The 2024 Doubles Competition has been completed, with the final and 3rd rounds recently played. The results are as presented below. A big thank you to all participants for a well fought competition.
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| Des Pope & Graham Bender |
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| Ian McKenzie & Ross Smith |
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| Noelene Rawson, Charles Campbell, Tricia Shanks |
She's a soul so gentle, not at all judgmental.
To hurt an ant she'd never stoop, she only wants to score a hoop.
And when she does, she doesn't prance - Alibeth simple does a little dance.
Vale Alibeth, you are fondly remembered.
Round One of the 2024 Doubles Competition was played Friday 9th August.
This is a 13-point Handicap Doubles Competition. This year it is played in two rounds, with every pair contesting each other pair twice. Matches are timed at 50 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes, or one hoop, whichever comes first, in case of a tie. Extra Turns are given as calculated.
Despite the dark clouds we escape any rain and the day turned out perfectly.
12 enthusiastic players, having previously arranged themselves into pairs, were ready to start at 8.30am. Competitors included some of our newest players, including Ian and Ross playing as a pair, and doing very well (we'll keep an eye on them, I think).
Matches 1 and 2 were followed by morning tea, whereafter matches 3 and 4 were completed, before breaking for lunch. The 5th and final match was then played and we were able to go home around 2pm. Timing the games certainly makes it a less taxing day.
Round Two will be played on Friday 23rd, essentially repeating all matches. At the completion of both rounds, the top three pairs will play a 3rd round, as will lower three scoring pairs. The dates for the finals are yet to be decided.
The score situation, at the completion of Round One looks like this:
Quick Doubles has become a regular Easter Saturday Competition. Usually we only have 10 to 12 participants, but this year 16 competitively spirited wanted in. This made for a great day without too much pressure, since we could play in two blocks, fewer games and all be home for dinner.
Partners were drawn from the pool of high and low handicaps, which gave us an even and well matched battle scene, with two blocks each contesting 3 games Round Robin format, plus a semi-final between blocks and an overall Final.
The final battle was then set between Kate & Noelene and Ben & John, and after some exciting play by all concerned, the day ended with a win for Ben & John with 4 points to 2 points for Kate & Noelene.
Our AGM went smoothly and we welcome the new look committee. Well, not entirely new look, with there being no change of President, Secretary, Treasurer or Captain. But we added a few new faces with Graham Bender as Vice-President, and Committee members Tricia Shanks, Ian McKenzie and Wendy Starr making up the balance.
A number of sub-positions were also filled: Assistant secretary Ray Doyle, Assistant Treasurer Bryan Smith, Assistant Captain Tricia Shanks, Housekeeping Lillian Wallace, Publicity Bruce Seddon, and Grounds and Maintenance Graham Bender, Peter Clarke, Ian McKenzie, and Bruce Seddon.
The first Newsletter for 2024 #31 has also just been published. A copy can be downloaded here.
We wish everyone a great 2024. Hope to see some of you at our Easter Saturday Quick Doubles Competition.
The evening's entertainment featured a 20-question quiz with multiple-choice answers, where each table of 8 competed against one another. However, the highlight of the night was a series of poems with a croquet theme, written and recited by Charles Campbell. You can find all the poems on the Croquet Humour page.
In addition to the delicious food and enjoyable entertainment, the night also included awards and prizes. Each year, we recognize a number of members who have made a notable impact on the club. Award certificates, complete with fitting illustrations and citations, are presented to these individuals. The awards can be humorous or serious, celebrating any noteworthy action, event, achievement, or performance as determined by the committee.
This year, Graham Bender claimed the top honour with the highest number of points and an average game score of 5.9 hoops. Charles Campbell secured the second place with an average score of 5.7 hoops.
The club offers a variety of mallets for members to try out before purchasing their own. We have recently added six new mallets to our collection, ranging from 37" to 42" in length, to accommodate those in need of longer shafts.
These mallets, made by John Dunn of WA, are meticulously crafted and exceptionally affordable.
The mallet head is made of Jarrah, a South West hardwood, and is constructed from two pieces. The centre is lightened while the ends are weighted, allowing for a more accurate swing.
The pieces are securely glued and screwed together before being shaped and fitted with a handle made of Tasmanian Oak and alloy ends. The mallets are then weighted to perfection before the trim is added under the head. To ensure durability, four coats of marine varnish are applied, resulting in a beautiful, long-lasting finish.
All mallet heads have a dimension of 60mm square, but customization options are available for weight, head length, and handle length.
For those interested in purchasing their own mallet, John Dunn can be contacted at Abbey, WA 6280, phone 0418 440 603, or email johnd100@live.com.au.