2021 Croquet News Volume 1: USCA Marketing Plan by uscacroquetnews

2021 Volume 1

CroquetNews The Official Magazine

of the United States Croquet Association

MARKETING CROQUET IN 2021 LET’S GET THIS BALL ROLLING!

Flattest Two Acres on Earth | The Inner Battle | Zack Watson Long Grass Croquet | GC Handicap II

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CroquetNews 2021 Volume 1

Features 09 | Marketing Croquet in 2021 12 | The Flattest Two Acres of Lawn on Earth 17 | Member Profile: Zack Watson

On The Cover

Cover graphic by Brandy Ferguson

Publisher

Dylan Goodwin

Managing Editor Julie Jantzer-Ward

Art Director

Brandy Ferguson

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. © 2021 United States Croquet Association

courtside

The New and the Old We are a few weeks into the new year, but signs of the old year still remain. This is typical of the calendar change and can be found in everything we confront. We make brand-new resolutions for the year while holding onto previous traditions. Croquet is a perfect example of the adoption of the fresh as well as the concurrent maintenance of respect for the long-standing. This issue of Croquet News was challenged to offer novel articles within a season of cancellations of the many croquet events that would normally provide stories and illustrative photos to the magazine. A theme for this issue could be the new and the old. It may be more politic to say the emerging and the developed. Within these pages you will find a profile of USCA member Zack Watson, a younger player who plays in competitive categories including on Team USA, and, separately, members’ expressions of Steve Mossbrook, whose untimely death rocked the foundations of the croquet world at all levels of the sport: Steve having served in leadership roles at club and national levels. Both very successful players, each one at a different point in the modern-established spectrum. You will also see an article on the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club and its founding, a maturing club in comparison to established croquet clubs in the country, but exciting and thriving today. This issue also covers two topics that both seem new but represent different stages of innovative plans that are currently being rolled out: the Golf Croquet Handicap System, of which you have heard so much already, is now active and explained so all GC players can participate; in addition, the new USCA marketing plan is described with an account of its development and the coming elements the USCA can expect to see. The latter being totally new, the former almost new. A little of everything in croquet can be found on these pages. The magazine may have been a challenge to fill, but the articles and pictures ended up being of great interest and, as it turns out, a success to fill. Enjoy your reading, with hope the editorial will continue to inspire you throughout the year.

Sara Low

USCA President | president@uscroquet.com

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TheClubhouse WCF Hall of Fame 2020 Inductees The World Croquet Federation Hall of Fame Committee elected five new members in November 2020, all of whom have made a notable contribution to the game either as players, administrators or supporters. • Bob Alman (USA), a noted croquet organizer/promoter and the publisher of Croquet World Online • Jose Alvarez-Sala (ESP), the founder and President of the Federación Española de Croquet • Jenny Clarke (NZL), one of the foremost women players of her generation • Salah Hassan (EGY), winner of the Golf Croquet World Championship in 1998 and 2000 • Chris Hudson (ENG), the first Secretary-General of the WCF The WCF Hall of Fame was relaunched in 2019 after a five-year hiatus and the WCF Management Committee exercised its right to elect one member per annum by inducting Bryan Dawson (AUS), the inventor and developer of the Dawson 2000 croquet ball. Dawson was formally inducted during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Association Croquet World Championship, which provided the players present with an opportunity to express their appreciation of his great contribution to the sport. View the WCF Hall of Fame page here at www.worldcroquet.org/index.php/about-the-wcfbottom/41-hall-of-fame.

WCF NEW CHAMPIONSHIP DATES FOR 2021 - 2022 Following the one-year postponement of events due to COVID-19 restrictions, the World Croquet Federation (WCF) has adjusted the 10-year schedule and dates for all the events in 2021 and 2022 are now confirmed. GC World Team Championship Tier 3 July 20-24, 2021 | Guildford & Godalming Croquet Club, England GC World Team Championship Tier 2 October 11-16, 2021 | Real Club de Golf Vista Hermosa, Sherry Club and Real Novo Sancti Petri Golf Club, all near Cadiz in southern Spain. Women’s Association Croquet World Championship January 5-12, 2022 | Christchurch, New Zealand Under 21 Golf Croquet World Championship February 6-10, 2022 | Claudelands, Hamilton East and Morrinsville Croquet Clubs, New Zealand Golf Croquet World Championship February 12-20, 2022 | Croquet Mount Maunganui, Matamata, Tauranga and Whatakane Croquet Clubs, New Zealand Association Croquet World Team Championships, Tiers 2 and 3 August 9-14, 2022 | Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club, England The WCF states the above tournament arrangements are subject to the state of the pandemic and any restrictions placed on travel or overseas entry to the relevant countries. The WCF Management Committee is keeping the situation under review and will make an announcement about each event approximately six months before it is scheduled. The plans for events in 2023 and 2024 are available at https://worldcroquet.org/index.php/world-championships/10year-championship-schedule.

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USCA Management Committee ________________________ President Sara Low president@uscroquet.com First Vice President Damon Bidencope firstvp@uscroquet.com Second Vice President Don Oakley secondvp@uscroquet.com Treasurer David Isaacs treasurer@uscroquet.com

Steve Mossbrook 1946-2020

ne of our members is no longer a figure on the croquet courts. Much too quickly and with great surprise to many, Steve Mossbrook died on November 5, 2020, in Casper, Wyo., of lung disease complicated by COVID-19. He influenced every member of the USCA, whether one was aware only of his name or could be called a friend. Serving as the president of Mission Hills Croquet Club, past treasurer of the USCA (20122019), a western player who also appeared in the east, Steve typically asked “What can I do?” and meant it. More than simply holding a job title, Steve was effective in everything he touched. Steve was born November 4, 1946, in Rochester, N.Y., the second of five children born to Polly and Bill Mossbrook. He grew up in a rural setting near Lake Ontario. He attended Oberlin College in Ohio, graduating with a BA in Economics. Several years later, he earned a master’s degree in Business Administration at Georgia State University. He considered himself an entrepreneur, working in diverse areas, such as selling copiers and commercial real estate, plastic bag manufacturing, cabinetmaking and providing technology. Steve was proud of two abilities: he could sell and he could count. He always said he was better at starting companies than

Secretary Carla Rueck secretary@uscroquet.com United States Croquet Association (USCA) 700 Florida Mango Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Tel. (561) 478-0760 Fax (561) 686-5507

running them, but in the past 25 years, he pioneered and created successful growth at Wyoming.com, Cerento and Contact Communications—all technology companies in Riverton, Wyo. Little round white balls held great fascination for Steve. He was competitive in many sports, especially soccer, volleyball, pool, croquet and golf. He was very proud of being a ‘single-digit handicap’ golfer, as well as a tournamentlevel croquet player. In addition to playing the sports well, he also contributed by coaching, being an officer in the organizations and organizing tournaments. Steve enjoyed some finer things in life that fed his adventure-seeking side. He owned and piloted a single-engine plane, owned a fast boat for water-skiing and camping and had a lifelong love of fast, luxury cars. He was comfortable with being in control as well as with taking a risk. Steve was an enthusiastic, outspoken, occasionally outrageous person. He was always a presence. He was one of a kind. He was one of the good guys. He is survived by his wife of 48 years Sandra; daughter Alexa Nowland (Eric) and four grandchildren (Lilly, Stasia, Sophie and Oliver), all of Riverton, Wyo.; sisters Kathryn (New York) and Barbara (Florida); and brothers David (Kentucky) and Douglas (New York).

Email: usca@msn.com Website: www.croquetamerica.com ________________________ REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS Florida Gene Raymond floridarvp@uscroquet.com Mid-Atlantic Timothy Rapuano midatlanticrvp@uscroquet.com Midwest Russell S. Dilley midwestrvp@uscroquet.com Northeast Sherif Abdelwahab northeastrvp@uscroquet.com Southeast Macey White southeastrvp@uscroquet.com Western Rory Kelley westernrvp@uscroquet.com ________________________ USCA STAFF Membership Coordinator Ursula Peck membership@uscroquet.com Tournament & Schools Johnny Mitchell tournament@uscroquet.com www.CroquetAmerica.com croquetamerica.com | 5

theclubhouse

FROM THE CROQUET COMMUNIT Y: Sadly, I learned this morning that Steve Mossbrook passed away peacefully Thursday afternoon as a result of COVID-19 medical complications. His wife, Sandy, and daughter, Alexa, were with him at the hospital in Casper, Wyo. Most recently, Steve served as the President of our croquet club. His involvement with croquet goes back many years, and, about two years ago, he finished serving as the treasurer of the USCA and as a member of the USCA Management Committee. Behind the scenes, Steve devoted countless hours to preserving, maintaining and upgrading the lawns, equipment and policies of the Mission Hills Croquet Club and the USCA. Steve will be missed by all of us – he was one of the “Good Guys.”

… shocked and saddened beyond words ‒Rory J. Kelley, Mission Hills Croquet Club

Sad to learn of Steve’s passing. His energy always amazed me and was fun to be around. ‒Ervand Peterson

… one of the good ones, one of the best ones for our game, for our friendship. He was one of a kind. ‒Michael Orgill, Mission Hills Croquet Club Photo by Genie Hendry

It comes as a shock to all of us, but for me especially as I had just exchanged emails with him the other day with him telling me they were releasing him from the hospital the following day. I was so excited to hear he was getting better … personally, Steve and I had been friends for roughly 35 years. He was quite a character, but much loved by all of us that knew him well.

