2023 USCA Golf Croquet Club Teams Venice, Fla. | December 1-3
Thirty Teams Clash At GC Club Teams in Sarasota By Tate Russack Let me say, WOW! The USCA 2023 Club teams Tournament was a rousing success! Sixty players, forming 30 teams, played 174 games of golf croquet over three days on the seven newly minted, beautifully flat and gorgeous Sarasota County Croquet Club (SCCC) lawns in Venice, Fla.
their team strategy with the precision of players with tens of years of experience. In the end, the Essick/Smith team prevailed over the White/Crouch duo with a final score of 10-7.
Each day started with fresh coffee provided by the wonderful SCCC members, then play started at 8:00 a.m. sharp. The players took to the lawns and battled each other for five games each day, completing nine block games the first two days and the first knockout game on Saturday afternoon. The competitors and the competition were fabulous, and all players completed their games with greater skills and endurance than their D-Grades indicated. Well done all!
It was close play up to the last hoop! With Belleair Croquet Club and two Sarasota teams playing the finals in Second Flight, guaranteeing them four and five points, respectively, for first and second, the Tournament Director and the Florida Regional VP, Bill Simmons, who was also a player in the event, had to review how a tie in points might be resolved. Points are given out for first through fifth place and, prior to the finals, Belleair Croquet Club had already amassed five points and had a team in the finals in First Flight. Were the First Flight team of Jim Watrous and Joe Fairbanks to take second place to Hinden/Trimble, then a tie in points would require the Tournament Director to break the tie and pronounce a winner. After consultation between Tate and Cami Russack, the Tournament Directors, and Bill Simmons, it was determined that total wins would be the next determining factor. Sarasota had 22 victories over the total tournament and Belleair only had 20.
After three long days, in Second Flight, John Ayers and Joe Fairbanks, from Sarasota Croquet Club, prevailed with 10 wickets, in a 19-point final game over Debbie Martin and Louise Cardellini, from Sarasota. In First Flight, Jim Watrous and Frank LaValla of theBelleair Croquet Club scored 10 wickets to The Little Club’s Bruce Hindin and Neil Trimble took home the First Flight finalist trophy. The Championship Flight Battle of the Titans started just after noon on Sunday. Mathew Essick and Jeff Smith, from the Country Club of Orlando, prevailed against Grand Haven Croquet Club’s Macey White and Nancy Crouch. The exceptional play by the less experienced half of both teams made these games exciting to watch. Crouch and smith executed
FINAL ORDER
CLUB TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
All eyes were on lawn 4 as the other competitors watched the players tie the game at wicket 16, 8-8. Ayers and LaValla were able to squeak through wicket 17 to advance to the lead. At wicket 18, the two teams battled back and forth clearing for the advantage, but in the end, Ayers and LaValla from Belleair secured the last wicket to capture the additional five team points for their club to prevail as the USCA 2023 Club Teams Winner. Thank you all for attending and volunteering. It is always a great day to play croquet.
Champion Club: Belleair Croquet Club CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
FIRST FLIGHT
SECOND FLIGHT
01. Matthew Essick/Jeff Smith 02. Macey White/Nancy Crouch 03. Cecil Creasey/Susan Creasey 04. Marc Stearns/MaryCarol Stearns 05. Kendall Hendrick/Laura Hendrick 06. James Creasey/Bill Simmons 07. Tate Russack/Cami Russack 07. Matt Griffith/Ellie Griffith 09. Alex Galasso/Chris Weihs 10. Jack Rush/David Scott
01. Jim Watrous/Frank LaValla 02. Bruce Hindin/Neill Trimble 03. Brand Shank/Lori Matway 04. James Welch/Mike Hatcher 05. Caryl Firth/Mary Galasso 06. Priscilla Flowers/Tom Lindley 07. Suzanne Turner/Pam Groh 07. Phil Emond/Jo Hofmann 09. Karen Weihs/Arthur Olsen 10. Dana Beisheim/Anita Huber
01. Jon Ayers/Joe Fairbanks 02. Debbie Martin/Louise Cardellina 03. John Joseph/Jicham Zaatini 04. Jeanette Hodgkins/Donald Kent 05. Jake Walter/Carlos Ayala-Pagan 06. Christine Smith/Kathie Hart 07. Jennifer Joseph/Heidimarie Michitsch 07. Ned Sperry/Holly Sperry 09. George Howard/Anthony Furino 10. David Paukovich/Patricia Paukovick
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