may include: 1. Introducing others to the game; 2. Starting, leading or sustaining a local club or clubs; 3. Promoting clubs and events regionally or nationally; 4. Working with an organizational division of the USCA as established on the state, regional and national levels either as an officer or other capacity; 5. Creating favorable media recognition or otherwise promoting the game through such efforts as writing or instruction; 6. Contributing significant financial or in-kind resources in a way that enables the CFA and the USCA to pursue their missions; 7. Promoting the game through social affairs resulting in new friendships and greater camaraderie among players.

Nota Bene 1. The above portion of the application is the advocacy section.

The nominator must make the case as convincingly and compelling as possible. Board members are not responsible for seconding a nomination nor adding favorable material, and may in fact introduce or request information which may disqualify a candidate.

2. A nominee may earn income from the game as a professional or some other paid capacity, but his or her financial ties to the game must be stated on the application.

3. Achievements and contributions must be over an extended period time.

III. ANNUAL LIMITATION ON INDUCTIONS Given the desire to maintain the highest standards for election to The United States Croquet Hall of Fame, and given the relatively limited size of the croquet-player population, the number of living inductees shall be limited to two per year. Posthumous inductees are similarly limited to two inductees per year. This limitation is subject to upward revision to no more than three inductees in either or both categories if at least three quarters of those entitled to vote decide that circumstances in a given year warrant revising this important limitation.

t Hall Of Fame Induction Cele e u q o brat . Cr io n U.S

MAN O R HOLIDAY

On Friday, November 22, 2019, the Croquet Foundation of America, in association with the United States Croquet Association, will host the annual U.S. Croquet Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner-Dance Celebration. Guests will enjoy a scene out of “A Roman Holiday.” They will be greeted in a “piazza-like” setting with Bellini cocktails served from “Harry’s Bar,” Italianbased bites, sumptuous food stations featuring Italian specialties, and a dessert station with tiramisu, cannoli, and pistachio panna cotta. Dance the night away to Italian and popular music in front of a giant photo of the iconic Trevi Fountain. The festive event will take place at the Charles P. Steuber National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach beginning at 5:00 PM. Induction into the United States Croquet Hall of Fame is the highest honor a croquet player can receive. The induction ceremony will take place following cocktails and a silent auction featuring gift certificates to local restaurants and beauty services, along with trips, croquet-related items, and other temptations. This year’s honorees who will receive the iconic red jacket are Harvey Geiger, Danny Huneycutt and the late John W. Solomon.

HARVEY GEIGER

Geiger has passionately supported new croquet club formation with a strong emphasis on youth programs for many years. He generously commits his time, money, and experience to this endeavor, in addition to being a major supporter of the National Croquet Center – the home and showcase for croquet in the US. He has opened doors to those who never expected it and has enlightened his corner of the world about the remarkable joy and benefits of the game of croquet.

DANNY HUNEYCUTT

Huneycutt’s accomplishments as a player are extraordinary and rivaled by very few in this country, as are his contributions to the sport. A player who has reached the very highest levels of today’s game, he plays with integrity and respect for his opponents, partners and team mates. Danny is the complete package, embodying skill, passion, sportsmanship and generosity…a unique ambassador for the sport.

Proceeds from the Gala help support the Croquet Foundation of America’s National Croquet Center and its croquet-related charitable programs.

TICKETS 235 per person

$

160

$

players in the concurrent USCA Seniors Masters Championship

For reservations or information, please call Marie Sweetser at: 516-478-2300, ext. 3.

The U.S. Croquet Hall of Fame Gala Committee gets in the mood at historic Palm Beach fountain for the upcoming “Roman Holiday” before sampling Bellinis across the street at Buccan.

JOHN W. SOLOMON

(posthumous) Elected to the World Croquet Federation Hall of Fame in 2006, Solomon epitomized the ideal qualities of a US Croquet Hall of Fame member. John came to the US to build interest and expertise in the game, and to teach the inexperienced US team how to become competitive internationally. He was a wonderful ambassador for croquet worldwide, with a lifetime of achievements including championing the “Solomon Grip” – one of three main styles of holding a mallet. John’s legacy is a succession of champions worldwide who have followed in his footsteps over the last fifty years.

National Croquet Day

STRIKES BACK

Reaching back to a tradition from the 1990s, the USCA endeavored to relaunch National Croquet Day for 2019 to make a splash and get some exposure for croquet and the association. It seemed natural that the USCA leadership would reach out to Anne Frost Robinson to head up the relaunch and once engaged, she targeted June 8, 2019, as the official date.

As for the approach and how to tie together members and clubs across the country, Frost Robinson took a social media approach and says, “After discussion with my social media experts, my son and his girlfriend, I decided to focus solely on Facebook as our platform to keep it simple.”

Through direct USCA email marketing to members and through the USCA Facebook group page, individuals and clubs were encouraged to post photos, videos and stories on June 8 to their personal timelines and then share them to the group page. To sweeten the deal, all participants were then entered into a blind draw with the club prize being a custom “National Croquet Day” sign made by Oakley Woods. For individual posts, the blind draw was a National Croquet Day tote bag to be awarded to 12 participants.

After the advance marketing, June 8 rolled around and Frost Robinson says, “Ursula (Peck) and I were both on for much of the day responding to posts and encouraging and adding new people to the group, etc. Over 50 members participated and approximately 20 clubs … I would venture to guess that thousands of people saw some mention of National Croquet Day through our Facebook members.”

The postings ranged from club member photos, fun activities, Photoshop work, croquet decorations and merchandise.

As it all shook out, the USCA Facebook group grew from 310 members to 425, which is considerable growth and provides a direct connection to more members for the USCA. The Croquet Club of Dataw Island in South Carolina won the club participation blind draw and was awarded the custom National Croquet Day sign.

For the individual participants, the blind draw winners were Tom Cooper, Betty Whitlow, Dylan Goodwin, Elaine Moody, Brian Hovis, Geraldine McCauley, Suzanne Spradling, Debbie Byrd, Bob Snyder, Mary Shields, Justin Berbig and Ka Sherry.

As a tip for next year’s National Croquet Day, which is already set for June 6, 2020, Frost Robinson noted that many clubs planned events and invited new people out to play. The clubs with active organizers loved the concept and embraced the day with enthusiasm as an opportunity to reach potential new members.

She also says the whole campaign took a pretty good effort and wants to thank Ursula Peck, Don Oakley, Dylan Goodwin, Sue Ellen Sherer, Jeff Soo, Scott Robinson, Emily Crosby, Sara Lowe and the USCA Management Committee for their help and support.

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justin berbig

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Join us for Croquet!

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Table Croquet

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Bob Snyder

Florida Yacht Club veterans

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Betty Whitlow

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Croquet Club at PGA

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Red Stripe JUNE 8, 2019

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CC OF DATAW ISLAND THANK YOU LETTER TO DON OAKLEY Hi Don,

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It was quite the surprise when Bruce made the presentation of the USCA award this morning. As is Bruce’s way, he made it extra special. I had been led to believe that we would receive a banner of sorts, so was quite thrilled when I realized that it was a plaque and that you had a hand in its design and creation.

Thanking you and looking forward to your return to Dataw.

–Jackie Bauer

CC Of Dataw Island

Go find a wicket and play!

Mt. Laurel

JUNE 8, 2019

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brian hovis

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brian davidson

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Club Winner JUNE 8, 2019

PAGE 22 PHOTO: Gasparilla Inn Mallet Club

by Candic Shy Hooper

#ncd with Jackie Jones

Flag Tattoo

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clubprofile

Sparks Elementary Year founded: 2012. (Thanks to a donation of equipment

by Ed O’Laughlin and the Baltimore Croquet Club) Location: Sparks, Maryland Number of members: 21-60, depending on the year and equipment condition Number of courts: Two soccer fields used for croquet Type of grass: 40% Fescue, 60% clover Website: None. Inquiries about the program can be emailed to bprice@bcps.org.

Do you use social media? Occasional posts made on the sponsoring teachers’ professional Facebook page: Bryan Price (@mrbryanprice)

What makes this club special: The age of the players is between 9-11 years old. Croquet provides our players a practical and fun application for their classroom learning (pendulums, angle bisection, laws of motion, parallax and history) while getting them outside in nature and teaching social skills such as patience, cooperation, sportsmanship and frequently, gamesmanship.