Steve was one of the really good guys among us and I feel very fortunate to have known him. We had a lot of wild games together and a lot of fun outside the lines. More than anything, he was so unbelievably generous with his time and skills, always offering help with a “can-do” attitude. Though little known to most in the croquet world, Steve was the unheralded hero of the 2017 MacRob at Mission Hills. When we first began organizing the event more than a year before it began, I asked Steve if he could help with the logistics of live streaming a feature match every day. There were many complications and roadblocks toward making this happen, both technical and political (within the greater hierarchy of Mission Hills). Steve took on the challenge with enthusiasm and determination. That was the first time live streaming was used in the Mac and it became a popular feature to viewers in Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia and across the US. A truly wonderful guy who will be greatly missed.

‒Rich Lamm

‒Rhys Thomas, Mission Hills Croquet Club

‒Nick Gray, Mission Hills Croquet Club

ERRATA We regretfully report that there was an error in the AC Nationals feature that appeared in the 2020 Volume 4 issue of the Croquet News. The photos were taken by Suzie Beer instead of Lyle Browning. We apologize for any confusion caused by the error.

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PASSAGES

William F. Dordelman, Greenwich Croquet Club Millicent Eisenberg, National Croquet Club

Cynthia Gibbons, Everglades Club, Inc. and National Croquet Club

Lee Hanna, Patuxent Croquet Club Inc.,

Bombay Mallet & Wicket Croquet Club

Rocco Mango, Westhampton Mallet Club Carl H. Myer, At Large Member Sally Shuster Sellwood, Croquet Club at PGA National

Bob Spiotta, Green Gables Croquet Club and John’s Island Croquet Club

WHO AM I? I am a tar heel, but I play with gloves on both hands. I used to march, climb and glide. Was I formerly a daredevil? I have never played croquet while wearing a purse, but I have been involved in purse play. I am a first-class player, but I do not take playing croquet too seriously. I am just as proud of the various ways I have served croquet in this country. Move over Bob and Ted, “Let’s Play Croquet!” I am not manipulative, but I know something about nanoManipulators. If we collaborate on something, I may ask you, “Same-time, same-place?” Rich Lamm thinks I make the best German chocolate cake. My spouse is a world-class croquet player. Can you guess, who am I?

Bob Spiotta Robert A. Spiotta, 91, Vero Beach, Fla., formally of Avon-by-the-Sea, N.J., passed away December 13, 2020, at his home in Vero Beach. He was born in South Orange, N.J, the youngest of three sons of Erma Gilda Spiotta and Joseph Spiotta. Robert graduated from Lafayette College in Easton Pennsylvania in 1952 with a degree in Economics. During his time at Lafayette College, Robert lettered in Lacrosse and was VicePresident of the Theta Chi fraternity. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1952. He served as the Top-Secret Control officer of the 3rd Marine Air Wing in Florida from 1953 to 1955. He was promoted to Captain while in the reserves. Upon his release from active duty, Robert joined the City National Bank and Trust Company of Hackensack, N.J. He later became Director of the bank. In 1962,

he joined the family firm of Spiotta and Company, which had real estate and financial interests. Robert met his wife, Jeanne Pace in high school. They were just shy of being married for 67 years. They lived in Short Hills, N.J., for more than 35 years before moving to Avon in 1993. In 1984, the couple purchased a winter home at John’s Island Club in Vero Beach. Robert was very active in croquet, having been president of the group for more than seven years. Both he and his wife played in several tournaments up and down the East Coast and in Canada, each winning several trophies over the years. Robert had also been a member of the Rock Spring Club of West Orange, N.J., for more than 48 years as well as a member of Spring Lake Bath and Tennis Club for more than 38 years. He was very active with the Green Gables Croquet Club of Seagirt, N.J., for many years having served as vice president and treasurer. In addition to his wife Jeanne, Robert is survived by his brother, Roland of Maplewood, N.J.; two daughters, Loren Spiotta-DiMare and her husband, Lou of Tewksbury, N.J. and Sheryl Herrema and her husband, Don of Vero Beach, Fla. He has a granddaughter, Katherine Grace Herrema, who is attending Davison College in North Carolina.

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

Linda Grady, PA 561-512-0852

lindagradyrealtor@gmail.com

There will be a private service held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. Arrangements are under the direction of Millennium Cremation Service, Vero Beach, Fla. Condolences may be shared online at www.millenniumcremationservice.com/ obituaries/robert-a-spiotta/. croquetamerica.com | 7

theclubhouse

“WHO AM I?” ANSWER I am . . . Eileen Soo. Soo lives in North Carolina and, as explained, is affiliated with the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), who are known as the Tar Heels. She plays croquet with gloves on both hands because it helps her better grip the mallet. While attending high school in her home state of North Carolina, Soo was in a marching band. Before finding croquet, she loved rock climbing and hang gliding. In fact, the photograph of her on the other page was taken just before her first cliff flight. That probably shows she had some daredevil in her. Some croquet tournaments in the US have featured money-prize purses. For the 20-year period from 1987 through 2006, Soo was tied for 115th on the Total Prize Purse List.

Eileen’s first-class croquet play has shined brightest in the first flight. For example, she won the First Flight Singles title in the 2004 Association Croquet (AC) Nationals, the First Flight Doubles title (with Phyllis Butts) in the 2006 AC Nationals, the Plate in the 2009 Pacific Cup (AC), and she was the First Flight Runner-Up in the 2006 American Rules Nationals. She decided to take an extended leave from croquet from 2010 through 2017. But that did not curtail her involvement in croquet. Soo served on the USCA’s Communication Committee and for several years was the USCA’s First Vice President, only one heartbeat away from being president. She served as a manager of countless tournaments, as well as the unofficial “Team Mom” for many American National Teams competing for the Solomon Trophy and MacRobertson International Croquet Shield. Bob Kroeger and Ted Prentis are not the only ones who appeared in a croquet instructional video. Soo was a director of, and appeared in, a croquet beginner’s how-to video released in 2006 entitled, “Let’s Play Croquet!” By trade, Soo is a computer scientist. She has been involved in research and written many papers for the University of North Carolina’s Department of Computer Science. One of those papers (which she co-wrote) evaluated how the nanoManipulator computer system allows scientists to interact directly with nano materials, like DNA and cells. Another paper she wrote is entitled “Patterns of Interaction in Same-Time, Same-Place Collaborative Programming.” She is married to world-class croquet player Jeff Soo. When Jeff and Eileen play at the Mission Hills Croquet Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., they usually stay at the home of fellow world-class player Rich Lamm and his partner Tim. A highlight of those visits is when Eileen makes her famous German chocolate cake, which Rich declares is the best in the world. –Submitted by Eric Sawyer

2021 CROQUET NEWS DEADLINES 2021 - MAY ISSUE (SUMMER) Club Directory, Club Teams, Annual Awards 04/16/21 – Materials Deadline

2021 - AUGUST ISSUE (FALL) DIGITAL ONLY National Croquet Day, HOF Inductees 07/16/21 – Materials Deadline

2021 - NOVEMBER ISSUE (WINTER) American Rules Nationals, 9W Nationals 10/29/21 – Materials Deadline

Visit www.croquetamerica.com for more news. 8 | croquetamerica.com

MARKETING CROQUET IN 2021 LET’S

GET

THIS

BALL

ROLLING!

Image vectorstock/vectorpouch

It was September 2019, before the primaries and pre-COVID. Someone made a comment, what about marketing? Someone else said, “I know a guy…” Then someone else said, “You are now Chair of the Marketing Committee.” “Umm…” Fortunately, that new chair happened to be the Treasurer, David Isaacs, who decided it was something that should be added to the 2020 budget. Then along came COVID-19. During the second quarter of 2020, during a lockdown with no tournaments to play or promote, a bright idea began to percolate. Let’s use this COVID vacation time to search for ways to promote croquet, specifically and foremost, to increase membership in the USCA. But bright ideas do not translate into results without actions. Enter Tom Cooper who asked, “David, would you like some assistance?” This was met with the reply, “You, Tom, are now Co-Chair.” And so, by the third quarter, the USCA Marketing Committee was on the job. WRI T T E N BY TO M C O O PE R A N D DAV I D I S A AC S

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OUR REDEFINED MISSION STATEMENT:

Our mission was twofold: Establish a positioning document grounded in research, revealing the truths of “why we play croquet,” and then develop marketing campaigns to accurately target prospects and increase membership in the USCA. The ultimate goal… more people playing and enjoying croquet. Describing why we love the game of croquet is much like the idiom of the blind men and the elephant. Not one thing can describe the complicated social and sporting aspects we so love. In the end, the idiom teaches us about the need for communication and understanding different perspectives. So, in August 2020, we enlisted the guidance of Ian Cross, Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Director of the Center for Marketing Technology at Bentley University near Boston, to help us attack the problem methodically and with an objective professional view. Cross knew little about croquet although he played as a boy in his native England. But he had experience working with professional tennis and minor league hockey and he is an avid golfer. We quickly set up a process by which committee members, USCA officers and interested parties reviewed every shred of data and research, focus groups discussed topics, and several workshops were held. Four months later, on December 22, 2020, we presented our final conclusions to the USCA Management Committee for approval. It was accepted and approved unanimously. Research found that people younger than 35 years old and older than 55 years old were the most likely targets. That’s because so many of us get tied up with career and family between those years. College players became a focus and many of us wanted to see strong recruitment and supportive program developed. The transition from college to the “real world” is a time where we lose many of our potential members. With the help of the Junior Committee, we are working on plans to solve that issue. The largest slice of membership is sure to come from the group over 55. So many benefits of the sport speak to this age group. Especially attractive to these folks is the need for community, organizational excellence fed by working people who are well versed in disciplined structure and, especially, the healthy lifestyle croquet provides. It has been particularly fortunate that so many people could get out and play croquet (safely and appropriately distanced) all summer long.

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The mission of the USCA is to promote the awareness, development and enjoyment of croquet in America, providing resources and governance for the sport at all levels.

