2007 National Croquet Day Winners

21 April 2008
United States Croquet Association, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
by Ron and Genie Hendry, 2007 National Croquet Day Co-Chairs

Thanks to everyone who entered the National Croquet Day (NCD) competition for 2007. We are ready to announce the following winners:

MOST EXPOSURE FOR OUR SPORT

The 1st place winner for this category is The Confederate Hills Croquet Club of Highland Springs, VA for hosting their July 7th National Croquet Day event, which included golf and regular 6-wicket croquet competition for new potential guests and club members. As a result we have 3 new USCA members. In addition the Club worked extensively in the area of croquet publicity and obtained the following excellent coverage results:

The June 2007 Richmond Magazine with 4½ pages of “A Wicket Good Time” along with 2 pages of photos and details of Croquet in the Commonwealth clubs;
Coverage in June 2007 FIFTYPLUS magazine “Croquet Reigns at Confederate Hills” with full page coverage, 4 color pictures and contact information;
Richmond Times-Dispatch July 2007 article “You can call it a fashionable sport” with 2 pictures and contact information;
Inclusion in the Henrico Citizen newspaper of their upcoming NCD event;
Worked with the County of Henrico Division of Recreation and Parks to include detail club info in their newsletter (Fall 2007);
Worked with the Richmond Chamber of Commerce on their new coffee table book “Celebrating An American Legacy” – A Photographic Journey of Greater Richmond, which was published in 2007. Croquet player Ben Spencer was selected for the cover collage and the club received a full page of coverage in this beautiful new book;
coverage for their annual tournament in The Greenbrier Magazine (Autumn 2007);
Channel 12, WWBT, NBC sent a reporter and cameraman to cover NCD and the segment ran several times on July 7th and was also carried on Channel 11, WRLH, FOX which uses the same news arrangement; and
Near their NCD event the club worked with Henrico County to be included on a DVD showcasing retirement pastimes. The club is featured with an 6-minute segment on croquet.

The Confederate Hills Croquet Club has done a wonderful job of showcasing the sport of croquet and continues to enjoy competition among their 23 members who all belong to USCA. They are under the leadership this year of Urchie B. Ellis (804) 272-5923 who you can contact for more club details. The 1st place award is a set of Willhoite Championship Xtreme croquet balls provided courtesy of Terry Willhoite of Willhoite Tools Company, Inc., Georgetown, KY and a set of K&E Plastics magnetic clips.

2nd place winner is the Useppa Island Croquet Club of Bokeelia, FL. In addition to holding a tournament including golf, 6-wicket and 9-wicket croquet, they went all out to expand their NCD event by hosting a golf croquet outing for middle schoolers. 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The youth played golf croquet and even designed their own logo for t-shirts and hats in The Middle School Challenge. Selected grownups were allowed to coach and teach. Parents became spectators and enjoyed watching the competition.

Club spokeswomen Ginny Armsler says “Useppa has begun a new tradition, and we old folks knew we had a winner when the next day, we saw croquet hats and shirts on fisherpeople in the Izaak Walton Kids Fishing Tournament.”

For expanding their NCD event and “Encouraging our youth”, the Useppa Island CC prize is a “Bob and Ted’s Break Play – What You Need to Know” DVD compliments of Bob Kroeger and Ted Prentis and a set of K&E Plastics magnetic clips.

3rd place goes to the Yacht & Country Club in Stuart, FL. This year their event was a “Wild Game” Safari extravaganza for 83 members and guests. One court was used for 5 safari-type games including a safari wheel. Prizes ranged from the “Elephant” – 2 drinks at the bar to “Giraffe” – reach out and kiss someone and everything in between. Their NCD prize is a set of K&E Plastics magnetic clips and USCA ball markers.

MOST CREATIVE

1st place goes to the Sarasota County Croquet Club of Englewood, FL who celebrated their NCD event on November 10th at Wellfield Park in Venice. Chairperson Gina Klotz and 21 of their club members welcomed 19 guests with several very interested players joining their club.

The club obtained press coverage in the following:

The November 3rd issue of the Englewood Sun with “This game is far away from your backyard”;
Same article appeared in the November 6th edition of The Venice Gondolier Sun; and
full page coverage with 2 pictures featuring player Ray Stoy in the North Port Herald with “Six-wicket croquet is a sport for all ages”.

In addition the club also prepared a large display board detailing differences between the game we knew as children and the game of croquet today. For all their NCD efforts, the Sarasota Club will receive a set of Sunshiny croquet balls courtesy of Genie & Ron Hendry and a set of K&E Plastics magnetic clips.

2nd place to Sandhill Cove Croquet Club of Palm City, FL who offered Olympic theme games to help enhance the croquet skills of their 14 new croquet players. All the residents were invited to join with the croquet members to learn the “fastest growing sport in the United States.” Gold, Silver and Bronze medal were awarded to the Grand Champions. 2nd place award is a DVD titled “USCA History” donated by USCA and a set of K&E Plastics magnetic clips.

3rd place award goes to Audubon Croquet Association who hosted 24 members and 11 guests at the Audubon Country Club in Naples, FL on November 9th. Special guests were Club Board members and wives along with Club management including the Golf Pro and Greens Keeper thus exposing a variety of folks to the sport. The day began with skills practice and technique review before the golf and 9-wicket competition. Club Pro Fred Jones will follow up with more intense lessons for those with a croquet appetite. The Audubon club will receive set of K&E Plastics magnetic clips and USCA ball markers.