How do you teach the students croquet and what type of croquet do they play? We start with single ball shots and really work at that until they get the basic motion down. We play mostly golf croquet at this point. The kids really like that it’s from Egypt, and love seeing videos of Egyptian kids making jump shots. P.E. teachers love croquet as well due to its simplicity and social aspect.

Later, we begin teaching croquet shots (split shots/drive shots), then rolls and stop shots. Then we begin playing American Nine Wicket without carry over deadness. Afterward, we get into break play and attack theory. But, it all starts with single ball shots.

Approach to growing membership: Having the croquet mallets on display in my classroom a month before we get started will usually spark student interest. Additionally, we play a hilarious student video on the morning announcements where they advertise the club as being “chess club: for kids with anger issues.”

Photo by Joanie Schmalenberger

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Photo by Bryan Price

How can we promote and support youth croquet programs and involve more children in croquet? Students love the sport once they’re exposed to it. I’d love to see this take the form of a developed school P.E. curriculum for a croquet unit or at least simple activities to be included in science and math lessons. Also, we need to develop affordable, high quality and appropriately sized equipment for our younger players and get it in their hands. You can’t effectively teach the more advanced (or even some of the basics) without quality balls and mallets. We’d love to work with ball and mallet manufacturers to make this happen. Last, a simple-to-understand, fun-to-play app for a variety of phone and computer platforms would certainly help sustain interest.

Photo by Bryan Price

Best restaurants to visit in the area: Manor Tavern, Casa Mias, Milton Inn, Green Leaf Sushi.

Other than the club, what do you have to go see in Baltimore: The National Aquarium, Centerstage Theatre, Orioles/Ravens, The Baltimore Inner Harbor, (head a little farther south and see the St. John’s vs. United States Naval Academy annual Annapolis Cup held in April each year).

Photo by Bryan Price

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memberprofile

Lynda Sudderberg Age: 65 (end of August 2019)

Croquet highlights/tourney wins:

Home base: West Palm Beach, Fla.

Most recently, winning the 2018 Chattooga Club Mt. Laurel. The 2019 SCCC Jones Invitational was also significant for me. I’ve started playing Association and winning the Association Nationals Doubles First Flight this year with Dawn Jupin was so much fun. I was undefeated in the First Flight Singles and lost the finals by a hoop, but I was very happy with the way I played throughout the tournament. Historically, winning Championship Doubles with Johnny Osborn at the 2014 Clayton Cup was such a thrill for me!

Home club: National Croquet Club and the Sarasota County Croquet Club (SCCC) Grip: Standard Mallet: PFC Hoop Maker Standard 9.5 inches, 2 pounds, 14.2 ounces Years playing croquet: 10 Favorite croquet venue: The National Croquet Center – I think the entire facility is fabulous.

Favorite tournament: So many fun tournaments are in great locations that it’s hard to choose, but I think the Pinehurst Invitational is currently at the top of my list. It hits all the buttons: quality lawns, top competition and great social events in a lovely location. Honorable mention goes to the Peyton Ballenger for its wonderful court-side social events. And, my all-time favorite tournament is the June 2012 New York Croquet Club Clayton Cup during which my husband, Steve Grassbaugh, and I got married!

How did you get into the game?

We were living in Columbus, Ohio, and attended a fundraiser that included an introduction to croquet at the New Albany Country Club. We joined the club, continued to play and here we are 10 years later, totally addicted. When we retired in 2016, we moved to West Palm Beach because of croquet.

Do you play other sports?

Not now but riding and showing horses (hunter/jumpers) was a major part of my life for more than 40 years. I also competed in swimming, handball and paddle tennis and have enjoyed golf, tennis and downhill skiing.

What is the best thing the USCA has done for croquet?

Every competitive sport needs a national umbrella organization for governance, rules, tournament oversight, handicap and ranking management, communications, messaging, etc., and I think the USCA effectively provides those services for the croquet community.

What is the USCA’s greatest weakness?

I think the USCA is a little overwhelmed with how to integrate the three six wicket games into a common mission. I think a good step would be to revise both the American and Golf Croquet handicap systems to more closely align with the algorithm system currently used for the Dynamic Grade in the Association Croquet grading system and the WCF Golf Croquet rankings.

What would you like to see happen in the sport over the next 10 years?

I think one of the biggest challenges the USCA faces is fully integrating the gaining social golf croquet contingent into the overall croquet “fold,” so-to-speak.

I think that competitive golf croquet players are generally already there; but it seems to me that the social players are not as easy to engage. It does appear that a lot more U.S. players are playing all three games competitively, including myself. I would also like to see more Association played in the U.S. And finally, we need to improve our youth outreach. They’re the future of the sport!

What have you learned from croquet?

Patience, focus, persistence and confidence. I have also learned that there’s a world of interesting people who play croquet in a lot of wonderful places. I love the game and all it has to offer.

The future of the sport: The future of the sport depends on our efforts to bring new blood into the game.

Quick croquet tip: Patience, focus, persistence and confidence. And if first you don’t succeed…try, try again!

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let’stalktactics

Inside-the-Box

PIONEER

By Bob Kroeger and John C. Osborn

In this column, we’re looking at the position of pioneer balls in a 3 Ball Break (3BB). For clarity, a pioneer ball is a ball sent to the wicket you will be for after you score your current wicket. Some players like to put their pioneers on the position side of the wicket while others prefer their pioneers on the non-playing side of some of the wickets (aka ‘inside the box’). Those ‘inside the box’ wickets would be #3, 1-back and 3-back. In the case of all the other wickets, all players would want their pioneer balls on the position side of the wicket.

In our discussion, we’ll be focusing on Wicket #3 and 1-back. In Diagram 1, Blue just scored #2, is ball-in-hand (BIH) on Black and has Red positioned on the playing side of Wicket #3. This, of course, was sent there by Blue prior to making Wicket #2. The shot Blue faces in Diagram 1 is a long, wide-angled split shot. The thinking here is if Blue can land near Red (the white x) by Wicket #3, all that is needed is a gentle roquet.

Looking at Diagram 2, Blue needs to land near the x to be able to get a rush on Red to the position side of Wicket #3. The shot required here is a narrower angle split shot but would require more

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roll (top spin). In Diagrams 3 and 4, we see Blue got a useful rush on Black after having scored Wicket #2, which lessens the distance of the balls’ travel in addition to narrowing the angle of the split shot.

Diagrams 5 through 7 show the same concept but with Blue going for 1-back. I would say most players playing American Rules Six Wicket Croquet would prefer Red to be where you see it in Diagram 5, in case they couldn’t get a rush northward after having scored #6. To be a proficient break player, you need to be able to deal with all these scenarios whether you created them intentionally or not.

In closing, lesser experienced break players tend to intentionally send pioneer balls halfway to the pioneer wicket. This is not a good idea. A good pioneer ball is, by definition, a ball located NEAR the pioneer wicket on the side you feel is beneficial to success.

Bob Kroeger’s newly released USCA American Rules 6 Wicket Croquet Strategy Videos Series is available at https://bobcroquet.com/strategy_info.htm.

For questions, email Bobkroeger@aol.com.

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gcamerica

GC Rules Series Part VI:

Consequences for Rules 10.5.4 and 10.6

By Cheryl Bromley

Although rules 10.5.4 Previous stroke played with opponent ball and 10.6 Same side played successive strokes are located next to each other in the rulebook, the consequences are quite different.

This installment of the GC rules series aims to provide you with some examples to help you sort it out.

Note – this is a basic overview of the rule. The precise wording, exceptions and finer points are noted in the rulebook.

Scenario #1: It is Red’s turn to shoot. Rita, the owner of the Red ball, shoots the Blue ball. Bob, the owner of the Black ball heard Rita hit her shot but wasn’t watching her shoot as he walked down toward his ball near the next hoop. He then proceeds to score his Black ball through the hoop. Suddenly Rita realizes she played the wrong color and stops play.

Scenario #1

Owner of the Red ball, shoots the Blue ball.

Owner of Black ball heard opponent shot, but wasn’t watching. Scores Black.

Owner of R/Y, realizes error and stops play.

