The Nationals titles have been won and lost for this year. They were held on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and were well attended. This is the end of the first year under the new system and it was interesting to see those players were who didn't turn up for the second part of the titles. There were about 32 of us who played in both Hobart and the Queensland but the representations from South Australia and Western Australia were down.
John Levick and I managed to win 4 of our 7 games in the block doubles and so finished one place above our ranked order. We played at Coolum and were made very welcome.
In the singles John distingished himself by winning he Plate. Not a bad effort for someone who said he wasn't playing that well. John was presented his Medal and Plate at his Valla Beach caravan and so had to show his mates. They were all very impressed.
National Park held their twentieth anniversay day last Saturday and we had about sixty-five players attend. We had representatives from the various local clubs plus a visit from the Lord Mayor Joh Tait and the Federal member Sharon Grierson whose Mum plays at the Club. The appropriate speeches were made and a lot of reminiscing was done. A great day was had by all.
Chris Pont has excelled herself by falling off her motor bike and breaking both arms. Well done Chris who is now on the road to recovery.
Geof McDonald
Our thanks go to those who helped especially Wal with his crook knees, Bob with his medical problems and Geof with his ailments; also Jacky helped out with the levelling of the soil. Kay came good with the hot scones jam and cream for morning tea and Claire and Bev with the sandwiches. Others couldn't make it because of family reasons, while Tom and Sue arrived just as we sat down for morning tea. Great timing but things had gone so well we completed the job of spreading the soil in just over an hour and a half so they couldn't be blamed for being late... Not bad for a bunch of crocks.
While we then had morning tea we watched as Flo finished levelling the soil using the clubs new ride on mower and leveller. Worked like a charm.
So we are now off the lawn for a couple of weeks, so look out for some visits for us.
AC Referee Re-accreditation Workshop - Twenty referees and umpires have registered for this workshop, and received the questions to answer and prepare for the initial discussion period of the day. Two practical sessions are planned, and a question and answer time dealing with questions from the participants. Enquiries to Jan Sage at Taree Croquet Club.
Coaching Weekend - State Coaching Director, Betty Brown, has organized a BC/L1 Coaching Workshop, to be held at Taree Croquet Club on the weekend of 15th and 16th October. The workshop will be conducted by Garry O’Dell. Details can be sought from Betty or Garry, register your attendance with Jan Sage, please.
Mid North Coast District Championships - Taree players will contest the four divisions in the District Championships. Playing for Div 1 is Bill Blaikie, for Div 2 Jan Sage, for Div 3 Ron Drury and for Div 4 Tom Akre. The Golf Croquet Singles and Doubles will also be contested, the team is yet to be finalized.
Jan Sage
The Muswellbrook Croquet Club held it's first 3 day Golf Croquet Carnival on the 16th - 18th September 2005. A total of 32 players from Scone, Miller Park, Maitland, Orange, Wollongong and Muswellbrook participated in the event. It was a great social event for the players from the various clubs to come together and enjoy the game of golf croquet. Beginning at 9:00am each day each doubles pair played (10) 7 point games each over the 3 days. All of the games were keenly contested and some of the results went down to the last games played.
Congratulations to all the winners and runners up. The club is very grateful for the support and positive feedback given by the visiting players and visiting referees - Margot Johnson and Jo McGrath (Port Hacking, Sydney), Carol Hayes (Wollongong), Robyn Wallace (Maitland). Very sincere thanks and appreciation goes to the members of the Muswellbrook Croquet Club for their help and support in making the carnival a great success.
Division One winners - Lo & Beryl Hearne (Scone), runners up - Ray Farrell & Bev Duncan (Orange)
Division Two winners - Gwen Alford (Scone) & Madge Neate (Muswellbrook), runners up - Kath Farrell & Janet McKay (Orange)
Division Three winners - George & Daisy Budden (Muswellbrook), runners up - Adolphe & Suzy Parfait (Muswellbrook)
Glenda Downs - Tournament Manager / Court Captain
In anticipation of Taree Croquet Club's Taree-on-Manning Golf Croquet Carnival (19th, 20th, 21st October) two workshops will be held on 12th and 19th September. The workshops will be based on the GC Referee Exam and will be good preparation for anyone thinking of presenting for the exam. This is not essential, and the participants are welcome to attend simply to increase their knowledge and understanding of the rules.
There is no charge for the workshops, copies of the rules are available for $4, and copies of the GC Referee's Exam for $2.
Names please by 9th October, of those wishing to attend.
AC Referee and Umpire Re-accreditation Workshop
This workshop will be conducted on Wednesday 12th October, 10.0am to 2.0pm. Cost is $8. Names please by 30th September, so I can send you the questions to be answered before the workshop.
