Croquetwest

A busy weekend around the traps with the traditional Albany Valentines Tournament taking place locally, and the ACA President’s Eights being held at both Cairnlea and the Northern Tasmanian Croquet Centre.

Albany Valentines Tournament

22 pairs contested the event over the weekend in two blocks of 11.

• Winners: Steve Syme & Lyn O’Reilly
• Runners Up: Brian Uren & Anthony Nelson

Full results on Croquetscores.

Also, check out the Gomme Park Facebook page to watch the winning hoop.

ACA President’s Eights

The Golf Croquet President 8’s tournament was held over two venues; Launceston and Cairnlea. Forty-five competitors took to the courts over three days with the following players winning their sections.

First 9:                 Robert Fletcher (Vic)

Second 8:            Barry Haydon  (SA)

Third 8:                Andy Barbero  (Vic)

Fourth 8:             Greg Bury  (Qld)

Fifth 8:                 Ethan Gumbrell (NSW/ACT)

Sixth/Womens 8: Kaye Molyneux (Vic)

These players demonstrated exceptional skill and performance during the tournament. Congratulations to all the winners and competitors.

Results can be found on CroquetScores HERE

Upcoming Events

Expression of Interest – GC Selectors

Keep up to date with all the results on Croquetscores.

The first and second eights is being played at the Northern Tasmanian Croquet Centre, home to both the St Leonard’s and North Esk Croquet Clubs. The centre has 8 courts and a lovely clubhouse with views of the entire playing area.

You can find live streaming of the event on Jamie’s YouTube channel. Today’s stream has a distinct WA flavour with coverage of games from Brett, Chris and Torben.

Very briefly, what is Ricochet?: It’s a croquet variation, devised in the 1980s by a South Australian, to bridge the gap between Golf and the more complex AC. Like AC, and as opposed to Golf, the aim is to progress each of your balls independently through each hoop in turn and then hit the peg. This is achieved through earning extra turns by making an initial roquet, earning you two extra turns and enabling you to continue to roquet, position and make sucessive hoops by judicious placement of each ball. The winner is the first to take both of their balls through all hoops and onto the peg (or make the most hoops in a timed game).

What skills are needed? That’s the beauty of it – golf players already have all the skills required – roqueting, positioning and making hoops. No new shots to learn. You just need to get your head around a ‘matrix’ approach (traversing the lawn in various directions) as against the usual ‘serial’ approach (all heading for the hoop in play). You’ll be helped in this by your doubles partner providing advice and tactics. Because of this team approach it’s not unusual for a relative newcomer to join up with an experienced player and actually win a competition. Incidentally, if you want exercise, playing just two short (14 point) games can gain you around 8000 steps.

What is the challenge? Like golf it’s a game of options, so choosing the best option and executing the shots which will make you a hoop and put you in a good position to make more (making a ‘break’). (How good is it when you can position your ball in front of a hoop and then have anoher shot to make the hoop – instead of being whacked to the boundary?) For AC players, the challenge is in having to achieve the same objective as for AC but without the benefit of the precise two ball control provided by the ‘croquet’ shot.

Why not try it and see for yourself?

Peter Hamilton

Entries are now open for the ACA GC Open and Doubles events.

Closing date for entries is the 18th April.

Bethwyn was a long serving member of the Victoria Park Croquet Club .

Holding many official positions and helping to steer the club through the difficult move from the old Victoria Park site to the new joint venture with the Higgins Park Tennis Club. (Pictured below with Karen Vernon, Mayor of Victoria Park and Higgins Park Tennis Club President Matthew Bates.

Whilst not destined to be a stellar player, she contributed to the pennant teams of both Victoria Park and the Marauders.

Her forte was to manage events and in addition to running tournaments for her own club, she was instrumental in runningsignificant events for both Croquet West and the ACA .

Bethwyn also took on the role of Croquet West President for a single year back in 2015, at a time when filling positions was proving difficult.

Always willing to help, she will be missed by the Croquet fraternity.

Many thanks to Peter Hamilton for compiling the following:

Where can we play Ricochet here in WA?

Several WA clubs have Ricochet regularly scheduled on their weekly calendar and players can again look forward to State Championships this year.

Visitors are welcome at all clubs. Make contact first, to establish current timing green fees etc.