Remedy: Assuming this didn’t occur in the first four strokes of the game, Rule 10.5.4 applies Previous stroke played with opponent ball.

Note that the “previous stroke” is the stroke before the “last stroke.”

In this scenario, Rita’s shot is the previous stroke and Bob’s shot is the last stroke. Any points scored because of the last two strokes are cancelled and play continues with a Penalty Area Continuation.

That means a coin flip and all four balls are heading to the penalty

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area. The winner of the toss will shoot first with either ball of his/her side, and the loser of the toss will determine which penalty area all balls will shoot from.

The lesson here is to watch what your opponent is doing!

Scenario 2: Blue sets up in a scoring position in front of Hoop #2.

Red tries to block Blue but rolls to the backside of the hoop. Bob, the owner of Black, is happy with his partner’s position near the hoop and seeing that Yellow has a difficult clearing shot from the sideline, decides to go halfway to the next hoop, #3. Brian, owner of Blue, in his excitement scores the Blue ball before Yellow has taken her turn. Play is stopped.

Scenario #2 Sets up in a scoring position.

Tries to block Blue but rolls to the backside of the hoop.

Decides to go halfway to the next hoop.

Owner of Blue scores the Blue ball before Yellow has taken his/her turn.

Remedy: This is a case of Same Side Played Successive Strokes, rule 10.6. No points are scored for any ball because of any stroke played by the offending side after its last valid stroke (in this case Black was the last valid shot). The non-offending side chooses whether to leave all balls where they are or put them back where they were before blue played. The non-offending side then plays either ball of that side.

This is an example where a “Double Whammy” still exists!

GC REFEREE UPDATE With the release of the updated GC rules back in 2018, we have been busy behind the scenes re-certifying GC referees and new candidates as well as holding rules clinics and schools to get everyone up to speed.

All GC referees, including Level III Club referees, are now required to complete both a written exam and on-court field test (if they haven’t done so previously) to become an “active” certified referee. We have recently updated and standardized the on-court GC field test, which is now available. Please note this may only be administered by a current Level I GC referee (see list below).

Level I - National

Level II - Regional

Field Test Incomplete

Jeff Soo Kevin Grant John Boatwright

Macey White Russ Dilley

Michael Albert George Forsyth

Sherif Abdelwahab

Level III - Club Natasha Kittrell

John Osborn

Priscilla Flowers

Douglas Ledgett

Johnny Mitchell Jeffrey Hill Sally Muzii

Fred Jones Julia Johnston Vernon Pierce

Cheryl Bromley John Priest Richard Scherf William Trower

If you don’t see your name listed, it may be as simple as contacting the USCA office 561-478-0760 to request your written exam or contacting a Level I referee near you to arrange an on-court field test. Arrangements can also be made to have a professional come to your club. Look for more opportunities to participate in rules clinics, schools and referee clinics to come.

–Cheryl Bromley, Golf Croquet Committee Chair

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9wroundup

Johnnies Win 2019 Annapolis Cup

By Kimberly Uslin

The St. John’s College croquet team emerged victorious in the 2019 Annapolis Cup croquet match on April 27, besting the Naval Academy 4-1. This marked the Johnnies’ fifth consecutive win.

It was a windy day on the front lawn, and spectators held onto their spectacular hats as they set up picnics and posed for photos.

Elsewhere, food trucks and the beer and champagne tents kept the crowds sated, while sets from the USNA Trident Brass Band and the Naptown Brass Band had attendees swing dancing in the grass and on the brick plaza outside of the Barr-Buchanan Center.

As always, fashion was front-and-center at the match, even (or perhaps especially) for the players. While the Midshipmen took to the court in their signature all-white ensembles—save for a bright yellow capital N—the Johnnies cut a colorful figure in sleek striped blazers worn over their cutoff jumpsuits.

At first, it seemed like St. John’s would sweep Navy. Val Pehrson (A19) and Mitchell Harris (A20) clinched the third victory in a row, marking an early win for the Johnnies and securing the Annapolis Cup. It wasn’t too much of a surprise; the Johnnies had won the United States Croquet Association’s National Croquet Championship only a few weeks earlier. All five matches must be played, however,

and while the Johnnies took the fourth, the Midshipmen pulled off a last-minute score and narrowly avoided the shutout.

The victory, which took place in front of a crowd of nearly 8,000, marked the 30th victory for the Johnnies since the initial match in 1983.

“Did we expect it? Not necessarily,” says team member Jared Bassmann (A20), who will be playing in the under-21 croquet championship in England this summer. “Not 4-1. But it’s always the hope to end it in the first round because then we just get to have fun.”

Last year, the pairing of Tom Balding (A20) and Sean Miller (A20) secured the victory after a long day on the pitch, breaking a 2-2 tie.

Several of the team members—including Imperial Wicket Chris “Mack” McGowen, who threw a croquet-themed gender reveal party for his newborn twins earlier in the year—had played in each of the previous year’s matches and were eager to end on a high note.

“We really want to win,” McGowen said in a pre-match interview.

“I’ve played three years and I’ve won three years. I don’t want the last year to be any different.”

Article reprinted with permission from St. John's College. Original version appeared at www.sjc.edu/news/2019-annapolis-cup.

Photo by Tbel Abuseridze

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USCA CROQUET SCHOOLS Learn to play the USCA Way!

NEW DATES ANNOUNCED! AMERICAN RULES

October 16-18, 2019 November 13-15, 2019 January 29-31, 2020 March 10-12, 2020 April 1-3, 2020 March 14-16, 2020 (Tournament Play School)

GOLF CROQUET

ASSOCIATION LAWS

November 14-15, 2019 October 17-18,2019 December 5, 2019 January 30-31, 2020 (Tournament Play School) January 7-8, 2020 March 11-12, 2020

Instruction by USCA Certified Instructors

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

Classes are held at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, FL Contact the USCA office for more information (561) 478-0760 or email tournament@uscroquet.com

eventreports

Wisconsin teammates Bob Feind, Mary Feind and Cheryl Bromley

Next up, Wisconsin faced another tough team from Indiana and would need to pull off another six match wins to take the test The Wisconsin duo of Mary Feind and and win the overall Quad. Bromley and Cheryl Bromley got things rolling with a Mary Fiend (Wisc.) started with a 7-6 solid doubles win, followed by Bob Feind’s Leading up to the start of the third quad doubles victory over Russ Dilley and Michael (Wisc.) singles victory over George Saad of this year’s States Shield event, some Leaming (Ind.) followed by another stellar (Ill.). Bromley (Wisc.) took out Matt Brown singles win by Bob Feind (Wisc.) over Mark uncertainty developed as to whether it (Ill.) and Wisconsin found itself with an was going to happen. Two weeks out, the Troiano (Ind.). Bromley (Wisc.) also defeated early 3-0 match lead.

Illinois team of previous years had to be Troiano (Ind.) while Dilley (Ind.) took down reorganized because of work and schedule Bob Feind (Wisc.). Wisconsin now had a Illinois followed up with two singles wins conflicts, and thankfully Jeff Lee of Chicago 3-1 match lead. Dilley (Ind.) went on to to close the gap with both Saad (Ill.) and was able to secure Matt Brown and George defeat Mary Feind (Wisc.), and Bromley Jeff Lee (Ill.), defeating Mary Feind (Wisc).

Saad for the team.

(Wisc.) closed out a match with Leaming Bob Feind (Wisc.) then pulled out a clutch (Ind.), keeping Wisconsin in the lead 4-2.

One week out the players were informed the victory over Brown (Ill.) hitting a oneBob Feind (Wisc.) skillfully got past Leaming handed backward jump shot at hoop 13 Minnesota team had to withdraw because (Ind.) and now it was Mary Feind’s 7-6 to snag his match.

The last match of the of schedule conflicts; however, with the Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois teams intact, evening between Bromley and Saad had more victory over Troiano (Ind.) that sealed the theatrics as Bromley scored two hoops in one deal for the Wisconsin win. Bromley (Wisc.) the Midwest Quad was able to go on. shot when she hit a jump shot over Saad’s ball and Dilley (Ind.) faced off in an encore If ever in the Chicago area, the Prairie match with Bromley coming out on top. in the jaws at hoop 1 with the momentum Lights Croquet Club located a 90-minute carrying her ball through hoop 2.

