News
Please allow your Webmaster to blow his own trumpet a bit, if rather asthmatically: he won the Fortfield Cup in the B level competition at Sidmouth this last weekend. A qualified victory as, having beaten the four better handicapped players, he lost to the two higher handicapped. Three players ended on 4 wins so decided on who beat whom. Must be more consistent!
Points victory in Longman Cup over Compton
Sussex County was represented by Captain David Gillett and team Chrissie Merrington, Richard Caroline and Steve Chapman.
Sussex led 2-1 at lunchtime but Compton drew level at 3-3. Chrissie Merrington won the deciding game by +3 on time to send Sussex into the semi-final against either Kington Langley or East Dorset.
Sussex team with 3 members of Compton team.
Dame Mary Berry to open the 2023 WCF Women’s Golf Croquet World Championship
The 2023 Women’s Golf Croquet World Championship is being held at Sussex County Croquet Club, Southwick, nr Brighton from 6th – 14th August 2023.
Dame Mary Berry has kindly agreed to attend the Opening Ceremony as Guest of Honour.
This will commence at 3.45pm on Sunday 6th August.
Play will commence on Monday 7th August culminating in Finals Day on Monday 14th August.
56 players from at least 16 countries will be competing to be the World Women’s Champion.
Egypt’s Soha Mostafa will be defending her title which she won in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand in 2019. Soha is one of at least 13 Egyptian players competing for the trophy.
Home contenders include Rachel Gee, Debbie Lines & Gabrielle Higgins. Rachel Gee is the current holder of the European Golf Croquet Championship as well as a previous winner of the Women’s World Championship. Debbie Lines is the current holder of the Association Croquet Women’s World Championship and Gabrielle Higgins is the current runner up in the same event. Other strong contenders include Jenny Clarke (New Zealand) and Judith Hanekom (South Africa).
Also playing is our very own Liz Farrow who has been awarded a ranking place. We shall be rooting for you Liz!!
The final places for the Championship will be determined by a qualifier which will take place at Compton Croquet Club, Eastbourne in the week prior to the championship.
Spectators are most welcome.
Entry to the Opening ceremony Free.
During the tournament: One day Entry Fee £10 or whole tournament pass £25 payable at the gate. (Children up to age 12 FREE, over 12’s half price).
Free parking available adjacent to the club in Kingston Lane, Southwick BN43 6YW.
Light lunches, refreshments and a licensed bar available throughout the Championship.
For further details visit the Women’s GC World Championship Website:
www.gcwomensworld2023.org
One-day GC doubles competition 14th July 2023
Full results
| A | B&RC | DK&RB | DD&MD | FB> | GD&LD | MF&PH | SA&VL | PB&RE | Wins | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob & Robyn Clark | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 1 | |||
| David King & Richard Brooks | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |||
| David Dickins & Martin Daniels | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | |||
| Fran Box & Graham Tucker | 3 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 7 | |||
| Gail Dowd & Liz Drury | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |||
| Margaret Funnell & Pat Harden | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | |||
| Simon Ancell & Vincent L'Estrange | 5 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | |||
| Paul Brown & Richard Ellis | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| B | BA&SC | DL&SR | FP&TJ | FA&PG | KY&VY | LG&LF | RW&TE | AS&PG | Wins | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Aikens & Steve Chapman | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 1 | |||
| Di Langridge & Sue Rice | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | |||
| Fiona Phillips & Tony Jolly | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | |||
| Francis Ainley & Paul Green | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | |||
| Konstantin Yudintsev & Victoria Yudintseva | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 7 | |||
| Linda Gavigan & Liz Farrow | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | |||
| Robin Wootton & Trish Ellis | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 8 | |||
| Andrew Stewart & Peter Goldsmith | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
MARTLET MALLETS
Following Sussex County Croquet Club’s success in selling second hand mallets the club are now offering a range of new mallets under the Martlet brand
PRICE: £245
Specification:
| Head length | 11" |
| Shaft lengths | 34” 36” 38” 40” |
| Various head weights available |
Available in dark & light hard woods the mallets are ideal for players of all levels.
Want to upgrade? - We can sell your old mallet
For further details and a personal “fitting”
email shop@sussexcountycroquetclub.org.uk
Sussex through to Longman Cup Semi Final
Congratulations to our team of Ray Hall, Simon Fenn-Tye, Chrissie Merrington and Steve Chapman who trekked to Ealing for us and beat them 5 / 2.
So we’ve made it to the semifinals. Fingers crossed for the next round.
Sussex beats Sussex in SECF Southern Challenge
It seems the Sussex A team were pretty much set to win the Southern Challenge Division 1 this last weekend, However, they lost in the final round to the Sussex B team 3-0, losing the top place by one game.
More retails on the Federation website in due course.
The event saw a welcome return of Bill Arliss to managing tournaments.
Message from Fiona
Thanks to those who have completed their matches by the date requested.
I see there are a few matches outstanding that should have been played by 1 July. Some I know are due to be played in the next few days but some are running behind. Please keep me informed as a decision will be needed if you are holding others up. fiona@sussexcountycroquetclub.org.uk
Handicap singles blocks in particular need to be played so the next round can be decided.
The next date for completion of rounds/blocks is 15 July for Chairman’s cup, Improvers, President’s cup
Remember if you are having trouble finding a lawn booking let me or Clive know and we will see if we can swop things around. The club singles sessions can be asked to give up a lawn for a match. Lawns are also often available from 4.00.
Fiona
Club competition secretary.
Two Sussex members in winners' line-up
The GC Open Championships were held at Sussex County in the week 20th - 26th June. Apologies for the late reporting on this event.
Two of our members were in the winners line-up: Richard Brooks won the Plate and Dominic Nunns won the Shield. Congratulations to them both.
There should be a full report on the CA website in due course.
Left to right: Richard Brooks, Robert Fletcher, Dominic Nunns and Jenny Clark, GC Open Singles Championship 2023 (photo by Chris Roberts)
Death of John Hobbs
Longer standing members of the club will have known John Hobbs as a talented maker of croquet mallets and many of us have owned a Hobbs mallet, and some probably still do; he was also a good player as well. Sadly he died at the age of 91 in early June.
There is an obituary on the Royal Tunbridge Wells Croquet Club website.