THE NEWLY DEFINED POSITIONING POINTS: The USCA is the national governing body for the sport of croquet in America focused on five key elements to promote and develop croquet:

1. Foster relationships by building community 2. Support participation and continuity through organizational excellence 3. Commit to growth through diversity and inclusion 4. Develop and enjoy the sport through education 5. Promote croquet as a lifelong activity and healthy lifestyle

These five points help us to shape how we interact in our croquet community and the values we support and share as current members. While we were developing the refined positioning points, we had to determine who our likely new members were and where we would find them.

It is estimated that based on the number of croquet sets sold in America over the last 10 years, more than 10 million people have either tried the game, played a few times or play regularly in their backyards. Many of us 6-Wicket aficionados also started on the “long grass.” The newly renamed 9-Wicket committee agreed to change the name to “Long Grass” upon realizing so many variations on the backyard sport exist. We want to encourage players, no matter their games, to enjoy the sport wherever they play, learn about 6-Wicket croquet and, whatever else they do, to join the USCA community either as a long grass member or a full USCA member.

AND NOW THE REAL WORK BEGINS

CROQUET INSERT

Long before final approval on the marketing plan was given, we were aware that a handful of foundational first step projects were urgently needed. As the year progresses, we are excited to add to the list.

Our own Don Oakley, who has been a vital part of the marketing committee efforts, has offered to place a USCA brochure and invitation to the USCA in the equipment that Oakley Woods manufactures. Imagine if the previous four million sets had that insert. We will look to other vendors to enable more brochures to circulate. If you manufacture equipment and would like to include some of these inserts, please let us know.

USCA MEMBERSHIP PLATFORM No doubt you will be hearing a lot about this exciting news, if you haven’t already. The following is an excerpt from Michael Albert, one of the members of the Finance Committee working on the platform: Beginning in 2021, the USCA will be switching our web page and all associated member services to a new platform. This is a result of many months of research over the past year. This new website will enable us, the USCA, to better communicate with everyone in our community throughout the year. Several different systems currently being used will be phased out once we are up and running. Emails, invoices, tournament registrations and payments, merchandise purchases, donations and just about any other business will all be possible on this one platform. It is totally mobile-friendly, meaning you will be able to access it via your smartphone or tablet as well as your computer. You will be able to register for tournaments online and pay at the same time with your credit card. This information may also be securely stored with our payment processor, so you need not enter it each time you make a purchase. The marketing committee has helped to develop the website and provide communications assistance in the many benefits to members that this new membership platform will provide.

CROQUET DAY - A NATIONAL DAY OF CROQUET One of our most successful promotions has been National Croquet Day (June 6, 2021). Many clubs participate and use this day to generate more interest in their clubs and croquet. We would like to build on this and encourage local clubs to organize this day around inviting friends and family to special events geared to presenting the best qualities of the game. We can offer help with organization, newspaper articles, press releases and fun activities to help attract an interested public.

MEDIA So many forms of media are open to us if we just create the content. We are looking forward to developing new social media activity on YouTube and Instagram (@uscroquet), and there is a place for free publicity in newspapers and television/radio. We invite our members to contribute content that can be shared selectively on these platforms.

CLUBS AND COURT DEVELOPMENT We all know that if you want to play high-level croquet, you must have a proper court to play on. We are working on an up-to-date survey of clubs and facilities to determine the quantity and location of courts across the country. This information will allow us to help promote existing clubs and lawns to prospective players and help in the development of new ones. In addition, we are working on video and other presentation materials to aid in the presentation of the inherent benefits of croquet to municipalities to promote development. These are just the foundational first steps. The beginning of an energetic and unified plan for growth through promotion. In the coming weeks we will be working on publicity and promotion around our titled tournaments and special events. Many of them are already on the radar. And, we may need help ... no, we definitely will need help. If you are as excited as we are about the promotion of the sport, we will need volunteers and team members. Let us know who you are and your expertise. You can help to get the ball rolling! And thank you for your support. Tom Cooper and David Isaacs are Co-Chairs of the USCA marketing Committee

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THE FLATTEST C H E SAPE AKE BAY C RO Q U E T C LU B :

TWO ACRES OF LAWN ON EARTH Written by Macey White | Photos by Suzie Beer

The Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club (CBCC) built eight laser-leveled courts in 2016. These courts make Chesapeake Bay the second largest croquet venue in America. The courts were built at a fraction of the cost typically quoted in the croquet community and the results have been spectacular. The CBCC courts are the flattest and truest playing courts in America, and maybe the world. CBCC has hosted two USCA National championships in its first four years of existence and will host the 2021 Golf Croquet Nationals this fall. How did one man, on a shoestring budget, make all of this happen? And, more importantly, can this model be used to produce more multi-court venues across the country?

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The Guinness Book of World Records has entries for the fastest, largest, strongest, smallest and many other interesting worldbreaking categories, but it has yet to list the flattest two acres of lawn. If it did, the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club could be the winner. The eight croquet lawns at CBCC, all joined together without any obstructions or disturbances between them, are quite possibly the flattest two acres of grassy land on the planet. This large expanse of flat ground is a great bonus for croquet players, but it did not happen by accident or as an act of nature. How did it come to pass?

In 2020, tropical storm Sally came through during the day and knocked out play for about five hours. If the CBCC courts had been prepared to USGA specs, the recovery time may have been an hour or two sooner, but, then again, carrot hoops would not work.

The story goes like this: frustrated with the uneven terrain of the three lawns at the Middle Peninsula Croquet Club, croquet player and farm owner, I set out to build a single croquet court. I chose a wooded field close to our house that had traditionally been used as farmland. It had been a grain field, a peach orchard and, most recently, an abandoned Christmas tree operation. In the fall of 2015, he used a track loader and plucked out enough trees to build a single court. Then, I called a professional athletic field construction company, East Coast Athletics, and asked what it would cost to laser level that one court and sprig it with Bermuda grass. (The rumor at the time was that a single croquet court would cost $100,000 to construct.) I was amazed when the contractor quoted $8700 to do the work for one court. So I asked, “How much to do two?” The answer was about $12,500. “Why, that’s just a little more than the cost of one court?”

The contractor explained that most of the cost was the expense to get the workers and equipment to the site. I said, “I’ll call you right back.” A quick trip outside with a tape measure showed enough room available in that old field to put eight courts with ample room between each and enough area on the perimeter to keep the edges of the courts flat. I called the contractor back and asked, “How much to flatten and sprig an area 240 feet by 370 feet?” The answer was $18,700. “When can you start?” Wow, enough ground flattened and sprigged with grass to have eight lawns for only $18,700. Where did the $100,000 per court figure come from?

Bulldozer leveling lawns in June 2016. The peach packing shed in the background turned in to a clubhouse.

A little research shows that if following the United States Golf Association recommendations for building a golf green, the expenses equal about $100,000 to construct one court. These plans will require removing several feet of native soil, trench and gravel and installing French drains. After that, cover the graveled drain field with a special sand, dirt mix, install irrigation and then grade and sprig grass and it will cost $100,000 per court, maybe more. The result will be a sandy court that will not support carrot-type croquet hoops (the preferred types) but will drain well when it rains. No one wants to play in a swamp, so drainage is important. But is all that USGA drainage really needed? At Chesapeake Bay, the ground is a natural sandy loam soil and while it doesn’t drain as fast as a golf green, it isn’t bad. At the 2018 American 6-wicket Nationals, tropical storm Michael came through in the night and dropped about four inches of rain between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. The courts were dry and ready to play when regularly scheduled

The heartbreaking view of lumpy ground and dead grass after the sprigging process.

croquetamerica.com | 13

2. The roots were raked out of the field using a grader box pulled by a 35 hp tractor. Alternatively, a root rack attachment could have been used on a track loader or skid steer. 3. The field was topographically mapped by hand using a rotating laser level. The low and high areas were determined and marked on the field. The lowest spot was about 2 feet below the average grade and the highest area was about 1.5 feet high. 4. The topsoil was pushed off the high areas and the subsoil was removed and placed into the low areas where it was mixed with the topsoil. The topsoil on the high areas was replaced. This took about four weeks to do, working a few hours a day. Several hundred tons of earth were moved.

CBCC welcomes national events like the 2018 American 6-Wicket Nationals.

games started at 8:30 a.m. In 2020, tropical storm Sally came through during the day and knocked out play for about five hours. If the CBCC courts had been prepared to USGA specs, the recovery time may have been an hour or two sooner, but, then again, carrot hoops would not work. If the soil is a heavier clay-type soil, the drainage won’t be as fast, but consider the importance. For casual play, an occasional rainedout day in the year is not a big deal. At Chesapeake Bay, if it rains more than half an inch, the courts will take about three hours to dry. Anything over half an inch runs off the edge of the court. Most soil types have the ability to percolate half an inch of rain in a few hours. What takes longer is low spots. While flat ground can easily absorb a half-inch of rain, a puddle will collect water from a wide area. With a half-inch rain, a puddle may have to absorb a foot of water or more because water flows into the puddle from the surrounding land. If the desire is faster court recovery time, eliminate low spots. When it rains, find the puddles and fill them in with sand or dirt.

But Why Eight Courts?