With a few hours of travel between them, drive southwest of the city is highly Indiana and Illinois opted not to do a playoff Wisconsin finished up the night with a recommended. It feels as though you’ve for second and third place. Wisconsin’s team 5-2 test lead needing just one more match literally stepped into the movie Field of will now head to Tulsa, Okla., in August to in the morning to win the test. Saturday’s Dreams. I couldn’t help but think, “build compete in a national semifinal showdown games started off with Lee’s (Ill.) victory it and they will come!” Owner Mickey with Colorado, Florida and Missouri. over Bob Feind (Wisc.).

It was looking as Huttenhoff meticulously maintains the lawn though Illinois would grab another win as to superb condition and he, along with his Individual game scores may be found at wife Ronnie, are the most gracious of hosts. Brown (Ill.) held the lead in his match until https://croquetscores.com/2019/gc/croquetthe 13th hoop when Mary Feind (Wisc.) network-midwest-states-shield-quad.

Play got underway Friday evening with managed to score the winning hoop and the temperatures still hovering in the 90s. Once test for Wisconsin. Bromley’s (Wisc.) victory the sun went down and the lights went on, over Lee (Ill.) was icing on the cake.

Croquet Network Midwest States Shield Quad July 5–7, 2019 Manhattan, Illinois

By Cheryl Bromley

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the first test match between Illinois and Wisconsin battled on until 11:00 p.m.

So now, the test was 3-2 and the concept of a forfeit was long forgotten. Smith (MO #1) then took on #2 Steninger, which really put things asunder as Steninger emerged with a 7-4 victory to get the test to 3-3. In the meantime, Millican and Berry went into a hardcore wicket-by-wicket battle in the 3 v 3 game. It drew out so long that the 1 v matchup started and finished with Smith winning 7-3 to put Missouri up 4-3. Back in the Berry versus Millican matchup though, Berry came through for Colorado at the 13th hoop and tied the test at 4-4.

That left the 2 v 3 matchups to determine whether or not the test would go to the extra doubles tiebreaker. Jackson (MO #2) and Berry (CO #3) played a tight game while Millican looked to be playing solid against Steninger, who was thus far undefeated in singles for the weekend.

It was looking as though Jackson might be playing for the test win for Missouri.

However, Steninger settled in and took a 7-5 victory that put Jackson in a “win-tostay-alive” situation. The veteran delivered at the 13th hoop and the 5-5 tie put the if-needed, extra doubles game into the mix.

Team Colorado: Judy McKeon, Steve Berry, Ron Eccles and John Steninger (L to R)

Croquet Network Central States Shield Quad June 21-23, 2019 Tulsa, Oklahoma

By Dylan Goodwin The States Shield once again delivered drama on an epic scale as Colorado pulled off an improbable comeback from a 3-0 deficit to steal the Central Quad title from Missouri by a 6-5 score on June 23 in Tulsa, Okla.

The entire Central Quad event, which started Friday, June 21, with a practice day and ran through Sunday, June 23, shaped up to be a somewhat casual event as the home of the Tulsa Croquet Club at LaFortune Park offered four courts for convenient scheduling. In fact, the semifinal tests were concluded by noon on Saturday. With the forecast showing spots of rain, Colorado and Missouri worked to get in a few extra games to speed along the Sunday schedule.

As it worked out, Missouri jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead and that included a 7-6 victory by Missouri’s #2, Stephen Jackson over Colorado #1 Ron Eccles.

The rains did come on Sunday morning and that threw off the set-up crew, which was already struggling with a missing clamp.

The hard rains flooded the lower courts, but

adjustments were made with the executive decision to move to the higher court area that had no standing water.

Still, as the court setup concluded, the rain continued to pour down ranging from steady to hard and the official start of 8:30 a.m. slipped by. Missouri team director Matt Smith conferred with Steve Berry from Colorado (presumably he drew the short straw to exit the dry car to join the crew under the light protection of the pavilion).

At that time, the Colorado players seemed to be considering a forfeit. Berry jumped back in the car and several minutes later the Colorado players began filtering out of the car, strapped on rain gear (if available) and dumped out umbrellas. Their enthusiasm was minimal, and the story later slipped out that it was team director, Judy McKeon, that said, “Get out of the car and go play.”

The two games that started off the fun featured John Steninger (CO #2) against Jackson (MO #2) and Eccles (CO #1) against Ron Millican (MO #3). Both games plowed through some of the hardest rain of the day turned out to be hard-fought battles. Millican almost picked up the fourth win for Missouri, but Eccles survived 7-6, while Steninger won the 2 v 2 against Jackson 7-5.

States Shield regulations mandate a line-up change from the opening doubles match of the test for the tiebreaker. Colorado chose to go with Steninger and Berry while Missouri matched up with Smith and Millican. As the decider rolled out, each hoop was fiercely contested, but they kept going Colorado’s way, they worked out to a 4-1 lead. The Missouri duo battled, but they couldn't claim hoop points and Colorado methodically finished off the game 7-1 to claim the Central Quad title and a berth in the States Shield Championship to be held on the same courts August 16-18.

Steninger, with a 6-0 singles record and a 2-1 doubles record, was clearly the MVP of the weekend and McKeon surely has a shot at team director of the year for basically pushing her team out onto the courts into the rain.

SEMIFINAL RECAP: COLORADO 6, OKLAHOMA 4

As a player/TD for Kansas, I did not see much of the Colorado vs Oklahoma test, but I did get to see a bit of the final game.

Essentially, the theme of this test is that John Steninger and Colorado’s #2 emerged as a force with a 3-0 record. Oklahoma, on the other hand, had strong performances from Suzanne Spradling (#2) and Carl Archiniaco (#3) who both went 2-1. In fact, Spradling took Steninger to the 13th hoop in her only loss and pitched a shutout against Steve croquetamerica.com | 37

eventreports Berry. Archiniaco’s only loss was also a 7-6 Southeast Regional Championship heartbreaker against Steninger that sealed the June 13-16, 2019 Pinehurst, North Carolina win for Colorado.

By Macey White SEMIFINAL RECAP: MISSOURI 7, KANSAS 3

For my Kansas team, we couldn’t improve on previous win totals, but we felt like we made some overall progress. We had a good battle going into the opening doubles game, but Jackson made a jump hoop midway that got the momentum on Missouri’s side and they won the opener 7-5. Jackson then beat Kansas newcomer Greg Clouse 7-3 in the 2-2 matchup, while Justin Marciniak (KS #3) lost to Missouri’s #1 Matt Smith by the same score. I had to comeback in my game in the 1 vs 3 matchup over Ron Millican for the 7-5 victory, but Missouri already had a strong 3-1 win at the end of two rounds. As the Kansas #2, Clouse had a strong game against Smith, but fell 7-5. Clouse did claim his first victory in Shield play with a 7-4 win over Ron Millican in the final round.

The 2019 Southeast Regional in Pinehurst, N.C., had a whopping 42 players with 23 in the championship flight. According to the SE Regional VP Macey White, “This may be the most competitive Regional ever. In any case it was a great turnout and a great event run by the folks at Pinehurst.” Tournament director Danny Huneycutt and Club President Elaine Moody teamed up to make this a fantastic event. The tournament was a mixture of tough competition, fantastic food and the camaraderie of seeing friends one more time.

Three flights in singles and two flights in doubles were played, offering enough flights to have good, fair and well-matched competition at all levels of play.

A great time was had by all. Mark your calendars and make your travel plans now for the 2020 Southeast Golf Croquet Regional at Pinehurst on June 11-14, 2020.

This event will be another great one!

PLATE KNOCKOUT

Oklahoma’s Doug Ledgett went 0-3 in the Shield main event but reversed that trend in the plate event that was held Saturday afternoon. The event was for alternates and players on teams that had been eliminated in round one. After a 7-3 win in round one against Missouri alternate Wanda Jackson, he squared off against Oklahoma teammate Spradling in the semifinals and survived 7-6. I had been working the other side of the bracket and met Ledgett in the final, where we played during the hottest part of the day. It was a good battle, but Ledgett was stronger on hoop shots and took a 7-6 victory to claim the plate.

