Cornwall Croquet Club

Sat 24 Aug 2013 - Faith Hoop and Hilarity Golf Croquet

The weather forecast was not good for the seventh annual competition; designed to get those new to the club to play with established members as partners, to enjoy a Golf-Croquet tournament and other competitions dreamt up by Ron, but also to meet other members of the club in a convivial atmosphere. However, the weather held dry for the day, although there was a chilly wind blowing from the North West that brought out the jumpers and cardigans. Everybody played three best-of-19-Hoops games, each over a period of 50 minutes, which gave them plenty of time to try their skills at Target Croquet, requiring a delicate touch with a mallet to land balls on a target whilst battling the slight slope on which it was laid out.

The second game was designed to develop the art of rushing/promoting another ball towards one of three hoops, set at various angles to the drive line so that various different scores could be achieved from wherever the driven ball ended up. The games were played by the same partners as in the main tournament, with aggregate scores counting. There was no restriction to the number of turns pairs could have throughout the day.

Meanwhile the Golf Croquet progressed, with great determination, in four blocks of 4 pairs (Making a total of 32 members taking part) with no teams emerging as Block winners until the final games had been played. The semi-finals were Jenny Burrows/Fiona Russell against Pam George/Sue Daw, and Margaret Read/Gill Clark against Peter Dexter/Jeff Smith, which were won by Jenny and Fiona, and Peter and Jeff.

The final was hotly contested: it took 12 minutes to run the first hoop and another 13 elapsed before hoop 3 was reached. However, things went a bit faster after that, with Jenny and Fiona leading by 5 hoops to nil and looking as though they would also run hoop 6. But Peter had other ideas and produced a Barnes Wallis jump shot from alongside the peg to win the hoop. He also produced a shot, from the North line to jump over an enemy ball and run on through hoop 7. However, his opponents were not fazed by his achievements and, although his team won another hoop, Jenny and Fiona went on to win by 6 to 3 when the clock called time.

Our President, Howard Rosevear who participated in the event, presented the prizes for the Target Croquet to Margaret Read and Gill Clark and for the Promorush to David Edwards and John Brown. A quiz was later won by Peter Dexter and Jeff Smith. Howard congratulated Jenny and Fiona as a formidable doubles pair as he presented them with the Trophy. Howard also thanked Ron for organising the event and all those who had helped in any way to make the day such a success. Ron pointed out that recently-recruited members had always been in the semi-finals and final. This year there were 3 in the semis and 2 in the final, which can only be good for the future of the club.


Howard Rosevear (President) presents The Trophy to Jenny & Fiona, winners of the Doubles


Doubles Final, Peter Dexter jumps hoop 5 with blue

Photos by Stephen Read