National Park took on the best N.S.W. could offer over the last weekend and came away with the trophy for this years Premier Pennants. The players were Geof McDonald, John Levick, Chris Pont and Max Wiltshire. Max went through undefeated while the rest of us suffered a defeat or two. Well done Max.
The competition was held over two days with three composite teams together with a full team from National Park competing. Each team consisted of four players and each match was two doubles and four singles. Play was at Tempe and Sutherland so it was necessary for teams to travel between some of the matches. A nuisance but a necessity. Unfortunately on the Sunday at Tempe the Oompah Band was playing and this made it hard to concentrate.
The courts at Tempe were like glass whilst those at Sutherland played at a more sedate pace. The weather was perfect and the croquet of a high standard. Mary and Wal Fernance were as usual on deck at Sutherland Club to set out the courts for us and to have an early morning ‘cuppa’ ready for those in urgent need of a booster shot.. Thanks to both f them.
A fierce but friendly rivalry went on during the games with no quarter asked and none given. The consensus was that the competition was a great success and hopefully we can get a few more players to participate next year.
Geof McDonald
What a day! Absolutely gorgeous weather, a fabulous view, marvellous company and an incidental game of golf croquet at the Jackson homestead in Bulga.
A dozen of us were there today for a quiet game of golf croquet and bar B Q but try having a quiet time with mine host Tom Jackson. It’s not possible. Again a couple of our players were sabotaged and had trouble taking to the court after a superb lunch that was washed down by a vintage or two. Or was that three or four.
Robert A'Court just came out for the drive with wife Vivienne but joined in the fun. Wendy was coming out as a passenger but in her own way just managed to be a trifle delayed as usual but turn up she did. Pretoria wasn’t there so Wendy walked up the hill instead. Tom was going to but decided to sit on the sidelines instead.
But like all good things the time came to end what has been a great day. Tom and Sue are off overseas to see family and we hope they have a great time. The rest of us are going to take the time to recover as hopefully we will have another ‘Bulga’ day.
Geof McDonald
"Give Croquet A Go" is held in Summer at 7pm each Wednesday evening, and in Winter at 2pm on the first Sunday afternoon of each month.
Gala Day - 12th November, 10am, fun, games and prizes. Our sponsor A Taste of Honey will be providing lunch. $10 for entry. RSVP to secretary needed for catering purposes.
Tournament - in February 2006, a date yet to be set, we will be hosting a tournament. Open to all handicaps.
In the final round of the competition Forster played Taree at Taree. Both clubs won two Association games each, and Taree won ten of the twelve Golf Croquet games. Taree won the day 16 points to 8. Taree won each round of the District Doubles Days in 2005 and will be presented with the E and G Rogers Plate later in the year. None of the present members of the club can remember Taree ever winning the competition before, so we may have made our own little bit of local croquet history.
Beginning at 9-00am on a beautiful day a total of 48 seven-point games were played in which each pair played 4 games. It was a great social day for all the players from various clubs to meet up again & enjoy the game of golf croquet.
The winners on the day were Robyn Wallace & Judy Soper from the Maitland club (photo). Runners up were Adolphe & Suzy Parfait from the Muswellbrook club.
Our club is very grateful for the support given by all the players from the other clubs. Also special thanks to the visiting referees - Wal & Mary Fernance from Sydney, Wendy Woolfe from Toronto, Margaret Thompson from Nelson Bay, & Bill Stevenson from Maitland. Also our own club members deserve special thanks for their help & support to make the day a wonderful success. Currently the club has 39 members with another two expected to join the club. Playing days are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday with Monday & Thursday mainly for beginners.
The club is looking forward to September 2005 when we hold our first 3 day Golf Croquet Carnival.
Best wishes to all croquet players,
Glenda Downs - Tournament Manager/Publicity Officer
National Park Newcastle Croquet club was delighted with the entries they received when they change the format for their annual carnival. The carnival in sponsored by the Newcastle Permanent and the Newcastle City Council with great support from the local Marketown Shopping Centre Management, businesses with in the centre and the businesses in the local area.
The carnival which is held the first week in May each year, received so many entries and extra division was formed .For many wishing to enter the premium pool, The Newcastle Permanent Gift, places in the group were no longer available.
The carnival started in bright sun and great lawns with groups playing 2 games each on the first day. Visitor came from as far away as Albury, Forster, Tamworth and Lismore as well as from many Hunter Valley clubs. Kurt from Toronto Croquet club and John from Tamworth Croquet club were playing in their first tournament.
The high-class field in the Newcastle Permanent Gift took to the courts on Friday. The standard of play was high and many club members turned up to watch the games. The local television also recorded the event but mainly showed players feet. Next year we will put sponsors signs on the heels of all players’ shoes. At the end of the day Leslie Watson of Byron Bay CC,Liz Fleming of Windsor CC, and John Hardy of TCC had recorded three wins each.