TEAM ORDER 01. Colorado 02. Missouri 03. Oklahoma 04. Kansas PLATE FINAL ORDER 01. Doug Ledgett 02. Dylan Goodwin 03. Justin Marciniak 03. Suzanne Spradling 05. Carl Archiniaco 05. Greg Clouse 05. Wanda Jackson 05. Judy McKeon Central Shield Scores: https://croquetscores.com/2019/gc/croquetnetwork-states-shield-central-quad Central Shield Plate Scores: https://croquetscores.com/2019/gc/states-shieldcentral-quad-plate

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Southeast Regional group photo

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2 CHAMPION FLIGHT SINGLES | croquetamerica.com

01. Danny Huneycutt 02. Rick Sheely 03. Mike Taylor 03. John Knott 05. Randy Cardo 05. Rob Byrd 05. Macey White 05. Chris Barley 09. Mary Rodeberg 09. Horace Hayworth 09. James Spoonhour 09. John Schoo 13. Preston Stuart 13. Bill Daigle 13. Ed Roberts 13. Bill Hartmann 17. Gary Bennett 17. Elaine Moody 17. Bob Crouch 17. Brian Hovis 21. Bob Morgan 21. Beverley Cardo 21. Ken Deason 21. Linda Dos Santos

FIRST FLIGHT SINGLES

FIRST FLIGHT DOUBLES

01. Joe Zilligen 02. Antonio Dos Santos 03. Brett Stovall 03. Nancy Crouch 05. Becky Essick 05. Mijai Pagano 07. Alan Langley

01. Mijai Pagano/Joe Zilligen 02. Mike Conry/Danna Huneycutt 03. Becky Essick/Brett Stovall 03. Tim Williams/Mary-Stewart Regensburg 05. Michael Kukla/Anne Kukla 06. Melody Eckhart/Michael Marsh 07. Ted Cooley/Louise Mercuro

SECOND FLIGHT SINGLES 01. Michael Kukla 02. Danna Huneycutt 03. Michael Marsh 03. Mary-Stewart Regensburg 05. Tim Williams 05. Melody Eckhart 07. Louise Mercuro CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLES 01. Danny Huneycutt/James Spoonhour 02. Macey White/Preston Stuart 03. Randy Cardo/Beverley Cardo 03. Horace Hayworth/Ed Roberts 05. Matthew Essick/Brian Hovis 05. John Knott/Bill Daigle 07. Rick Sheely/Chris Barley 07. Mike Taylor/Elaine Moody 09. Gary Bennett/Alan Langley 09. Rob Byrd/Bill Hartmann 11. Bob Morgan/Mary Rodeberg 11. Bob Crouch/Nancy Crouch 11. Ken Deason/John Schoo

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eventreports

Macey White, John Warlick, Bryan Christiansen and Gil Rocha (L to R)

Southeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional 9 Wicket Championship June 5-9, 2019 Round Hill, Virginia

Team Florida: Jim Teel, Gene Raymond, Chris Barley and David Maloof

Croquet Network Southeast States Shield Quad June 8-9, 2019 Tega Cay, South Carolina

By Terry Hunt The 2019 States Shield Southeast Quad Qualifier team golf croquet event was hosted by the Tega Cay Croquet Club and sponsored by the Croquet Network website. Fourteen players from four state teams participated: • North Carolina - Jeff Soo (Team Director), Matthew Essick, Peter Carlin, Rob Byrd • South Carolina - Damon Bidencope (Team Director), Simon Jenkins, Robert Hurst • Georgia - Jimmy Huff (Team Director), Kent Lovvorn, Roy Gee • Florida - Chris Barley (Team Director), David Maloof, Gene Raymond, Jim Teel Four matches were played on Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, 2019, on the Tega Cay single croquet court. On Saturday (National Croquet Day), two matches were played consisting of 18 games from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. North Carolina defeated the South Carolina 6-2 and Florida defeated the Georgia 6-4. The rain held off for the most part until the last game, but no rain delays occurred.

On Sunday the first two games were played under heavy showers, but the players put on their rain gear and never stopped playing. The rest of the games were played under mostly dry conditions with only a few brief showers.

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In the first match, Florida defeated North Carolina 8-2 to win the Southeast Regional Tournament and advance to the National Shield Tournament in August.

In the Sunday afternoon match, Georgia and South Carolina played three games and then called it a day because of other commitments and their long drives home. Thirteen games were played on Sunday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. with no rain delays.

The players all complimented the condition of the court. The special Quadway Hoops used during the tournament were loaned to the club by Simon Jenkins. The court drained exceptionally well during the few showers over the two days. The ball fences worked well and were really needed.

The Tournament Directors were Damon Bidencope and Alan Bensch.

TEAM ORDER 01. Florida 02. North Carolina 03. South Carolina 04. Georgia Southeast Quad Shield Scores: https://croquetscores.com/2019/gc/croquetnetwork-southeast-states-shield-quad

The town of Round Hill, Va., contacted the USCA office last year and asked for assistance in helping the town get croquet established as a local recreational activity.

The USCA offered to run a clinic to teach local players the game of nine wicket and to run a regional tournament. With the help of the Loudon County Department of Parks and Recreation, Woodgrove Park in Round Hill was selected as the tournament site with the clinic and tournament held June 5-9.

Local residents attended the clinic. Between clinic attendees and spectators at the tournament, enough local interest was present to get a good nine wicket club formed in Round Hill.

Players from the Mid-Atlantic Region attended the tournament, mostly from the Capital Croquet Club (CCC) and the Mid-Atlantic Croquet Club (MACC), both in Maryland. The Southeast Region was represented by players from the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club (CBCC) in Virginia.

Even a couple of players traveled from the National Croquet Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., to participate.

Championship Flight singles were won by Macey White from CBCC and second place went to Tim Hasty from CCC/MACC. First Flight Singles were won by Doug Murphy in a tough match against his wife Jill Murphy from CBCC. Doubles were won by the team of Macey White and John Warlick and second place went to Gil Rocha and Bryan Christiansen from CCC/MACC.

Croquet, Golf & Water

Macey White and Rodney Lassiter

Tim Hasty (L) and Macey White (R)

Special thanks go to the members of the Capital Croquet Club who set up tents at the courts and to Loudon County Parks and Recreation who lined the fields, cut the grass and otherwise made the courts playable.

Singles Championship Flight 01. Macey White 02. Tim Hasty 03. Gil Rocha 03. Gail Warlick 05. John Warlick 05. Bryan Christiansen 05. Cindy Shepherd First Flight 01. Doug Murphy 02. Jill Murphy 03. Billy Beam 03. Eric Carlson Doubles 01. Macey White/John Warlick 02. Gil Rocha/Bryan Christiansen 03. Tim Hasty/Cindy Shepherd 04. Doug Murphy/Jill Murphy 05. Billy Beam/Eric Carlson

Rockfish Open May 30 – June 2 Hartfield, Virginia The 2019 Rockfish Croquet Tournament was held at the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club on May 30-June 2. This tournament is a training tournament, and in addition to the clinics that are held on practice day, beginners and players with a high handicap are provided with a coach during roundrobin play. Participants can play six wicket or golf croquet in singles or doubles.

A great time was had by all. Of special note, Lyle Browning won “best shot” by making a 15-foot double-jumper to score the final hoop and win his golf croquet game over John Priest.

Susan Scott won “best hoop shooting” for her long hoop shots in golf croquet. The hoops were set to international standards and were very firm and extremely tight, but that didn’t keep Scott from scoring so many from long distance that competitors soon started calling 10-foot hoop shots, “Scott Shots.”

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First Flight Singles 01. Merle Berkshire 02. Martin Karel 03. Michael Heath 03. Connie Coling 05. Christine Smith 05. Karin Karel Waterford Doubles 01. Roney Lassiter/Bo Prillaman 02. Karin Karel/Carl Johnson 03. Michael Heath/Marty Karel/Jane Koziol

GOLF CROQUET Championship Flight Singles 01. Bo Prillaman 02. John Priest 03. Lyle Browning 03. Susan Scott Waterford Doubles

The Rockfish will be held again next spring and 01. Rick Darnell/John Priest is a great tournament for beginning players.