5. At this point, the lawn area was within 6 inches or so of being completely flat. East Coast Athletics was hired to laser level. They charged about $19,000 to laser level and sprig with Bermuda. They started by running a bulldozer over the field that had a laser sensor attached to the top of the dozer blade. A rotating laser was set up at the edge of the field and it set out a beam that was parallel to the earth and covered the entire field. As the dozer drove across the field, if the blade dropped below the laser, the electronics on the dozer raised the blade and if the blade was too high, the system automatically lowered the blade. This process only took about four hours and the field was about plus or minus an inch or two. 6. Now we trenched and put in water lines for irrigation. We put in 45 sprinkler heads. Each court has a sprinkler head on each corner, one on the mid-point of each sideline and one in the middle of the court. The heads pop up when in use and are otherwise underground. The Bermuda grows over them, so they end up being unnoticeable. The sprinkler system uses a common residential type well with a 1hp pump that delivers 10 gallons per minute. The sprinkler heads are sized so they use 10 gallons per minute, and we run them on a program that turns on one sprinkler at a time for about 15 minutes each night. At this point in construction, we buried all the sprinkler heads so the crew could complete grading the courts. The positions of the sprinklers were recorded with a GPS unit so we could find them and dig them back out after final grading.

One court is like a backyard pool. It’s cool when you build it, but you just use it yourself and it’s a big expense for just one person. Two courts can be a very small club but not enough space to run a real program. When you get a club going and run a program with lessons and tournaments, croquet blossoms into a wonderful experience for all. And it can be less work at that point than maintaining one or two courts by yourself. Four courts are usually what is needed for a good program. We could fit in eight and eight courts are only slightly more work to maintain than four. So that’s what we did.

7. Next, a tractor with a laser sensor mounted grader box was driven in circles around the field. This took about six hours. When they were done, the field was smooth, shiny and flat to plus or minus a quarter-inch. It was also extremely fast; a ball hit from one corner of the two-acre field would easily run all the way across and off the other end.

How Did We Do It?

9. We fertilized and limed.

Building the courts was a process. 1. The trees were removed using a track loader (an old John Deer 450C) and pushed into a pile in an adjacent field. The trees were burned a year later.

14 | croquetamerica.com

8. We dug up the sprinkler heads and set them just slightly below ground level and tested the system to make sure it worked before sprigging the Bermuda. 10. The contractor sprigged the two acres with Northbridge Bermuda. Northbridge is a variety that is cold-tolerant, which is important in Virginia. We chose Bermuda over Bent grass because it is easier to maintain and much less susceptible to fungus and disease. Northbridge Bermuda is a non-dwarf

Chesapeake Bay has become a favored venue for major tournaments.

variety and therefore does not need to be covered in the winter. In the sprigging process, rolls of sod were placed on a shredder machine that was pulled by a tractor. Behind the shredder was a set of sharp wheels called coulters (spaced four inches apart), which penetrated the soils. The shredder threw small pieces of sod on the ground and the coulter occasionally happened to run across a piece and tucked it into the ground. I estimated that 95 percent of the shredded sod died and only five percent

was tucked into the ground in a way that it survives. That was enough because Bermuda spreads aggressively. 11. For six weeks we ran the sprinklers continuously in an attempt to keep the sprigs wet at all times. After three days, all signs of green life were gone, and the field looked like a dead patch of grass clippings. At about the two-week point, careful examination showed that small shoots of grass were coming up

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croquetamerica.com | 15

Loading sod on the sprigger.

from the coulter lines. In the next four weeks, this grew and spread, and after six weeks the field looked like a green lawn. It was very bumpy at this time because the coulters left small sections of soil and created a sea of small bumps. This was an upsetting view after seeing the smooth shiny perfection of the field after grading. If I had not been warned by the contractor, the sprigging would have sent me into emotional orbit. As it was, there were still a few sleepless nights while waiting to see if the sprigs would take. 12. Now we had a green, tall grass, flat, but lumpy field. The contractor flail mowed the field with the mower set at 0.5 inches. This lessened the bumps and created piles of thatch that had to be removed. It also scalped the Bermuda so that it was brown again. We have since learned that scalping Bermuda is not a big deal. It has a tremendous ability to come back. 13. We removed the bumps by rolling and cutting and filled in the small divots by spreading sand and pulling it with a 20-foot wide rigid drag. 14. We immediately started mowing with a greens mower set at a quarter-inch and, over the years, have lowered the cut to 0.15 inches.

Other Considerations That was the process to create these lawns. The club purchased three used TORO 3250D Greens Mowers for about $3500 each and put another $1500 into each to get them up and running in top shape. Two are kept set up for mowing so if a mechanical problem occurs, a backup is ready. The third mower is set up as a verticutting machine and the courts are verticut about once a month during the summer. Club members do the mowing and are mowed three times a week in the summer. It takes about two hours to mow eight courts. CBCC does a lot with little money because it does its own research and relies on club volunteers to do most of the work. To date, about $165,000 has been invested in court building, clubhouse construction, maintenance equipment, balls, hoops,

16 | croquetamerica.com

Open house events, like this one in early 2017, are essential for club growth.

boards, spare mallets and court lights for the eight courts. About $65,000 of this investment has been paid back. When the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club appeared on the scene in late 2016 with eight courts and three members, it was a surprise to many in the croquet community. The club didn’t discuss the new courts because, quite frankly, it was uncertain it would work. But work it did and now the club has some of the greatest courts in the world.

A Good Program is Key While the innovative CBCC approach clearly demonstrates that courts can be built at a reasonable cost, building courts and building a program are two distinct functions in the success of developing croquet. Building a program is more important to long-term success than building courts. Plenty of “clubs” have built courts and have failed because they never built a successful program. CBCC works harder at building its program than building courts. CBCC started with three members and is now up to 85. Not too bad for a club in a rural county of 12,000 people. Program building and club membership building are now the biggest ongoing challenges. “Build it and they will come” is a bunch of “bull-hockey!!” Building a sustainable club starts with establishing a sustainable croquet culture and removing barriers to entry. Chesapeake Bay strives to be the world’s most beginner and new-player friendly club in the world. When visitors show up at the CBCC courts, they are the most important people on the property. Members stop their games and invite guests to look at the lawns, hit a ball and play a quick game. Attire regulations are relaxed and whites are not required. No fees are charged to a visitor who comes to “try it out.” CBCC’s policy is: come as many times as you’d like, and if you end up accepting croquet as a hobby, then join the club. When visitors leave Chesapeake Bay, they leave with the invitation “Ya’ll come back now, ya hear!” Macey White is Regional Vice President of the USCA’s Southeast Region and the creator of the Chesapeake Bay Club and designer of both the courts and accompanying buildings.

memberprofile

Zack Watson Age: 32 Home base: Mount Jackson, Virginia Home club: North Mountain Croquet and Tennis Grip: Standard Mallet: Oakley, 3.07 lb, 11.5” head, 2 3/16” wide, 1 7/8” tall, 36” shaft Years playing croquet: Roughly six years, give or take Favorite croquet venue: My favorite venue would have to go to Pinehurst or NCC; the courts would be the Sarasota Club. Two years ago, at the association nationals, they had some of the best, most consistent courts I have played on. Favorite tournament: Selection 8s (association). It’s a brutal few days’ worth of sun-up-to-sun-down croquet. Who wouldn’t love that? How did you get into the game: My dad built a court in our yard in 1990. I didn’t have any interest in the game until filling in for a drop out in a tournament we were hosting. He took me out the night before and started teaching me the rules so I could get going the next morning at 8:00 a.m. Since then I was introduced to association laws by Doug Grimsley and others, which boosted my interest in the game. Croquet highlights/tourney wins: The only important ones are ahead. Do you play other sports? I grew up playing competitive tennis. I went through the junior circuit right on up into college.

Favorite sports teams? USA CROQUET OF COURSE.... Pop culture favorites: For TV or movies, I can handle most anything. From “Gone with the Wind” to “Dexter” to “Star Wars.” The same goes for music; I tend to listen to a bit heavier stuff when I am working. My reading material generally comes from any place I can learn something. I realize that seems silly, but I love to learn new things: how to build things, how things are made, how to clean something (yes, whites included). What is the best thing the USCA has done for croquet? While I realize not everyone is going to be a fan of my answer, I know that I am not alone in this. I believe the BEST thing the USCA has done is put bodies on the court. A big majority of USA croquet members are playing golf croquet and I see nothing wrong with this. Those that are skilled enough or interested in taking it further will eventually try out the other games. I say keep pushing. What is the USCA’s greatest weakness? I see the argument about youth croquet thrown out every time this question pops up. While, yes, I agree something needs to be done, it’s hard to forget that we have some of the youngest players playing right now. There seems to be a bit of a divide when it comes to what is more important within USA croquet. I am talking about the COMPETITIVE side versus the SOCIAL side. While I can’t exactly put my finger on it, I hope we all can get along in the upcoming seasons. What would you like to see happen in the sport over the next 10 years? I want to pull up the world rankings and see more USA names up there near the top. Quick croquet tip: LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE TRYS TO HELP YOU! Absolutely the best advice I can give. Every single event that I have participated in, someone has come to up to me and given advice or a new strategy to use, AND I LISTENED. It’s the quickest way to improve, in my opinion. croquetamerica.com | 17

Reach Your Target me 1

2020 Volu

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CroquetNews The Official

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Inductees | Bob Kroeger Croquet Day | Hall of Fame Courting Young Players | National Court Lighting Case Study Ponte Vedra Croquet Club |

World Cham p

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2021 Per Issue Advertising Rates Inside Front Cover (8.5” W x 11” H)...................................$850 Inside Back Cover (8.5” W x 11” H)...................................$850 Full Page (8.5” W x 11” H)................................................$700 Half Horizontal Island (4.875” H x 7.38” W).............................$475 Quarter Page (3.62” W x 4.875” H)...................................$295 One Sixth Page (2.34” W x 4.875” H)................................$150

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let’stalktactics

The Inner Battle By Bob Kroeger and John C. Osborn

No matter how long you have been playing croquet or no matter where your handicap might stand, odds are an invisible battle is bubbling beneath your skin. Don’t worry; this is not your fault. In fact, it is this inner battle that makes the game fascinating, a conflict that will always exist and always be in flux. Are my skills good enough to do what I would like, or could I do more with the skills I have? Players generally fall into one of two categories: 1) those who can attack effectively and run breaks for several wickets and 2) those who can’t do these import tactical maneuvers at all or with the regularity they wish. This latter group simply have not developed the necessary shot-making skills in addition to being fearful of gaining serious deadness when trying these advanced plays. Here is a solution to help players who truly want to gain attacking and break-play proficiency. We recommend playing half of your ‘fun’ games with no carry-over deadness. While not an official rule for American Rules 6-Wicket Croquet, doing this will take away the fear of failure. You will have no excuse not to try an attack or attempt a break opportunity. Here is an important thing to understand, though: DO NOT try low-percentage plays, such as roqueting your partner and then doing a long-roll shot to your wicket unless a break opportunity is immediately ahead of you. Play as though you would have carryover deadness in cases where there is no viable attack or break.

