Welcome to the Wellington Municipal Croquet Club
What’s On - December 2024
Year End Lunch, Club Competitions, Have-a-Go Fund Raisers, Wellington Open Championship
YEAR END LUNCH
A warm welcome to all members to play croquet and share lunch on Saturday 14th December.
The Golf Croquet Draw will be played as usual from 9:30 am
Lunch about 12:00 pm (please bring a plate)
The Association Croquet Draw will be played after lunch
And the usual feast was provided by our members, plus a floral centre piece using succulents from the club garden - thanks Yvonne and team!
CLUB COMPETITIONS
Most club competitions are well underway but there are still plenty of matches to play.
The GC Novice Singles and Open Advantage Handicap Doubles got off to flying starts with their respective mini tournaments in November. Both competitions are now in the Knock-out rounds with some semi-finals already played.
The GC Open Singles is well into the second round but the Senior and Intermediate Singles competitors need to get stuck in to their matches. Unfortunately the Gold & Silver Stars seem to have stalled with most Round 2 matches still to be played. Remember there is a deadline for completion of each round.
In AC, the Arthur Ross has been completed. Congratulations to Toby Garrison who will represent our club at the WCA play-offs.
Games in the Levels singles are progressing nicely as are the various handicap events.
Still lots to play - let’s get out on the lawns and play those matches.
HAVE-A-GO FUND RAISERS
Have-a-Go functions are well underway. By December 8th we had hosted 9 events, with another 6 to go before Christmas.
A very big thank you to to all those who have helped with the Have-a-Gos so far.
We could use a few more volunteers for the events still to be held. A schedule of the Have-a-Gos is up on the whiteboard. Please add your name on the days you can help. You don’t need to be there the whole time. It spreads the load if we have different people opening up and locking up.
Enjoying the occasion (and the weather) at a recent Have-a-Go
WCA WELLINGTON OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Wellington Club is hosting this prestigious event on behalf of the WCA from 27th-30th December. This year is particularly special as it is the 100th Open Singles Championship. We have entries from Auckland, South Taranaki, Manawatu, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Wellington and Nelson. Come and watch these top players show off their skills.
As always we’ll need lots of help with grounds preparation, hoop setting and catering. Details will be here and on the club noticeboard later this month.
Interclub
Congratulations to Ross Dalley and Mark Huttley who won this year’s AC Monday afternoon competition. Well done!
Our other teams in both the GC and AC Interclub had somewhat mixed results, but congratulations to all the players who gave it a go!.
Central Veteran’s GC Tournament
Our very own club members - Mark Huttley - was very successful at the Central Veteran’s GC Tournament held in the Hawkes Bay on 16th & 17th November. Mark teamed with a relatively inexperience player in the doubles which they won and then went on to win the Open singles without dropping a game. Pretty impressive!
What’s On November 2024
Have-a-Go Fund Raisers, GC Competition Entries, Novice Singles, Gold & Silver Stars, GC Doubles, AC Challenges. It’s a very busy month!
novice singles
The mini tournament was successfully completed over the weekend of 9 - 11 November in reasonable weather conditions. Congratulations to Alan, John, Leigh and Jan - the winners of each of the four blocks who are now facing off in the knockout competition.
Thanks to Janet for organising and the referees: Janet, Ross and Susan.
HAVE-A-GO FUND RAISERS
The first of our corporate Have-a-Go functions is scheduled for 19th November. May it be glorious sunshine like last year’s start. So far there are 15 bookings in the lead up to Christmas and a handful in January & February. As always we need lots of helpers to organise these groups - especially the large ones. If you haven’t helped before, please do this year - it’s fun. You set up the lawns, help the players choose mallets, show them the basics of the game, help them navigate their way around the hoops and get to share their food and drink. Those who have helped before, I’m sure will be keen to do it again.
A schedule of the Have-a-Gos for November and December is on the whiteboard opposite the clubrooms door. Please add your name on the days you can help. You don’t need to be there the whole time. It spreads the load if we have different people opening up and locking up.
GC COMPETITIONS
Hopefully we’ll have more luck with the mini tournaments this year! Entries for events 16 Novice Singles and 17 Open Advantage Handicap Doubles are now closed and the draws will be out shortly.
The Novice Singles (handicaps 10-16) starts with a “mini-tournament” on Saturday/Sunday/Monday mornings 9th - 11th November. Players will be organised into Blocks and play a round robin i.e. play one 13 point game - first to make 7 hoops - against every other player in the block. Block winners will then go into a knockout competition. Janet will be in touch with all entrants to organise the play for the mini-tournament.
There will be a similar arrangement for the Open Advantage Handicap Doubles (everyone can play). This event starts with a mini-tournament on the weekend of 23rd-24th November. These Blocks also play a round robin of one 13 point game. If you have any trouble working out your advantage handicap, or are confused about the number of hoops you have to play to win, ask a more experienced player. They’ll be pleased to help.
The draws are also up for the Open, Senior and Intermediate Singles and the Don Reyland Stars.
Lots and lots of matches to be played.
AC COMPETITIONS
The majority of draws are also up for these events.
The first round of the Arthur Ross Memorial Singles is well under way - well done! With the club competition needing to be finished by 31 December in time for the WCA play-offs in early January, we can’t lose momentum on this one!
The onus is on players to arrange their own matches, so grab every chance to get out on the lawns and enjoy some croquet.
NEW MEMBERS
Welcome to our latest new members Charlotte, Chris, Dave, Gary, Sandra, Gayle, Margaret, Mary, Ross, Stephen and Bruce - we look forward to seeing you on the lawns.
Congratulations to:
Ross Dalley & Mark Huttley - Winners AC Monday afternoon Interclub
Mark Huttley - Winner Central Veteran’s GC Open Singles
Mark Huttley & Partner - Winners Central Veteran’s GC Doubles
Ross Dalley & Tony Sutich - Winners Association Ferns Challenge v Waikanae
Ross Dalley & Tony Sutich - Winners Association Ferns Challenge v Paraparaumu
Toby Garrison & Harps Tahurangi - Winners Pollock Stars Challenge v Waimarie-Hutt Valley
Baubre Murray - Runner-up WCA Women's AC Open Singles
Graeme Fisher - Runner-up Gold Coast AC Men’s Open Singles
Mark Huttley - Runner-up Portuguese GC Open Singles
Contact
➤ LOCATION
160 Alexandra Road
Newtown
☎ Phone
Club Rooms 04 389 7071
✉ email
wellingtoncroquetclub@gmail.com
Club Hire
The club is available for hire for work or private social functions and celebrations.
For full details visit our Have a Go page
Tournament Entries
As well as our own club competitions, there are many tournaments held by other clubs plus regional and national events. We receive lots of flyers about these which are all displayed on our pin board.
Details are also in the year book - copies in the clubrooms - and on the WCA website link here
Covid-19 Policy
Please continue to follow the public health measures advised by government under the Covid Protection Framework when on Club premises, and take care of yourselves at all times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click the Index button in the footer below for the answers to your questions and more.