CHAIRMAN’S AWARD

“SPIRIT OF CROQUET”

The November 10th NCD event was hosted by Hammock Dunes of Palm Coast, FL, which welcomed over 60 participants and friends from 5 different clubs, Cypress Village, The Villages, Winter Park, Fleet Landing, and St. Simon’s Island. The day began with Croquet Olympics, where participants tested their skills and ended with games of golf and 6-wicket croquet. A $20 entry fee to cover lunch and prizes also resulted in a $250 donation made to the USCA in recognition of their 30th anniversary of the American 6th wicket game, a true testament to their “Spirit of Croquet”.

This club has grown from 29 to 67 members in 2007, all of which belong to USCA.

Following up from their success in 2006, Hammock Dunes hosted a 2007 “camp” for the next generation. Attendance at this year’s event grew to 93 with 19 members of the Club participating as teachers and guiding the children for 3 croquet activities. The players were all enthusiastic and well mannered and listened to directions very well. On the last day croquet buttons were awarded for their participation.

Dorthy Fosse states “This was a huge success again and not only did the children show a great interest, some of their parents also were enthusiastic about the sport. Overall Hammock Dunes hopes they have inspired the young, old and in between to enjoy the sport of Croquet.”

For their continued efforts to promote & encourage the “sport of croquet” AND their recognition of the 30th anniversary of USCA, Hammock Dunes will receive a full one-year paid subscription to “The National Croquet Calendar” courtesy of Publisher and Editor Garth Eliasson and two sets of K&E Plastics magnetic clips.

Honorable Mention certificates go to:

Bald Head Island CC – Bald Head Island, NC
Houston CC – Houston, TX
McCall CC – McCall, ID
Niagara-on-the-Lake CC – Ontario, Canada
Royal Palm Yacht & CC – Boca Raton, FL

CONGRATULATIONS to our winners and thanks to all of those who entered the 2007 National Croquet Day competition. We encourage you:

to work with your local media to educate their readers & viewers about this fast growing sport;
to encourage our youth – our sport’s future and;
to work & gain NEW members for USCA in support of our sport.

We especially say ‘THANKS’ to our prize sponsors. Please support them when buying croquet supplies!

Pete Broderson, K&E Plastics, Inc. service@keplastics.com (802) 375-0011

Garth Eliassen, “The National Croquet Calendar” eliasssen@ados.net (503) 838-5697

Bob Kroeger usca@msn.com (561) 478-0760

Ted Prentis usca@msn.com (561) 478-0760

Terry Willhoite, Willhoite Tools Company, Inc. willtool@aol.com (502) 863-1623

USCA Office, usca@msn.com (561) 478-0760

We look forward to working with all of you for our 2008 National Croquet Day events.

Pictures from 2007 National Croquet Day

Confederate Hills Country Club in Mechanicsville, Virginia
Sarasota County Croquet Club in Sarasota, Florida
Audubon Croquet Association in Naples, Florida
Yacht & Country Club in Stuart, Florida
Useppa Island Croquet Club in Useppa Island, Florida
Sandhill Cove Croquet Club in Palm City, Florida
Hammock Dunes in Palm Coast, Florida
Niagara on the Lake Croquet Club in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada
McCall Croquet Club in McCall, Idaho

Members of the Confederate Hills Country Club in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Photo courtesy of Richmond Magazine.

Display board that welcomed guests to the Sarasota County Croquet Club in Sarasota, Florida.

Players gather for play at the Sarasota County Croquet Club in Sarasota, Florida.

Play at the Audubon Croquet Association in Naples, Florida.

Yatch & Country Club
One of the Yacht & Country Club's most impressive signs at the entrance to the croquet court set-up for safari croquet in Stuart, Florida.

An excellent picture showing all the safari games at the Yacht & Country Club in Stuart, Florida. Take note of the helium-filled balloons along the fence and on the wickets.

Safari croquet at the Yacht & Country Club in Stuart, Florida.

Bill Hagan, master craftsman of the games construction, and Arnie Seesholts, chairman, who has been on safari for many days at the Yacht & Country Club in Stuart, Florida. Ugh! Get a razor.

Donna, Kathleen, Michael and Linda at Useppa Island Croquet Club in Useppa Island, Florida.

Sweet victory at Useppa Island Croquet Club in Useppa Island, Florida.

Champion Karen Albert at Useppa Island Croquet Club in Useppa Island, Florida.

Useppa Island Croquet Club's new champ in Useppa Island, Florida.

Eddie and the croquet mobile at Useppa Island Croquet Club in Useppa Island, Florida.

Ginny Amsler gives Sumwalt Award to Lily Greer at Useppa Island Croquet Club in Useppa Island, Florida.

Middle School Challenge players & coaches at Useppa Island Croquet Club in Useppa Island, Florida.

Naomi learns a new sport at Useppa Island Croquet Club in Useppa Island, Florida.

The flyer announcing the event at the Sandhill Cove Croquet Club in Palm City, Florida.

Grand champions at the Sandhill Cove Croquet Club in Palm City, Florida. Left to right: 2nd place is Stefan Gavell, 1st place is Bob Glinick, and 3rd place is Claire Merkel.