Diagram 1 - This shows a classic ‘Rush to the Attack for Blue.’ The usual purpose of this play is to set up a 3-Ball Break for partner Black.

Another approach in fun games is to give yourself one replay bisque per turn when you have a viable attack or break opportunity. If you wish, you can use both learning tools in your fun games. Aside from losing fear, you will learn what shots need practice – especially split croquet shots. To build up your attack and break skills, we invite you to try the scenarios presented in Diagrams 1-4. Blue to play in all situations - no carryover deadness - Blue and Black for Wicket #2, Red and Yellow for Wicket #3. On the other hand, Diagrams 5-8 don’t offer the aspiring player high-percentage opportunities. In these four cases, Blue might simply give Black a rush to Wicket #2. Be mindful that Red might try to attack though. We would love to hear from you if you choose to give our suggestions a try. Good luck and Have Fun!! Visit https://bobcroquet.com/strategy_info to learn about Bob Kroeger's 6-Wicket American Rules Croquet Strategy Video Series. If you haven’t had a chance to download (or simply view on your device without downloading) the free PDF illustrating the situations covered in the USCA 6-Wicket American Rules Croquet Strategy Video Series, please do. If these situations seem interesting to you and you’d like to see how they are covered in the video series, please check out Videos 9 and 10, which are free. You can download or just view them on your device. Please make sure your volume is up. Thank you.

Diagram 2 - Blue has a potential 4-Ball Break. This could be done by roqueting partner and rolling it to Wicket #2. A more roundabout way would be to cut Black in court, take off to Red, roquet it, take off to get a rush on Yellow to Wicket #2.

croquetamerica.com | 19

let’stalktactics Diagram 3 - Blue could cut Black toward Wicket #2 and score it or roquet Black gently, take off to Yellow, roquet it and roll it to Wicket #3 as a pioneer while trying to get a rush on Red to Wicket #2.

Diagram 4 - Blue could cut rush Black to Wicket #2 and score it. It then has a 3-Ball Break.

Diagrams 5 - 8 do not offer the aspiring player high-percentage opportunities. In these four cases, Blue might simply give Black a rush to Wicket #2. Be mindful that Red might try to attack, though. Welcome to the challenges of Croquet! Again, good luck and have fun!

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gcamerica

You’ve Taken the GC Skills Test, Received an Initial GC Handicap – Now What? By Cheryl Bromley and Johnny Mitchell handicap game), 10 index points are exchanged: the winner’s index increases by 10 and the loser’s decreases by 10.

For club players, the GC handicap system is an option to use so the competition between players of different levels is more evenly balanced. At its most basic use, assigning players handicaps allows club pros to rank their players and pair individuals accordingly whether for a hi-lo event, league play or game matching.

When a player’s index moves through a “Trigger Point” for the next handicap level, the handicap is changed. Points count for casual games played at a club (if the players agree), league play or club events. Typically for league play or club events, handicaps change at the end of the day or the end of a multi-day event. Handicaps are not tracked for sanctioned games because those involve grades, which are based on the World Ranking system, but for those who may not have a grade, the handicap will provide a basis for the Tournament Director to assign a grade. In the example above, let’s say Robin’s actual index is 1345 (8 handicap range) and she wins her game against Simon (his index is a 1510 with a 5-handicap range). Robin is awarded 10 points to increase her index to 1355 (now a 7 handicap) and Simon’s index decreases by 10 to a 1500. Simon will remain a 5 handicap until his index drops to 1400.

GC games can be played in two ways: level play and handicapped play. In level play, the players play each other straight-up without the use of bisques. In handicapped play, the players use bisques. Bisques are extra shots that help allow the higher handicap player to compete more equally with a lower handicap player. A player’s handicap is used to determine the number of extra strokes the stronger player will give to the lesser-skilled player. For example, in a 13-point singles game (first to score seven points) Simon, who has a handicap of 5 (stronger player), is playing Robin, who has a handicap of 8 (weaker player). Simon will give Robin three extra strokes to be used in their game (the difference between five and eight). Robin, however, may not use an extra stroke to score a hoop.

When playing “Level Games,” no extra strokes are given to players of different handicap levels. However, these games may be tracked on a handicap card and a separate chart is used to track points awarded for winning and losing in level games. The points exchanged for a victory for a better player are typically less and the points awarded for a weaker player winning are more than 10 points. (Refer to the Loser’s Handicap Chart).

The extra stroke may be used in a turn that follows her last stroke and must be the same ball that was just played. For example, let’s say Robin just played her Red ball toward Hoop 2, but landed well short of her intended position. She may now use one of her extra strokes to hit the Red ball again into a better position. Note, she now has two extra strokes remaining and is entitled to use more than one extra stroke, if played in succession.

As an example, the same players, Simon (5 handicap) and Robin (8 handicap) have agreed to play a level game (no extra strokes). Robin wins the game and will now receive 14 points for the victory and Simon will lose 14 points (the intersection on the chart where their handicaps align).

Results of each game are recorded on a handicap card, which tracks the running total of index points that increases when a player wins or decreases when a player loses. In all singles handicap games, (i.e. when players have agreed to play a

HANDICAP TRIGGER POINTS -6

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gcamerica More information on handicap play may be found in the Fifth Edition of the WCF Rules of Golf Croquet (section 19). It also discusses how to determine extra strokes given in doubles and how many are awarded for different length games, such as a seven-point game, i.e., the first to win four points. An interesting article on www.croquet.org.uk also goes into more detail on the system.

Give it a try and let us know how you like using extra strokes in handicap play! If you need an initial Golf Croquet handicap, check with your club handicapper or pro, who can request the materials from the USCA to do skills testing at your club. Cheryl Bromley is the GC Committee Chairperson. Johnny Mitchell is the USCA’s Tournaments and Schools staff member.

WINNER'S HANDICAP

LOSER’S HANDICAP -6

-5

-4

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10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

-6 10

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-4 16 13 10

-3 18 16 13 10

-2 19 18 16 13 10

-1 19 19 17 15 12 10

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10 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 18 17 16 14 13 12 11 10

11 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 18 17 15 14 13 12 11 10

12 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

13 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

14 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 11 10

15 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 11 10

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9wroundup

Long Grass and 9-Wicket in 2021 By Paul Bennett The United States Croquet Association (USCA) has begun a new path in 2021 toward connecting and supporting you. We believe many croquet players do not yet have access to a finely-cut grass lawn and do not need it! The game of croquet can be enjoyed in many different ways. Fun can be had wherever a suitable space can be found. Invite friends and associates to come together to play and to learn the game chosen to play. The power of bringing a group together is unbelievably rewarding. Over the past two decades, I have developed life-long friendships, traveled to many different places and enjoyed my time both on and off the court. It truly can be more than just a game. The USCA wants to connect with players and their clubs at all levels. Some may be interested in learning the rules, how to make shots, how to improve strategy, how to build clubs in numbers, how to build professional courts or how to host tournaments. The USCA can help with all those, but of most interest to the USCA, we want to know that people are getting together, playing croquet and, most importantly, having fun while doing it. We would love to share photos of events and learn more about the game as it is played. While we have a set of codified rules for 9-Wicket croquet, we believe Golf Croquet is also suitable for play on long-grass lawns, like what might be found in local parks and recreation areas. I remember setting up a court alongside the Ohio River with my grandma and other family members. We would share a picnic on the grass and watch the barges move up and down the river by towboats. The game we played was one my grandma had learned from her husband, Pius, who made custom mallets with inlaid wood, rubber on one face and a hard phenolic face on the other. They used to play their game on regulation lawns set up on clay courts by Kentucky parks and recreation. I learned more about the 9-Wicket clay-court game later in my life after, having played several tournament games on the grass courts that are cut down like a putting green. The old clay-court version of the game is not surviving and is not played in many places anymore. I rarely see it introduced to new players, the rules are often disagreed upon and support from a national sporting commission, such as the USCA, no longer exists. The last set of rules I saw published were dated in the 1930s. Many backyard players adopt a set of ‘local rules’ to work out particular problems or issues with local lawns, like how to play around the big oak tree in the middle. And others have come up with some ingenious rules to try out on friends. Some become well-recognized variants of the game – the Oakmont being one popular one in the northeast.