SIX WICKET Championship Flight Singles 01. Macey White 02. Rodney Lassiter 03. Jim Coling 03. Rick Darnell

02. Macey White/Lyle Browning 03. Merle Berkshire,/Chris Smith/Susan Scott Zed Plate 01. Chris Smith 02. Jane Koziol

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eventreports

Jeff Soo and Cheryl Bromley

2019 Southeast Regional Golf Croquet Tournament May 2-5, 2019 Hartfield, Virginia On May 2-5, the Southeast Regional Golf Croquet Tournament was held at the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club in Hartfield, Va. Forty players from across the US and Canada came to play, making it the mostattended Golf Croquet Regional ever held in the USA. It breaks the previous record of 32 players set this past January at the Florida GC Regional in West Palm Beach, Fla. Competitive golf croquet is the fastest growing croquet game in the US at this time and the participation in this tournament showed it. The USCA is 100 percent behind GC and is supporting it with a soon-to-be introduced Golf Croquet Grand Prix and handicap system. More information will be provided later in the year.

The courts at Chesapeake Bay were in great shape and the competition was fierce

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in all flights. Of the 40 players, 10 were playing in their first USCA sanctioned GC tournament. In addition to tournament play, Cheryl Bromley, chairman of the USCA Golf Croquet Committee, ran a one-day Golf Croquet Referee School. This was the first GC referee school and a lot was learned by the nine participants about how to become a GC referee. Likewise, the instructors (Cheryl Bromley, Jeff Soo and Macey White) also learned a lot on how to run a GC referee school. We look forward to more of these schools in the future.

Two of the top 10 players in the US, Jeff Soo and Macey White, played in the Championship Flight, but the flight was won by the excellent play of Bromley, who defeated Soo in the finals two games to one.

First Flight was won by the lowest seed, John Priest, who beat the highest seed in the flight, George Enochs, in two straight victories. Second Flight was a hard-fought battle between two players in their first

GC tournament, Paul Fecteau and Kathie Gamble. Fecteau edged out Gamble to win the flight honors.

In doubles play, the underdog team of Gil and Priscilla Flowers made it to Championship Flight finals and played well but lost to Jeff and Eileen Soo. In First Flight doubles, newcomers Priest and Conor Johnson defeated Bill Simmons and Bill Sullivan for the title.

While most came to the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club for the great croquet play and camaraderie with fellow croquet enthusiasts, some admitted they came for the great food. The grand buffet featured local favorites: steamed Chesapeake Bay blue crabs, country fried chicken and lowcountry slow-roasted pulled pork. Yum! Ya’ll come back now, ya hear!

For more details and game scores visit https://croquetscores.com/2019/gc/uscase-regional.

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Gil Flowers, Priscilla Flowers, Eileen Soo and Jeff Soo (L to R)

Championship Flight Singles

Second Flight Singles

01. Cheryl Bromley 02. Jeff Soo 03. Bo Prillaman 03. Dick Boger 05. Amr Hamdy 05. Stephen Jackson 05. Macey White 05. Rick Darnell 09. Eileen Soo 09. Gil Flowers 09. Diane Walker 09. Donna Dixon 09. Don Molitor 09. Rich Dell

01. Paul Fecteau 02. Kathie Gamble 03. Martin Karel 03. Gary Gamble 05. Karen Weihs 05. Pedro Rivera 05. William Sullivan 08. Kevin Killilea 08. Anne Killilea 10. Karin Karel 11. Luella Rundell 11. Marilyn Price 11. John Rundell 11. Leo Viens

First Flight Singles

Championship Flight Doubles

01. John Priest 02. George Enochs 03. Bill Simmons 03. John Walker 05. Priscilla Flowers 05. Chris Weihs 05. Tom Hankey 05. Doug Murphy 09. Bruce James 09. Corky Dell

01. Jeff Soo/Eileen Soo 02. Gil Flowers/Priscilla Flowers 03. Cheryl Bromley/Stephen Jackson 03. Amr Hamdy/Bo Prillaman 05. Macey White/Rick Darnell 05. Tom Hankey/Paul Fecteau 05. Dick Boger/Donna Dixon 05. Chris Weihs/Karen Weihs 09. George Enochs/Don Molitor 09. Rich Dell/Corky Dell

First Flight Doubles 01. John Priest/Conor Johnson 02. Bill Simmons/William Sullivan 03. Bruce James/Pedro Rivera 03. Anne Killilea/Kevin Killilea 05. Luella Rundell/John Rundell 05. Gary Gamble/Kathie Gamble 05. Karin Karel/Martin Karel 05. Clint Price/Marilyn Price

croquetamerica.com | 43

grandprix OPEN GP: CARDO STRETCHES LEAD

The latest USCA Grand Prix standings show Randy Cardo stretching out to a more comfortable lead with 25,437 points, which gives him a gap of 6,452 points back to second place contender Chris Patmore at 18,985. Macey White has surged from fifth to third and is now in the 18,000-point range with Stephen Morgan not far behind in fourth place at 16,455. The fall schedule is on deck with a lot of points in play and generally the USCA National American Rules Championship providing the biggest boost. This year’s edition will be held November 3-9, 2019, at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and sets up what could be an exciting finish for the GP race.

FAST MOVER: Danny Huneycutt jumped from #58 to #8 and has 13,853 points – certainly enough to be in the overall mix.

MEN’S RACE: Men hold 17 of the top 20 spots in the overall race, so that race closely resembles the open GP standings. Lynda Sudderberg tops the women with 13,955 points to hold the seventh spot.

WOMEN’S GP: CONTENDERS EMERGING

In the Women’s GP, Beverley Cardo has moved up to claim the second-place spot with 9,179 points and closed the gap slightly to leader Lynda Sudderberg. The gap from first to second was 6,468 points in April and it’s now at 4,776.

FAST MOVER: Besides Cardo jumping from third to second place, Lorretta Cooper is also climbing the standings. Her 4,960 points were enough to move her up to fourth place in the women’s race from ninth place in the previous update. To get into the top three, she’ll have to catch last year’s women’s champ, Jodi Rugart, who now has a hold on third place with 8,258 points.

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2019 GRAND PRIX OVERALL TOP 60 # Player Handicap Singles 01 Randy Cardo -3 15,536 02 Chris Patmore -2 15,400 03 Macey W. White -2 10,936 04 Stephen Morgan -2.5 8,850 05 Sherif Abdelwahab -3 9,320 06 Stuart Lawrence -2.5 12,100 07 Lynda P. Sudderberg -1.5 6,720 08 Danny Huneycutt -4 10,145 09 Brian Cumming -3.5 9,816 10 David Ekstrom -1.5 8,350 11 Richard Sullivan -1.5 7,850 12 Matthew Essick -1 7,800 13 Bob Chilton -1 7,650 14 Richard Sheely -2 7,468 15 Preston Stuart -0.5 4,112 16 Beverley Cardo 1.5 4,868 17 Webster Bull -1 4,880 18 David McCoy 0 2,650 19 Matthew Griffith -2 5,910 20 Jodie Rugart -0.5 4,450 21 Jeff Soo -3.5 5,552 22 Doug Grimsley -3 4,200 23 Thomas Cooper -1.5 4,620 24 Zack Watson -0.5 6,000 25 Kevin Hansley 0 4,200 26 Rob Byrd 0.5 3,836 27 Chris Barley -1 4,136 28 Scott Spradling -0.5 3,580 29 William C. Rinaman 0.5 2,400 30 Richard G. Curtis -1.5 3,720 31 Bob Worrell -1.5 4,872 32 Michael Albert 4.5 4,976 33 Gene Raymond 0 2,080 34 Thomas C. Balding 3 3,375 35 John Young III -1.5 1,400 36 Loretta Cooper 2 2,380 37 James M. Spoonhour -0.5 1,020 38 Arthur Olsen -0.5 3,350 39 Peter Bach 0 3,512 40 John Knott -1 3,056 41 David Maloof -2.5 2,062 42 David Bent -1.5 - 43 Bob Crouch 2 3,016 44 Bill Hartmann 0.5 1,412 45 Conner L. Helms -0.5 1,000 46 Mike Taylor -1.5 3,256 47 Lee C. Jorde 4 3,230 48 Sandra Knuth 2 818 49 Tom Hughes 0 2,480 50 Alan Cottle -2 3,128 51 Patricia Spratt 4.5 687 52 Jeff Morrison 3.5 1,065 53 Derek Wassink -3 3,600 54 Mary Rodeberg 0.5 1,710 55 Paul T. Bennett -2.5 3,224 56 Lawrence R. Cranfield 3.5 2,000 57 Richard Boger 3 1,528 58 Hans Peterson -1 1,400 59 Mark Fields 0.5 2,200 60 David Isaacs -0.5 800 Updated July 19, 2019