Como: Currently alternate Fridays with Sorrento to provide North and South of the river options for players from any club.

Contact: Peter Hamilton – Mobile: 0431 992 279 or e-mail: peterhamilton@iprimus.com.au

Sorrento: Host alternate weeks with Como but also play at home each Friday for members who do not wish to travel away from home.

Contact: Terry Craddock: Mobile: 0411 827 815. or e-mail:

Dunsborough: Play Thursdays at 9:30am;

Contact: Wendy Collins: Mobile: 0429 115 499

York: Play Thursdays at 4pm (in Summer) Timing flexible, lights available for night play.

Contact: Dorothy Bull: Mobile: 0407 082 557

Geraldton: Planning to re-start in February on Fridays.

Contact: Kay Chynoweth: Mobile: 0407 196 621

We’d love to hear of any other clubs playing, or wishing to introduce, this fascinating format of our game.

Contact: Peter Hamilton – Mobile: 0431 992 279 or e-mail: peterhamilton@iprimus.com.au

Forthcoming Tournaments:

WA Ricochet Doubles Championship: Dunsborough: March 9th & 10th 2024

WA Ricochet Singles Championship: Como: August 31st & September 1st 2024

National Ricochet Championships: Hervey Bay. Qld. July 15th – 21st 2024

Ricochet in the Eastern States…

The code has been popular over East for many years with these recent numbers:-

NSW 25 Clubs, 250 players;

QLD 35 Clubs, 450 players !

VIC just starting to develop – about 70 players.

SA & TAS ???

Members from Drakesbrook, Pinjarra, Byford and Halls Head got together yesterday for a fun session with many taking part in their first ever tournament at Halls Head.

Drakesbrook Waroona won narrowly from Pinjarra.

Winner of the Individual prize was Liz Nicholas from Pinjarra, with Maureen from Drakesbrook as Runner Up.

Fantastic to see so many players out there having fun.

Latest Handicaps – 29th January 2024

This release includes:-

B Grade Pennants – 2023   finishing   29 Nov 23

C Grade Pennants – 2023   finishing   28 Nov 23

5 Nov 23         Moorabinda Country All Stars – 2023

10 Nov 23       Halls Head – Parry Shield/Parry Cup – 2023

30 Nov 23       Dunsborough Handicap Singles – 2023

4 Dec 23          Geraldton Handicap Doubles – 2023

16 Dec 23        Gosnells One Day Singles – 2023

17 Dec 23        Gosnells One Day Singles (Sunday) – 2023

17 Dec 23        Vic. Park One Day Singles (Sunday, Higgins) – 2023

Plenty happening around Australia this weekend but at home, all our attention was on the Australia Day Singles at Nedlands and our clubs who celebrated Australia Day in their own unique way.

Australia Day Singles – Nedlands

A large field of 12 contested the event this year.

• Winner: Matin Clarke (win number 6)
• Runner Up: Jeff Newcombe

Full results on Croquetscores.

Celebrating Australia Day

Sorrento Croquet Club

Cambridge Croquet Club

Victorian Open Singles

Belmont’s Brett McHardy made it into the final on Sunday and from all accounts, it was a great match. “The game was fantastic – strength vs consistency. You would have love it.”

• Winner: Elaine Cloverdale
• Runner Up: Brett McHardy
• 3rd: Owen Dickinson
• 4th: Damien Hatfield

Full results on Croquetscores.

Upcoming Events

GC Country Singles A & B Grade.

On the same weekend, the GC State C Grade Singles will be held at Higgins Park.

Nedlands is once again hosting the annual AC Australia Day Singles. This event was first played in 2005 when won by Marty Clarke. Along with Jeff Newcombe, they have each won the competition 5 times.

Follow the results on Croquetscores or better yet, head down to Nedlands to watch the best in action.

List of all previous winners.

Seeing most of the state team will be participating today, it seems a good opportunity to give an update on my quest of locating State Team photos. In addition to the new ones discovered, we have mangaed to replace some of the black and white photos with some colour ones.

Recent additions

1996 Supplied by Jeff

1995 Supplied by Jeff

1983 My earliest and located yesterday in an old Gazette magazine.

I have now set my sights on finding something for 1984, 1986 and 1994.