I would like to learn more about Extreme Croquet rules and what types of futuristic developments may be coming for 2021. And some folks just like to put on a grand old show for attending fans. The Navy/St. John’s annual event attracts thousands of dressedup spectators. That traditional event has been going on for more than a decade. I am sure it is a great place to enjoy an afternoon party. What will your club do this year? I know that we are all on pause during this pandemic. Many events were postponed or canceled last year, and I suspect we will not return to normal for quite some time. It is currently difficult to plan a big event with any success. A few minor events have been held, but all of them have had substantially fewer attendees than usual. This is not a big surprise as many of these events require traveling to far away venues. Because of this, the volunteers of the USCA have been rethinking some of the things we do and the purpose of why we do them. Most of us are volunteers and we simply want to have more fun. If you can think of new ways to get together and have fun, please let me know. I would love to hear how your club functions and what types of croquet are played. Maybe all that is required is an afternoon, some good friends and a picnic to share. Paul Bennett is the Long-Grass and 9-Wicket Committee Chairperson

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eventresults National Croquet Club Doubles Championship December 4-6, 2020 National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, Florida

Florida Regional Golf Croquet Open Warm-Up November 21-22, 2020 Ponte Vedra Croquet Club Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

NCC Golf Croquet Members Doubles November 13-15, 2020 National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, Florida

Country Club of Jackson 6W Invitational November 06-08, 2020 Country Club of Jackson Jackson, Mississippi

Championship Flight

Championship

01. Randy Cardo/Derek Wassink 02. Jodie Rugart/Danny Huneycutt 03. Howard Sosin/Stephen Morgan 04. Sandra Knuth/ Sherif Abdelwahab 05. Lynda Sudderberg/ Richard Sullivan 06. Bob Chilton/David Isaacs 07. Beverley Cardo/John Blamire 08. Missy Ramey/Johnny Mitchell Jr. 09. David McCoy/John Warlick

01. Jim Teel 02. Brett Stovall 03. Helen Covington 04. John Curington 05. Rich Dell 06. Brian Zindel 07. Bo Prillaman 07. Clint Dawkins 09. Bill Simmons 10. Priscilla M. Flowers 11. Bobby Greene

01. Stephen Morgan/Sandra Knuth 02. Danny Huneycutt/Jodie Rugart 03. Lynda Sudderberg/ Bob Van Tassell 03. Vernon Pierce/Tate Russack 05. John Warlick/Missy Ramey 05. Hal Denton/Howard Sosin 07. Richard Brackett/David McCoy

01. Britt Ruby 02. Ed Becker 03. Bob Hafner 03. Joe Yoder 05. Edward Erlich 05. Jodie Rugart 05. Scott Spradling

First Flight 01. David Spivey/William Trower 02. Yen Sullivan/ Stephen Grassbaugh 03. Casey Knoll/Lucus Van Alan 04. Carl Archiniaco/Conrad Rugart 05. Jeanne Branthover/ Vickie Johnston 06. Kevin Hansley/Stuart Baker 07. J. Kevin Moran/Thomas Tribby

First Flight 01. Marcus Stearns 02. Caryl Firth 03. Anita Huber 04. Tate Russack 05. Jonathan Watkins 05. Thomas Howell 05. Kathie Gamble 05. Jim Hester

Second Flight

01. Missy Chilton/Anne Licursi 02. Clint Fowlkes/Jeff Morrison 03. Janet Fisher/Larry Lynch 04. Bettina Hinckley/ Hildegard Jones 05. Mary Shields/Debra Bradley 06. Rita Ginsky/John Bannister

01. Gary Gamble 02. Dana Beisheim 03. Cami Russack 04. Judy Carlton 05. Constance Green 05. Cindy Howell

US Open December 1-5, 2020 Mission Hills Country Club Rancho Mirage, California Open Flight 01. Blake Fields 02. Steve Scalpone 03. Patrick Sweeney 04. Paul Bennett 05. Rory Kelley 05. Rich Lamm 07. Peter Bach 07. Gary Bennett A Flight 01. Cameron Evans 02. Brian Lozano 03. Donna Dixon 04. Nick Gray 05. Mary Rodeberg DNF Tracey Roche

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First Flight 01. Jeanne Branthover/ Carl Archiniaco 02. Paul Fecteau/Tom Hankey 03. Wayne Gallo/Steven Mednick 03. Kevin Hansley/ Sam Orleans Hansley 05. Thomas Graham/Diane Pelletier 05. Caryl Firth/Priscilla Flowers 07. Debra Bradley/Mary Shields Second Flight 01. Pam Heyer/Vicky Naranjo 02. Marie Rittman/Cami Russack 03. Ann Evans-Morrison/ Jeff Morrison 03. Lynn Epstein/Stuart Epstein 05. Lois Clay/Suzanne Turner 05. Tom Lindley/Phil Robinson Third Flight 01. Lizzy Hinckley/Brian Clemens 02. Rosemarie Maccario/ Madeleine Singer 03. Barbara Bailey/Michael Miller 03. Mary Churchill/Gay Cinque 05. Camille Catania/ Marianne Davidson DNF Shaun Henderson/ Joanna Rumbough

First Flight 01. Warwick Alley 02. Linda Trifone 03. Neville Boschert 03. Michael Harris 05. Frank Alley 05. Scott Kennedy 05. Suzanne Spradling

CFA Association Rules Tournament October 29-November 01, 2020 National Croquet Center West Palm Beach, Florida Championship A 01. Stephen Morgan 02. Shane Hettler 03. Randy Cardo 04. Sherif Abdelwahab 05. Danny Huneycutt 06. Michael Todorovich 07. Dawn Jupin 08. Sandra Knuth Championship B 01. David McCoy 02. Jeanne Branthover 03. Lynda Sudderberg 03. Mark Ski 05. Jeff Morrison 06. Missy Ramey 07. Christine Smith 08. Carl Archiniaco

The Plantation Foundation of Ponte Vedra Golf Croquet Benefit Open October 16-18, 2020 The Plantation of Ponte Vedra Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida Championship Flight 01. Tim Cavers 02. Joe Carroll 03. Todd Russell 04. Earle Mauldin 08. Debbie Davidoff 08. Tate Russack 08. Thomas Howell 08. Cindy Howell First Flight 01. Dorrit McMullen 02. Phil Emond 03. Sue Emond 04. Ellen O’Brien 08. Cami Russack 08. Connie Beresford 08. Lynn McCann 08. Peyton Kuhlthau

Grand Haven Handicap Adjuster October 15-18, 2020 Grand Haven Croquet Club Palm Coast, Florida Championship Flight 01. Bill Todd 02. Marsha Cargill 03. Paul Beaulieu 03. David Paukovich 05. Jim Hester 05. Margaret Matuszak 05. Dana Silliman 05. Dorothy Silliman

PCC Club Singles Championship October 07-09, 2020 Pinehurst Country Club Pinehurst, North Carolina Championship Flight 01. James Spoonhour 02. Bob Cherry 03. Bill Daigle 03. Horace Hayworth 05. Mike Taylor 06. Elaine Moody

First Flight

Second Flight

01. Stephen Errickson 02. Mike Conry 03. Alan Langley 03. Henry Wallace 05. Joanie O'Brien 06. Dan Delgarn 06. Mel Eckhart 08. Michael LaGraff 08. Susan LaGraff 10. Teresa Errickson 10. Maggie Langley 12. Binky Albright

01. Dale Jordan 02. Jane Helms 03. Harold Menzel 03. Robert Franks Jr. 05. Suzanne Spradling 05. George Blackburn

01. Lisa Davoli 02. Thomas Williams 03. William Cook 04. Bruce Day 05. Holly Healey

Second Flight

Championship Flight

01. Patti Molloy 02. Donald Dowd 03. Patrice Doherty

01. Conner Helms 02. Scott Spradling

Bald Head Island Club Golf Croquet Tournament October 02-04, 2020 Bald Head Island Croquet Club Bald Head Island, North Carolina

01. Dale Jordan 02. Carl Archiniaco 03. Suzanne Spradling 04. Jane Helms 05. Jim Loftis

A Flight 01. Len Miller 02. Dick Johnston 03. Peter Menk 03. Barbara Miller 05. Cam McIntyre 06. Kay Menk B Flight 01. Jeanmarie Dellosso 02. Michael Malpass 03. Barbara McQuaide 04. Patti Malpass 05. Pat Miller 06. Pat Johnston 07. Elizabeth Robinson

Texas State Championship October 02-04, 2020 Willowbrook Country Club Tyler, Texas Championship Flight

Oklahoma City Club Championship September 19-20, 2020 Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club Nichols Hill, Oklahoma

Pacific Cup August 29-30, 2020 The Resort of the Mountain Welches, Oregon 01. Patrick Sweeney 02. Gary Anderson 03. Peter Bach 04. Steve Scalpone 05. Wally Clark

First Flight

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croquetamerica.com | 25

newmembers CALIFORNIA

NEW YORK

Annalee Davis Francene Fisher Gregory Fisher

Jane Zhao

Rancho Mirage–Mission Hills Croquet Club

New York–New York Croquet Club Quogue–Quogue Field Club

Naples–At Large Member

Ann Kaplan Fippinger Robert Fippinger Maureen Leness Christopher Morris Molly Newman Ralph Worthington IV

Robert Simpson

Staten Island–9-Wicket Member

FLORIDA

Atlantic Beach–Fleet Landing Croquet Club

Nancy St. John

Naples–Club at the Strand, The

Matthew Leavy

Nick Dwyer

NORTH CAROLINA

Naples–Club Pelican Bay, The

F. Samuel Smith Karen Smith Palm Beach–Beach Club, The

Jennifer Borg Palm Beach Gardens– Croquet Club at PGA National

Alex Galasso Mary M Galasso Palm Coast–Grand Haven Croquet Club

Patricia Blinn Debbie Brown Pam Debias Marti Garziglia Jim Roberts Jeanne Seidel Tom Seidel Jerry Tarner Ally Ulaner Robert Ulaner Beth Wald Venice–Sarasota County Croquet Club

Ronald Lewis Edward Perley George Quallich Shirley Redden Ann Sloane Peter Spindler Lester Taufen Franzanne Vreeland William Winter

