GOOD MUSTER: Players from all over the province took part in the Bay Audio Handicapped Singles Tournament in Kaitaia last Friday.
GOOD MUSTER: Players from all over the province took part in the Bay Audio Handicapped Singles Tournament in Kaitaia last Friday.
Overcast skies, drizzly showers and even a very uneven and bumpy green could not spoil a great day of croquet at the Bay Audio Handicapped Singles tournament held in Kaitaia on the last Friday in November.
Hosted by the Kaitaia Croquet Club, the annual event was played over six smalllawns with players split into three groups of eight, each group identified by a colour, and everyone playing seven games.
A report from the event noted earning points for each hoop scored ensured that the competition was tight, while the handicaps applied meant games were even and fiercely fought. A full field of 24 participated made up of players representing clubs from all over the province and the end results were in doubt right up to the finish.
The top placegetters in each group were, Red section, seniors: Drago Yelavich (Kaitaia) 1, Peter Hartnall (Doubtless Bay) 2; juniors: Janet Sole (D Bay) 1, Kaye Bridge (D-Bay) 2. Blue section, seniors: Evelyn Christensen (Maungakaramea) 1, Godfrey Rogers (Waipu) 2; juniors: June Tafa (Waipu) 1, Margaret Kernot (Kta) 2. Yellow section, seniors: Brian Stitt (D Bay) 1, Gillian Bond (D Bay) 2; juniors: Clyde Wood (Kta) 1, Neville Miller (Kerikeri) 2.
The trophies for the overall points winners went to Brian Stitt from Doubtless Bay in the senior section, and Kerikeri's Margaret Lindsay in the junior section.
After awarding the prizes, hosting club president Drago Yelavich reminded everyone gathered in the clubrooms to approach organisers over any fine tuning they believed had the potential to improve the event format (as opposed to complaining later on). He also emphasised the importance for members to support other clubs' events in recognition of the effort players from outside clubs had made to travel to Kaitaia.
The raffles proved extremely popular and everyone seemed to win a prize. Organisers thanked sponsors while the afternoon tea was, as usual, delicious, as the day concluded, not surprisingly, in bright sunshine as conditions cleared.