On Saturday the usual day of rain arrived and down it came. The players were not deterred, they donned their wet weather gear and played on. The club house did start to look like a chinese laundry. The Kitchen workers did well by providing hot soup and hot cheese melts which were a hit with the players.
In April National Park Newcastle Croquet Club hosted players taking part in the third Trans Tasman Masters games. It was the first time Croquet had been played on this side of the Tasman as last time when Newcastle hosted the games all local clubs were in the middle of the Croquet Nationals.
Only fourteen players entered the event, which was a little disappointing for the organisers. Play involved two days of doubles and two days of open singles, played in handicapped grouped blocks. The only New Zealand entries Ray Puckett and Olga Floyd paired to win the gold medal in the doubles with expat New Zealanders, John Ballantyne and Judy Cleine, from the Mosman Croquet Club, in the silver medal placing. Judy gained the nickname of "hop along" with a bad hip dislocation and had to pull out of the singles.
The Group A singles was won by Ray Puckett with John Ballantyne in second place and the Group B was won by Elmore Leiskie, Albury Croquet Club second place was Bev Mersmann. Form the host club National Park Newcastle.
The best times were had off the courts and after the games were played when players relaxed in the club house and socialised. The club hosting a Bar-B -Q for all the players during which medals were presented. Club members have to be congratulated for the work they did making providing scones for morning and afternoon tea, making lunches, setting up lawns, clearing dew off the law and in general looking after visiting players.
State Winner at National Park Newcastle
Max Wiltshire recently won the State Golf Croquet Championship held at Tempe. He was able to beat the current Australian Champion, Tony Hall, with a brilliant display of hoop running and tactics to take out the event. Max is the man who keeps the lawns at National Park Newcastle in the great condition they are in. He is hoping to play in the National later in the year and in New Zealand next year when the world titles are played there.
Things you hear when umpiring
Incident 1:
Player "I've got a double"
Partner "Well go for it"
Player "There's a hoop in between them"
Incident 2:
"Boy you have great weather here in Newcastle
You could wear shorts all year round,
then you'd only have half the washing!!!!!!!!!!!"
Off to Egypt
Christine Pont from the National Park Newcastle Croquet Club is off to Egypt to represent Australia in the First Women WCF World Golf Croquet Championship to be held in Cairo in November 2005. Play will be the two best of three games each day and will be held over 8 days at the Gezira Sport Club.
Wild Fig Carnival - Taree’s second carnival runs from 15th to 20th May. Singles on Sunday will be played in four blocks of four pairs. All players will have three games, and the trophies will be presented at the Welcome afternoon tea. Five blocks of six players will contest the singles games from Monday to Friday. Social events include the Carnival Dinner at the Sailing Club, The Presentation Barbeque at the Club on Friday night, and, what we hope will be the social highlight of the week - Croquet Under Lights. Hoops will be lit with individual battery powered lights, and fun games will be played to the accompaniment of music and pizza. Should be a lot of fun.
Introduction To Croquet - is a six week course of 2 hour lessons conducted at Taree Croquet Club for members of U3A - (other interested new players are of course welcome too). After an introduction of the basic skills, we move straight into Aussie Croquet. Faults, measuring in, has the hoop been run?, peeling, and other details are taught on the run, on the lawn, as the situation arises. Later sessions include croquet strokes - rolls, splits, take offs - just for the experience at this point, and Golf Croquet. Both games are played as a tournament over the last two weeks, scores are recorded and certificates and trophies (Minties) awarded.
Third term coaching will be Golf Croquet - Skills, Tactics, Rules and Handicaps, or From Aussie To Association, depending on the interest of the potential participants.
Mid North Coast Croquet District - This is made up of four clubs: Forster, Gloucester, Port Macquarie and Taree. During the first half of the year the clubs compete in a round robin of Doubles Days. Two games of Handicap Doubles Association, and six games of Golf Croquet Doubles are played in the morning, and again in the afternoon. An AC win is worth 3 points and a GC win 1 point. For this year's results see the Taree news on 23 May.
Jan Sage
Our lawn maintenance has been completed for the year and the lawn has recovered well although it doesn't like the extremely hot weather.
This year we have really started off with a bonus with a new member signing up for lessons. Wendy has watched us play over the past six months and has finally decided to join us. Like all clubs we are always on the look out for new members.
To round our club we have introduced Golf Croquet to our play and we are all enjoying it. We have had some of our members visit Muswellbrook Croquet club and more recently Maitland Croquet Club.
To encourage membership we have introduced a Country Membership for players who don't play at Miller Park often as they live to far away. It costs $20 per annum but gives full membership rights to those who take advantage of it.
I am off to play in -3 to +3 this weekend and it looks like there will be some class croquet played. After that Hobart here we come. How did one ever find time for work?
Geof McDonald