MARYLAND

Galesville–West River Wickets

Bald Head Island– Bald Head Island Croquet Club

Tommy Byrd Debi Byrd Sam Corey Trenna Corey Lori McBrayer Nathan McBrayer Claire Honan Terry Honan

PENNSYLVANIA

Clarks Green–9-Wicket Member

Reid Holcomb Devon Holcomb Bray Stahller Mark Stahller Sam Stahller

RHODE ISLAND

Watch Hill–Ocean House Mallet Club

August Fromuth Deborah Fromuth

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charleston–Bishop Gadsden

Edward Hay

TENNESSEE

Chattanooga– Lookout Battleground Croquet Club

Garnet Chapin David Hawley Memphis–University Club of Memphis

MISSISSIPPI

Houston–Houston Croquet Association

Robert Ringer

MISSOURI

Darlington–At Large Member

Brandy Ferguson

Myra De Gersdorff

TEXAS

Judith Lee Frank Lee Chrissie Stamey Mark Stamey

WASHINGTON

Seattle–9-Wicket Member

David Carpenter Shoreline–9-Wicket Member

John Saul

CANADA ONTARIO

Toronto–Kew Beach Croquet Club

Cliff Blundell

26 | croquetamerica.com

Club at the Strand, The Naples, Florida

Wyndemere Country Club Naples, Florida

Manataka Mallet Club

Clarks Green, Pennsylvania

Lookout Battleground Croquet Club Chattanooga, Tennessee

Lake Toxaway–Lake Toxaway Mallet Club

Alicia Estes Suzanne Herr Marie Pringle Gwynneth Smith Florence–9-Wicket Member

NEW CLUBS

Have you ever walked on the croquet court and wondered what to do?! It’s not uncommon! Over the years, as a Croquet Tournament Director and Instructor, I have watched many games which have informed me what to teach when working with aspiring players. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT AT:

HTTPS://BOBCROQUET.COM/STRATEGY_INFO.HTM

HERE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD FOR FREE (YOU BET - FREE!) TWO OF THE 12 VIDEOS IN THE SERIES IN ADDITION TO THE FREE PDF USER GUIDE WHICH SHOWS THE SETUP FOR EACH VIDEO.

grandprixstandings 2020 US OVERALL GRAND PRIX TOP 30 # Player Handicap Singles 01 Randy Cardo -3 11300 02 Macey W. White -2.5 12760 03 David Ekstrom -1.5 8500 04 Beverley Cardo -1 5600 05 Richard Sullivan -2 6900 06 Webster Bull -1.5 4500 07 Mark Fields -0.5 4380 08 Bob Chilton -1.5 4300 09 Derek Wassink -3 3600 10 Calvert Chaney 1 1650 11 William B. Trower 1 4300 12 Matthew Griffith -2 3900 13 Jodie Rugart -1 3300 14 Thomas C. Balding -0.5 3700 15 Chris Barley -2 5300 16 Tim Bitting -1.5 1900 17 David McCoy -0.5 2500 18 Mike Taylor -2 5100 19 James M. Spoonhour -1 5000 20 David Isaacs -1.5 3400 21 Adam Lassiter 0 4860 22 Bill Hartmann 0.5 2000 23 Chris Patmore -2.5 3920 24 Carleton H. Mabee -2 4600 25 Lynda P. Sudderberg -1 3500 26 Britt Ruby -1.5 4200 27 Michael Todorovich -1 2300 28 Doug Grimsley -3 3090 29 Mary Rodeberg 0.5 2205 30 Danny Huneycutt -4 1700

Doubles 6200 4420 4800 5980 1940 2950 2820 2400 3000 4600 1900 1700 2200 1800 0 3400 2680 0 0 1500 0 2840 700 0 800 0 1700 700 1520 2000

Total 17500 17180 13300 11580 8840 7450 7200 6700 6600 6250 6200 5600 5500 5500 5300 5300 5180 5100 5000 4900 4860 4840 4620 4600 4300 4200 4000 3790 3725 3700

2020 US MEN'S GRAND PRIX TOP 10 # Player Handicap Singles 01 Randy Cardo -3 11300 02 Macey W. White -2.5 12760 03 David Ekstrom -1.5 8500 04 Richard Sullivan -2 6900 05 Webster Bull -1.5 4500 06 Mark Fields -0.5 4380 07 Bob Chilton -1.5 4300 08 Derek Wassink -3 3600 09 Calvert Chaney 1 1650 10 William B. Trower 1 4300

Doubles 6200 4420 4800 1940 2950 2820 2400 3000 4600 1900

Total 17500 17180 13300 8840 7450 7200 6700 6600 6250 6200

2020 US WOMEN'S GRAND PRIX TOP 10 # Player Handicap Singles 01 Beverley Cardo -1 5600 02 Jodie Rugart -1 3300 03 Lynda P. Sudderberg -1 3500 04 Mary Rodeberg 0.5 2205 05 Linda Huxtable -0.5 1500 06 Linda Trifone 5 673 07 Loretta Cooper 2 200 08 Linda R. Dos Santos 1.5 1445 09 Vickie Johnston 3 800 10 Missy Ramey 0.5 1100 Updated January 1, 2021

Doubles Points 5980 11580 2200 5500 800 4300 1520 3725 1000 2500 1468 2141 1820 2020 0 1445 580 1380 200 1300

2020 US GP CHAMPIONSHIP B TOP 15 (3-5H) # Player Handicap Singles Doubles 01 Stephen P. Grassbaugh 3 1100 1270 02 Linda Trifone 5 673 1468 03 Ronald L. Eccles 4 1021 624 04 Howard Sosin 3 0 1400 05 Vickie Johnston 3 800 580 06 David Spivey 3.5 320 980 07 Mark Ski 4.5 1100 174 08 Victoria Albrecht 3 700 498 09 Brian D. Hovis 3 1100 0 10 Martie Ekstrom 5 642 412 11 John L. Priest 5 1020 0 12 Sally McGrath 5 828 146 13 Yen Sullivan 4.5 178 692 14 Richard E. Laging 3 840 0 15 Nicholas Gray 4.5 120 720 2020 US GP FIRST FLIGHT TOP 15 (6-9H) # Player Handicap Singles Doubles 01 Missy Chilton 7 175 873 02 Carl A. Archiniaco 6 362 444 03 Penny Ferraro 6 48 750 04 Bo Prillaman 7 569 168 05 Jane C. Helms 7 319 246 06 Judy Dahlstrom 8 72 450 07 Christine Smith 7 464 48 08 Suzanne Spradling 7 154 300 09 Dale Jordan 7 450 0 10 Gail Barley 6 445 0 11 Mary Cassidy 9 154 225 12 Randy W. Reid 6 279 96 13 Jared Bassmann 6 350 0 14 Karen Heckman 7 188 160 15 Myron A. McCumber 6 348 0 2020 US GP SECOND FLIGHT TOP 15 (10-13H) # Player Handicap Singles Doubles 01 Tracey Roche 13 0 450 02 Terry Cassidy 10 47 132 03 Eileen Fell 10 0 168 04 Katie Bull 10 94 9 05 Carol E. Stuart 12 20 78 06 Diane Fitzsimons 13 9 72 07 Rusty Rose 10 28 52 08 Handicap 13.0 13 30 42 09 John McGrath 11 32 33 10 Sam Orleans Hansley 10 62 3 11 Larry A. Lynch 11 64 0 12 Bill Simmons 10 62 0 13 Pat Richmond 11 9 48 14 Iris Shadrick 10 56 0 15 Linda Bowers 10 52 0 2020 US GP THIRD FLIGHT (14-20H) # Player Handicap Singles Doubles 01 Karen M. Weihs 14 0 28 02 Dan Delgarn 16 21 0 03 Skip Russo 20 15 0 Updated January 1, 2021

Total 2370 2141 1645 1400 1380 1300 1274 1198 1100 1054 1020 974 870 840 840 Total 1048 806 798 737 565 522 512 454 450 445 379 375 350 348 348 Total 450 179 168 103 98 81 80 72 65 65 64 62 57 56 52 Total 28 21 15

croquetamerica.com | 27

grandprixstandings 2020 GOLF CROQUET OVERALL GRAND PRIX TOP 30 # Player Singles Doubles 01 Rick Darnell 2099 0 02 Jim Teel 1933 144 03 Macey W. White 1621 432 04 Bill Simmons 1464 109 05 John L. Priest 1419 0 06 Priscilla M. Flowers 685 470 07 Rich Dell 911 193 08 Helen Covington 1102 0 09 Matthew Griffith 356 698 10 Ed Becker 1012 0 11 John Curington 1010 0 12 J. Billie Ray 443 552 13 Webster Bull 750 202 14 Clint Dawkins 573 365 15 Caryl Firth 683 231 16 Tate Russack 544 325 17 Stephen Jackson 147 698 18 Amr Hamdy 518 321 19 Ellie Griffith 622 210 20 Leo Viens 815 0 21 Cheryl Bromley 356 432 22 Debbie Davidoff 631 131 23 James C Potts 649 109 24 Billy E Harper 292 438 25 Thomas C. Balding 720 0 26 Robert V. Clark 395 321 27 Bo Prillaman 705 0 28 Cami Russack 466 215 29 Phil H. Emond 562 109 30 Colin Irwin 663 0

Total 2099 2077 2053 1573 1419 1155 1104 1102 1054 1012 1010 995 952 938 914 869 845 839 832 815 788 762 758 730 720 716 705 681 671 663