Doubles Total Points 9,901 25,437 3,585 18,985 7,972 18,908 7,605 16,455 5,480 14,800 2,400 14,500 7,235 13,955 3,708 13,853 3,300 13,116 3,405 11,755 3,265 11,115 3,222 11,022 2,108 9,758 2,014 9,482 5,272 9,384 4,311 9,179 3,800 8,680 5,681 8,331 2,400 8,310 3,808 8,258 2,507 8,059 3,300 7,500 2,820 7,440 1,200 7,200 2,538 6,738 2,608 6,444 1,714 5,850 2,241 5,821 3,200 5,600 1,800 5,520 600 5,472 300 5,276 3,160 5,240 1,785 5,160 3,600 5,000 2,580 4,960 3,468 4,488 1,061 4,411 700 4,212 1,122 4,178 2,100 4,162 4,080 4,080 1,044 4,060 2,648 4,060 3,018 4,018 714 3,970 600 3,830 2,988 3,806 1,261 3,741 600 3,728 3,006 3,693 2,551 3,616 - 3,600 1,824 3,534 300 3,524 1,500 3,500 1,914 3,442 1,900 3,300 800 3,000 2,198 2,998

2019 GRAND PRIX TOP 30 MEN # Player Handicap 01 Randy Cardo -3 02 Chris Patmore -2 03 Macey W. White -2 04 Stephen Morgan -2.5 05 Sherif Abdelwahab -3 06 Stuart Lawrence -2.5 07 Danny Huneycutt -4 08 Brian Cumming -3.5 09 David Ekstrom -1.5 10 Richard Sullivan -1.5 11 Matthew Essick -1 12 Bob Chilton -1 13 Richard Sheely -2 14 Preston Stuart -0.5 15 Webster Bull -1 16 David McCoy 0 17 Matthew Griffith -2 18 Jeff Soo -3.5 19 Doug Grimsley -3 20 Thomas Cooper -1.5 21 Zack Watson -0.5 22 Kevin Hansley 0 23 Rob Byrd 0.5 24 Chris Barley -1 25 Scott Spradling -0.5 26 William C. Rinaman 0.5 27 Richard G. Curtis -1.5 28 Bob Worrell -1.5 29 Michael Albert 4.5 30 Gene Raymond 0

Singles 15,536 15,400 10,936 8,850 9,320 12,100 10,145 9,816 8,350 7,850 7,800 7,650 7,468 4,112 4,880 2,650 5,910 5,552 4,200 4,620 6,000 4,200 3,836 4,136 3,580 2,400 3,720 4,872 4,976 2,080

Doubles 9,901 3,585 7,972 7,605 5,480 2,400 3,708 3,300 3,405 3,265 3,222 2,108 2,014 5,272 3,800 5,681 2,400 2,507 3,300 2,820 1,200 2,538 2,608 1,714 2,241 3,200 1,800 600 300 3,160

2019 GRAND PRIX TOP 30 WOMEN # Player Handicap 01 Lynda P. Sudderberg -1.5 02 Beverley Cardo 1.5 03 Jodie Rugart -0.5 04 Loretta Cooper 2 05 Sandra Knuth 2 06 Patricia Spratt 4.5 07 Mary Rodeberg 0.5 08 Vickie Johnston 3.5 09 Dawn Jupin 1 10 Roni Brazell 5 11 Donna Dixon 0 12 Jackie Jones -2 13 Arlene Stevens 7 14 Linda Huxtable -0.5 15 Victoria Albrecht 4 16 Elaine Moody 3 17 Audrey M. Wille -0.5 18 Carla P. Rueck 7 19 Jeanne Branthover 4 20 Martie Ekstrom 6 21 Mijai Pagano 4.5 22 Jane C. Helms 7 23 Nancy Crouch 4.5 24 Yen Sullivan 5 25 Suzanne Spradling 6 26 Avril Rangoni-Machiavelli 1 27 Linda R. Dos Santos 2.5 28 Missy Chilton 7 29 Karen Heckman 7 30 Brett Stovall 4.5

Singles 6,720 4,868 4,450 2,380 818 687 1,710 1,805 300 1,010 656 1,363 291 1,100 950 546 900 261 787 507 369 126 577 475 200 108 694 562 225 567

Doubles Total Points 7,235 13,955 4,311 9,179 3,808 8,258 2,580 4,960 2,988 3,806 3,006 3,693 1,824 3,534 1,010 2,815 2,340 2,640 364 1,374 712 1,368 - 1,363 1,044 1,335 200 1,300 331 1,281 714 1,260 300 1,200 902 1,163 374 1,161 594 1,101 654 1,023 890 1,016 300 877 400 875 516 716 600 708 - 694 111 673 430 655 86 653

Total Points 25,437 18,985 18,908 16,455 14,800 14,500 13,853 13,116 11,755 11,115 11,022 9,758 9,482 9,384 8,680 8,331 8,310 8,059 7,500 7,440 7,200 6,738 6,444 5,850 5,821 5,600 5,520 5,472 5,276 5,240

GP CHAMPIONSHIP B TOP 15 (3-5H) # Player Handicap Points 01 Michael Albert 4.5 5276 02 Thomas C. Balding 3 5160 03 Lee C. Jorde 4 3830 04 Patricia Spratt 4.5 3693 05 Jeff Morrison 3.5 3616 06 Lawrence R. Cranfield 3.5 3500 07 Richard Boger 3 3442 08 Vickie Johnston 3.5 2815 09 Edward Erlich 4 2485 10 Stephen P. Grassbaugh 3 2313 11 Wendell Thompson 4 2030 12 Brian D. Hovis 3.5 1778 13 Joseph Zilligen 5 1700 14 Merle Berkshire 4 1410 15 John L. Schoo 3.5 1399

GP FIRST FLIGHT TOP 15 (6-9H) # Player Handicap Points 01 Patrick Dugan 8 1385 02 Arlene Stevens 7 1335 03 David Kepner 9 1275 04 Carla P. Rueck 7 1163 05 Martie Ekstrom 6 1101 06 Jane C. Helms 7 1016 07 Hal Denton 7 980 08 Stephen Jackson 6 749 09 Suzanne Spradling 6 716 10 Bo Prillaman 7 704 11 Karl-Heinz Kempfer 8 700 12 Missy Chilton 7 673 13 Karen Heckman 7 655 14 Ahab Dincer 8 636 15 Linda Trifone 6 573 GP SECOND FLIGHT TOP 15 (10-13H) # Player Handicap Points 01 Christine Smith 10 319 02 Karin Karel 10 288 03 Ellie Griffith 10 237 04 Leanne L. Rodick 10 204 05 Mary Cassidy 10 151 06 Bill Fraser 10 144 07 Jeanette Bair Tribby 10 144 08 Cynthia Chess 10 141 09 Mary-Stewart Regensburg 10 129 10 Doris Priddle 10 106 11 Tracey Roche 13 105 12 Terry Cassidy 11 97 13 Mel Eckhart 10 86 14 Hayden E. Pendergrass 10 76 15 Mike McNamara 12 72

GP THIRD FLIGHT TOP 10 (14-20H) # Player Handicap Points 01 Cheryl Bromley 20 609 02 Peter Carlin 20 457 03 George O'Neill III 20 375 04 Jim Teel 20 312 05 Amr Hamdy 20 206 06 Todd Russell 20 204 07 Blake Fields 20 172 08 Robert V. Clark 20 136 09 Priscilla M. Flowers 18 98 10 Rich Dell 20 87

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USCA 2019-2020 Sanctioned Events

Entry forms to USCA events will now be emailed to members and can also be found on the USCA website at: www.croquetamerica.com/members/forms/ or call the USCA office (561) 478-0760 for a copy. For the most up-to-date calendar, please check www.croquetamerica.com/calendar/tournaments/

