CROQUET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21774, 13 October 1932, Page 4

CROQUET

By Cups.

LOGAN PARK

The Logan Park Club was favoured with a line afternoon for* ita opening day last Thursday, when there were about 100 present. Mrs J. Lodger (president), in a few well-chosen words welcomed the visitors from sister- clubs, particularly those from Balclutha—a long way to come to wish a club a happy season. Mrs Rodger referred to the good work done by the committee and members of the club since its inception, and particularly during the past winter, when they had rallied round and by social functions raised enough to make considerable extensions to the pavilion and thus obviating the necessity of making further levies on the members. _ _ . . • Mrs Briggs, president 0.C.A., congratulated the club on its prosperity, an.; hoped the club would have many happy days on the lawns and in the, how coijimodious pavilion. She then made the mst hoop, and declared the season open, . . The president entertained; those present to - afternoon tea, during, "hidi, the birthday cake, given to the club .by the. expresident,. Mrs C. Stanley ..feinith, was cut,, and all, present .received,,a slice aim wished the club “good luck.’ .. Half-hour games were then arranged-for the visitors, the playing very well for the early season. Ip -the . evening < complimentary social was tendered, by the club to all those friends who had supported the social evenings during, the winter. This also proved a happy function. ■ _; V ..'. ... OPOHO After a rather threatening morning, the sun shone brightly for the, opening ceremony at Opoho on Satiirday. lheie was a good representation from all other clubs, and. in the absence of Mr Nicho (president). Mrs Hendra welcomed all friends to Opoho. lawns. She then re ferred to the progress the club had mad in the wav of lawiis. two. ful-sixed ones having been added during the last two seasons. She called on Mrs Briggs, presdent of the 0.C.A., to open the season. Before doing so, Mrs Briggs eongratuhted the club on having gone ahead-so nuickly in the matter of' lawns, which were an asset to the district; and hopec) their dub would grow, and '™ h ® d and all a Very happy croquet season. She then shot the first hall and declared the “S. spent, m various competitions, and, together with thei q>r ceeds from a well-stacked stall, the funds for the new lawns, were considerably augmented, BALMACEWEN The Balmacewen Club •has' the lmn°u'’ of being the oldest m Dunedin, and on Saturday,the lawns were »n Perfect condition. There was a good attendance ot visitors from sister clubs, and after Mi t> Ross (president) Had made «m,hrst hoop a. happy after,noorij was .spent in Leenl) contested competitions. , Mrs Briggs and Mrs Dalgleisli. or :”! le Otago Croquet Association, visited the lawns and wished the members a bappj 66 if is unfortunate that there appears to be no means of enlarging this dillis lawns —there is no better playing surface than Balmacewen in Dunedin—one might say hi oTago— -but with the introduction of club matches there is an outcry for.fi)d . sized lawns. However, m a recent edition of the English Croquet Associations, Gazette I notice that a trial • w being, given to the small lawns f°r weeWy club games, so it will probably, be on t a short time before Balmacewen. again be one of the big clubs of the citj the small, 'smooth' lawn being rprefeired to the larger paddock type.: ■ ENGLISH ASSOCIATE Referring to the English Association’s annual I was pleased to see that Mrs E. J. Simpson, who; by the way, is president, of the' Leith Club this year, has been elected a member of the'English Association There are a few associates in the northern .towns of; New Zealandbut I think Mrs Simpson is the only Otago lady, who has this distinction. MONTECILLO ;■ The committee of, the Montecillo Cluj? must have had a .special word with the clerk of the weather, for. after a downfour on Monday, and rather a threaten* fng morning. Tuesday afternoon proved fiim enough, to have outdoor compctiUon|. after the opening ceremony. Mrs, Reid (president), after Welcoming the_ um tors, including the- Mayor | (Mr K. a Black) and Mrs Black, gave a* hearty welcome to old and new. members of the club. , She referred, to the progress the club had made in two, yeai«, and thanked the City Council fat having allotted it such a fine patch of the Town Belt for its lawns. ~v ATI Mr Black congratulated the club on being the happy possessor of three tuu"ized lawns, a splendid pavilion, and all in beautiful surroundings.- and in wish n„ the club success Tie said that womeir mufet be better in health and spirits for having games of croquet in such pleasant. setti! Mr 8 ‘ Briggs, president of the 0.G.A., conveyed the association s best wishes to the club for a happy successfiil season. She congratulated the ehb on its progress so far, .and hoped that this year it would be able, to enter-a team in, the ■ interclub matched, as was the best means of improving t!ie standard of play. She then made the first hoop, aim declared the lawns- open, for , th « p ““S£After afternoon tea . had^: beem, dis. pensed Mrs O’Donnell,: Mrs .Ha)lldar, Mrs Cole and Mrs. M Donald gave a short exhibition .match which was very interesting, special interest, centreing on Mrs,Cole whoisa recent. arrival 'from the north, a 'umis bisquer, and though probably not yet quite in form, she played very attractive croquet. INTERCLUB MATCHES

Since the inception pf interclub matches the teams have consisted; of six playe™. This has often been a strain on clubs, six players of match play standard not always being available. Then again, playing nine games (i.c., three doubles and six singles, which is. expected 'if the weather’ holds fine) makes a long and often tiring day, which somewhat detracts from the pleasure of taking part in interclub matches, as it is not everyone who can spend the whole day on the croquet lawn. A suggestion was made by one club’s delegates last year that a team should consist of four players ot six, but this was not acceptable to the maiority of the delegates, - Here is an extract from a \Vellmgton letter dealing with this question, which may prove interesting, to players an general. Incidentally it maw be mem tioned that interclub matches have been in vogue for several years: hrora .November onward every Tuesday is interclub match day. The matches continue; until each club has played all other clubs'in its own grade, both at home' and nway. Grades are defined by bisques. A Grade four bisques and under,. Intermediate Grade 4$ to 61, B Grade 7 bisques and upwards." Clubs may enter as many teams as they wish to in each grade, but players cannot change from one team to another. A team consists of four players, two of whom play at home and two away.’ Another suggestion which was made at the last Otago Association meeting was that with the influx of new clubs and plavers the interclub matches might be divided into three grades. This, how* ever, was not considered advantageous. Perhaps when these suggestions come from another centre they might be found to be quite playable.