2020 AC OVERALL GRAND PRIX TOP 30 # Player Singles 01 Matthew Essick 3033 02 Zack Watson 2725 03 Sherif Abdelwahab 2475 04 Shane Hettler 2408 05 Randy Cardo 2256 06 Stephen Morgan 1796 07 Danny Huneycutt 2094 08 Charles Xavier 1631 09 Blake Fields 1745 10 Doug Grimsley 1523 11 Daniel W. Pailas 1533 12 Thomas C. Balding 1774 13 Mike Taylor 1453 14 Thomas Cooper 1238 15 Paul T. Bennett 981 16 Simon Jenkins 1405 17 Rodney Lassiter 651 18 Merle Berkshire 621 19 Jay Hughes 748 20 Webster Bull 878 21 Macey W. White 645 22 Gene Raymond 740 23 Brian Cumming 1004 24 Chris Barley 942 25 Jim Houser 713 26 Richard Sheely 695 27 J. Gary Bennett 204 28 Calvert Chaney 339 29 Rick Darnell 332 30 Peter Bach 592

Doubles 1222 1222 815 482 482 815 268 654 482 654 268 0 268 482 482 0 654 654 482 268 482 268 0 0 0 0 482 268 268 0

Total 4255 3947 3290 2890 2738 2611 2362 2285 2227 2177 1801 1774 1721 1720 1463 1405 1305 1275 1230 1146 1127 1008 1004 942 713 695 686 607 600 592

2020 GOLF CROQUET MEN'S GRAND PRIX TOP 10 # Player Singles Doubles 01 Rick Darnell 2099 0 02 Jim Teel 1933 144 03 Macey W. White 1621 432 04 Bill Simmons 1464 109 05 John L. Priest 1419 0 06 Rich Dell 911 193 07 Matthew Griffith 356 698 08 Ed Becker 1012 0 09 John Curington 1010 0 10 J. Billie Ray 443 552

Total 2099 2077 2053 1573 1419 1104 1054 1012 1010 995

2020 AC MEN'S GRAND PRIX TOP 10 # Player Singles 01 Matthew Essick 3033 02 Zack Watson 2725 03 Sherif Abdelwahab 2475 04 Shane Hettler 2408 05 Randy Cardo 2256 06 Stephen Morgan 1796 07 Danny Huneycutt 2094 08 Charles Xavier 1631 09 Blake Fields 1745 10 Doug Grimsley 1523

Doubles 1222 1222 815 482 482 815 268 654 482 654

Total 4255 3947 3290 2890 2738 2611 2362 2285 2227 2177

Doubles 0 268 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total 498 404 261 179 163 147 121 110 108 98

2020 GOLF CROQUET WOMEN'S GRAND PRIX TOP 10 # Player Singles Doubles 01 Priscilla M. Flowers 685 470 02 Helen Covington 1102 0 03 Caryl Firth 683 231 04 Ellie Griffith 622 210 05 Cheryl Bromley 356 432 06 Debbie Davidoff 631 131 07 Cami Russack 466 215 08 Sandra Knuth 0 591 09 Gail Warlick 259 210 10 Linda Trifone 465 0 Updated January 1, 2021

28 | croquetamerica.com

Points 1155 1102 914 832 788 762 681 591 469 465

2020 AC WOMEN'S GRAND PRIX TOP 10 # Player Singles 01 Donna Dixon 498 02 Karin Karel 136 03 Mary Rodeberg 261 04 Tracey Roche 179 05 Jeanne Branthover 163 06 Christine Smith 147 07 Lynda P. Sudderberg 121 08 Becky Essick 110 09 Dawn Jupin 108 10 Linda Trifone 98 Updated January 1, 2021

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

February

May

2/3/21 - 2/4/21

5/6/21 - 5/9/21

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Marie Sweetser | 561-478-2300 | generalmanager@croquetnational.com Doubles Only

Pinehurst Croquet Club | Pinehurst, NC Mike Taylor | 910-986-3343 | mrtaylor1022@msn.com

Snowbirds and Flamingos | GC

2/12/21 - 2/14/21

National Croquet Club Singles Championship | US National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Tim McCormick | 207-329-5343 | tmccorm1@gmail.com

2/17/21 - 2/21/21

Steuber Classic | US & GC

National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Marie Sweetser | 561-478-2300 | generalmanager@croquetnational.com

March 3/9/21 - 3/11/21

USCA American Rules School | US

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

3/10/21 - 3/11/21

USCA Golf Croquet School | GC

NC Open | AC

5/13/21 - 5/15/21

The Falls Spring GC Open | GC

Highland Falls Country Club | Highlands, NC Onifer Wilmoth | 828-487-4130 | owilmoth@clubfcc.com

5/20/21 - 5/23/21

USCA Golf Croquet Eights | GC

Multiple Clubs | Western North Carolina Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

June 6/2/21 - 6/6/21

Mountain Laurel Invitational | US

The Chattooga Club | Cashiers, NC Dawn Jupin | 828-743-1360 | dawnj@chattoogaclub.com

6/5/21

National Croquet Day

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

6/10/21 - 6/13/21

3/12/21- 3/14/21

Pinehurst Country Club | Pinehurst, NC Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

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

3/15/21 - 3/17/21

USCA American Rules Tournament Play School | US

Southeast 6W Regional Championship | US 6/10/21 - 6/13/21

Berkshire Invitational | US

Lenox Croquet Club | Lenox, MA David Ekstrom | 413-230-6122 | drekstrom@hotmail.com Practice available June 9th

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

6/23/21 - 6/27/21

3/18/21 - 3/21/21

Westhampton Mallet Club | Westhampton, NY Randy Cardo | 631-902-5678 | randy.cardo@gmail.com

USCA Club Teams Championship | US

Westhampton Mallet Club Invitational | US

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

September

April

9/1/21 - 9/5/21

USCA Golf Croquet National Championship | GC

4/6/21 - 4/8/21

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

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

9/9/21 - 9/12/21

4/11/21 - 4/17/21

Pinehurst Countey Club | Pinehurst, NC Mike Taylor | 910-986-3343 | mrtaylor1022@msn.com

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

9/23/21 - 9/26/21

4/22/21 - 4/25/21

Pinehurst Countey Club | Pinehurst, NC Elaine Moody | 910-986-3164 | haliburton_2@msn.com

Ponte Vedra Croquet Club | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

9/30/21 - 10/3/21

USCA American Rules School | US

USCA Association Laws National Championship | AC

USCA Florida Regional Golf Croquet | GC

NC State Singles Championship | US

31st Pinehurst Invitational | US

Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab | US

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

croquetamerica.com | 29

SHOP

USCA

Whatever the occasion think USCA for those special gifts

October

10/1/21 - 10/3/21

NCC Club Singles Golf Croquet | GC

National Croquet Club | West Palm Beach, FL Tim McCormick | (207) 329-5343 | tmccorm1@gmail.com Singles Only

10/5/21 - 10/7/21

USCA American Rules School | US

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

10/6/21 - 10/8/21

Books

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

CD’s

Pinehurst Club Singles Championship | US

Pinehurst Countey Club | Pinehurst, NC Elaine Moody | 910-986-3164 | haliburton_2@msn.com

10/10/21 - 10/16/21

USCA American Rules National Championship | US National Croquet Club | West Palm Beach, FL Johnny Mitchell | 561-478-0760 | tournament@uscroquet.com

10/21/21 - 10/24/21

Women's Golf Croquet Open | GC

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

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

10/22/21 - 10/24/21

DVD’s

10/28/21 - 10/31/21

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

CDs & DVDs are not returnable.

Defective disks may be replaced within 2 weeks of purchase.

Clothing

USCA Logo Hats - Brim: S/M L/XL Baseball: One Size....................................................... $20.00 USCA Jacket with Logo on front............................................................................................$80.00 USCA Shirts (USCA Logo or Croquet Week).........................................................................$40.00 USCA Logo Long-Sleeve Shirts................................................................................................$50.00 USCA logo Ladies Sweater....................................................................................................... $70.00

Misc.

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

Prices subject to change

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

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

30 | croquetamerica.com

National Croquet Club Singles Golf Croquet | GC National Croquet Center | West Palm Beach, FL Tim McCormick | 207-329-5343 | tmccorm1@gmail.com

10/26/21 - 10/27/21

USCA Association Laws School | AC

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

Selection Eights | AC

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

November

11/2/21 - 11/4/21

USCA American Rules School | US

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

11/10/21 - 11/14/21

USCA Seniors Masters Championship | US

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

11/17/21 - 11/18/21

USCA Golf Croquet School | GC

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

December

12/1/21 - 12/2/21

USCA Golf Croquet School | GC

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

12/3/21 - 12/5/21

Golf Croquet Club Teams | GC

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

12/10/21 - 12/12/21

NCC Club Doubles American Rules | US

National Croquet Club | West Palm Beach, FL Tim McCormick | (207) 329-5343 | tmccorm1@gmail.com Doubles Only

Whether you are new to the game or just want to learn some of the finer points of the game

USCA CROQUET SCHOOLS are the way to go

Learn with USCA Certified Instructors

5 hours/day of on-court instruction Official USCA Rulebook (for new American Rules or Golf Croquet members) USCA Shot making manual (for first time American Rules students only) Daily Continental Breakfast and Lunches Certificate of Completion and Class Photograph Wine and Cheese Party on last day of school

UPCOMING DATES American Rules March 9-11, 2021 April 6-8, 2021 October 5-7, 2021 November 2-4, 2021

Golf Croquet

March 10-11, 2021 November 17-18, 2021

Association Laws

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

October 26-27, 2021

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

Contact the USCA office for more information 561-478-0760 or email tournament@uscroquet.com

Oakley Woods Croquet The new ultimate in precision and performance... mallets, balls, wickets, accessories, videos

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visit us online at croquetstore.com or call toll-free at 1-866-364-8895

2021 Croquet News Volume 1: USCA Marketing Plan

Articles inside

Courtside: The New and the Old

9W Roundup

Let's Talk Tactics

Member Profile: Zack Watson

Marketing Croquet in 2021