Club takes game to extremes

TENSE MOMENT: Jenny Barns-Graham, watched by anxious teammates and opponents, plays the match-winning shot in the shootout of Barry Croquet Club’s extreme croquet teams tournament on Sunday. Picture supplied

EXTREME croquet came to Gisborne on Sunday as Barry Croquet Club staked its claim to be the first club to celebrate World Croquet Day this year.

Mainly a Northern Hemisphere celebration for the first week of May — the start of the summer season in that part of the world — Croquet Day normally receives little, if any, acknowledgement in New Zealand.

Many clubs are tapering off their club days at this time of year and some close altogether for winter.

But Barry Croquet Club plays all year. Gisborne’s standing as the most easterly city and the first to see the sun each day meant the club had the chance to be one of the first, if not the first, to celebrate World Croquet Day.

So the club held an extreme croquet teams tournament on Sunday, May 1, as its World Croquet Day activity.

Elsewhere, the day is being marked on Saturday, May 7, but Gisborne organisers decided to go ahead anyway.

Extreme croquet called for the design of a challenging but enjoyable course, more off the lawns than on. The course had not only the normal hoops spread along the way, but also obstacles such as ramps, tunnels, chicanes and hurdles.

Negotiating the obstaclesMembers were divided into four teams and then split into two groups who played with one ball each. Unlike standard golf croquet, all teams had to negotiate all the obstacles. Teamwork came into play because the groups within a team would obstruct the others, while at the same time trying to get ahead on the course.

In the first round Paul Stuart’s team of Joan Noble, Dave Newton, Rob Hayes and Rachel Rickard defeated Ross Thomson’s team of David McEwen, Richard Rice, Lois Hall and Rhonda Maloy.

John Wilson’s team of Jenny Barns-Graham, Maude O’Neill and Chris Newton defeated Andrew Rickard’s team of Betty Thomson, Faye Healey, Christine McCullough and Judy Wilson.

The final between Stuart’s team and Wilson’s team was close. At the call of time, the teams were even and remained so even after 15 extra minutes of play. A shootout was held to decide the winners. This meant each player had to try to run a ball up a narrow ramp and clear a piece of wood on the ground on the other side.

Coming off the ramp part-way up or hitting the wood on the other side was deemed a failure.

The task proved tough, even for experienced players. Eventually John Wilson and Jenny Barns-Graham scored the necessary points to take the title.

The day proved to be an innovative way for the club’s association and golf croquet members to mix, in an enjoyable tournament.