Aug Event 8-11 Buffalo Croquet Club 6 Wicket Invitational 16-18 6th Rochester Croquet Club Invitational 16-19 2019 Croquet Network States Shield 17 Special Olympics CT Invitational 22-25 2019 Highlands/Cashiers Pro-Am 30-9/1 Northeast Regional Association Laws 30-9/2 Midwest Regional American Rules

Venue Buffalo Croquet Club Rochester CC @ G&T SportsPark LaFortune Park Elizabeth Park Chattooga Club Lenox Club Tulsa Croquet Club

City-State Buffalo, NY Rochester, NY Tulsa, OK Hartford, CT Cashiers, NC Lenox, MA Tulsa, OK

Contact Ryan Thompson Sue Ellen Sherer Dylan Goodwin Bobbi Shorthouse Michael Albert Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell

Phone 716-697-4111 585-474-3753 913-636-7231 860-608-1222 941 376-1200 561-478-0760 561-478-0760

Email thompson77@gmail.com sue.e.sherer@gmail.com croquetnetwork@gmail.com CroquetBobbi@gmail.com mycopres@aol.com tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com

Sept Event 4-8 Woodlawn Big Lobster Tournament 6-9 NC State Singles Championship 11-13 SE Regional Assoc Laws Championship 13-15 2019 Croquet Invitational 15-17 USCA National 9 Wicket Tournament 19-22 2019 Blue Crab 19-22 The Osborn Cup 19-22 Pacific Cup 21-22 Special Olympics CT & RI Croquet Olympics 25-29 29th Pinehurst Croquet Club Invitational 27-29 USCA Mid-Atlantic AC Regional 28-29 Maryland Senior Olympics 30 Presidents’ Matches

Venue Woodlawn Croquet Pinehurst Croquet Club Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club The Merion Cricket Club Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club New York Croquet Club West Point Grey/Granville Park Ocean House Pinehurst Croquet Club Green Gables Croquet Club Ginger Cove, West River Wickets Pinehurst Croquet Club

City-State Ellsworth, ME Pinehurst, NC Hartfield, VA Haverford, PA Hartfield VA Hartfield, VA New York, NY Vancouver, BC, Canada Watch Hill, RI Pinehurst, NC Sea Girt, NJ Annapolis/Ownensville, MD Pinehurst, NC

Contact Perry Mattson Mike Taylor Johnny Mitchell Whitney Thain Johnny Mitchell Macey White Peter Timmins Patrick Sweeney Bobbi Shorthouse Elaine Moody Johnny Mitchell Susan Savage Johnny Mitchell

Phone 207-664-4822 910-986-3343 561-478-0760 610-642-5800 561-478-0760 804-694-9771 646-642-6601 503-310-3222 860-608-1222 910-986-3164 561-478-0760 301-889-0898 561-478-0760

Email newburyneckshore@gmail.com mrtaylor1022@gmail.com tournament@uscroquet.com wthain@merioncricket.com tournament@uscroquet.com maceywhite@gmail.com NYCroquetClub@yahoo.com sweeney@503Law.com CroquetBobbi@gmail.com halliburton_2@msn.com tournament@uscroquet.com savsteve@comcast.net tournament@uscroquet.com

Oct Event 1-4 Solomon Trophy 10-14 USCA National GC Championship 16-18 USCA American Rules School 17-18 USCA Association Laws School 16-18 Pinehurst CC Singles Championship 18-20 Country Club of Jackson 6 Wicket Inv. 24-27 Houston Invitational 24-27 USCA Selection Eights

Venue Pinehurst Croquet Club National Croquet Center National Croquet Center National Croquet Center Pinehurst Croquet Club Country Club of Jackson Memorial Park National Croquet Center

City-State Pinehurst, NC West Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, FL Pinehurst, NC Jackson, MS Houston, TX West Palm Beach, FL

Contact Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Elaine Moody Mark Fields John Brown Johnny Mitchell

Phone 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 910-986-3164 601-918-2704 713-876-1508 561-478-0760

Email tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com halliburton_2@msn.com mfields5@gmail.com johnobrown76@gmail.com tournament@uscroquet.com

Nov Event 3-9 USCA National American Rules Champ.

13-15 USCA American Rules School 14-15 USCA Golf Croquet School 14-17 SCCC Golf Croquet Invitational 20-24 USCA Seniors Masters Championships 22 Croquet Hall of Fame Dinner 29-12/1 NCC Doubles Championship

Venue Mission Hills Country Club National Croquet Center National Croquet Center Sarasota CCC at Pinebrook Park National Croquet Center National Croquet Center National Croquet Center

City-State Contact Rancho Mirage, CA Johnny Mitchell West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell Venice, FL Hans Peterson West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell West Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, FL Tim McCormick

Phone 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 978-929-9000 561-478-0760 561-478-2300 207-266-2055

Email tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com hpete8000@hotmail.com tournament@uscroquet.com

Dec Event 3-7 US Open 5 Tournament Play School Golf Croquet 6-8 USCA Club Team GC Championships 13-15 SCCC Winter Invitational

Venue Mission Hills Country Club National Croquet Center National Croquet Center Sarasota CCC at Pinebrook Park

City-State Rancho Mirage, CA West Palm Beach West Palm Beach Venice, FL

Contact Rory Kelley Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Nancy Hart

Phone 602-686-3941 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 803-530-2035

Email rory.kelley@aol.com tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com nh13sc@gmail.com

Jan Event 7-8 USCA Golf Croquet School 9-12 Florida Regional GC Championship 16-18 National Croquet Club Singles Championship 22-26 Beach Club Invitational 29-31 USCA Croquet School American Rules 30-31 USCA Assoc. Rules Croquet School 30-2/2 SCCC Jones Invitational

Venue National Croquet Center Sarasota CCC at Pinebrook Park National Croquet Center The Beach Club National Croquet Center National Croquet Center Sarasota CCC at Pinebrook Park

City-State West Palm Beach, FL Venice, FL West Palm Beach, FL Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, FL Venice, FL

Contact Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Tim McCormick Thomas Tribby Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Nancy Hart

Phone 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 207-329-5343 561-308-9447 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 803-530-2035

Email tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com tmccorm1@gmail.com thomastribby@gmail.com tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com nh13sc@gmail.com

Feb Event 4-8 Peyton Ballenger Invitational 19-23 The Steuber Classic 2020 27-3/1 SCCC 2020 Doubles Championship

Venue Croquet Club at PGA National National Croquet Center Sarasota CCC at Pinebrook Park

City-State Palm Beach Gardens West Palm Beach, FL Venice, FL

Contact Ann Licursi Mike Gibbons Gary Anderson

Phone 516-353-3311 917-873-0311 352-568-5099

Email annelicursi@gmail.com MGibbons9577@gmail.com gmaretired@gmail.com

March Event 10-12 USCA Croquet School American Rules 11-12 USCA Golf Croquet School 13-15 USCA Croquet Week GC Tournament 14-16 USCA Tournament Play School Am Rules 18-22 USCA Club Team Championships 23-29 SCCC Singles Championship

Venue National Croquet Center National Croquet Center National Croquet Center National Croquet Center National Croquet Center Sarasota CCC at Pinebrook Park

City-State West Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, FL Venice, FL

Contact Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Gary Anderson

Phone 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 561-478-0760 352-568-5099

Email tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com gmaretired@gmail.com

April Event 1-3 USCA Croquet School American Rules 2-5 SCCC Association Invitational 16-19 USCA Golf Croquet Eights

Venue National Croquet Center Sarasota CCC at Pinebrook Park Sarasota CCC at Pinebrook Park

City-State West Palm Beach, FL Venice, FL Venice, FL

Contact Johnny Mitchell Hans Peterson Johnny Mitchell

Phone 561-478-0760 978-929-9000 561-478-0760

Email tournament@uscroquet.com hpete8000@hotmail.com tournament@uscroquet.com

May Event 7-10 USCA SE Reg. American 6 Wicket Tourn.

17-23 USCA Association Laws National Champ.

Venue Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club

City-State Hartfield, VA Hartfield, VA

Contact Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell

Phone 561-478-0760 561-478-0760

Email tournament@uscroquet.com tournament@uscroquet.com

tmccorm1@gmail.com

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