Photo: Supplied.
CONTRIBUTED BY AINA JOHNS, WYNNUM CROQUET CLUB
Wynnum Croquet Club recently welcomed 32 players from across South East Queensland for a successful Gala Day, proudly sponsored by Renaissance Retirement Living.
The field included 16 Wynnum members, with visiting players travelling from the Gold Coast, Ipswich, and the Sunshine Coast to enjoy a day of friendly but spirited competition.
Unlike official tournaments, a Gala Day is designed as a fun social event. Players compete in a round-robin doubles format, divided into two blocks: Block A and Block B. Each partnership plays seven games, with the winners of Block A playing off against the winners of Block B in a final.
Play took place across Wynnum’s four full-sized croquet lawns. The objective in each game was for a doubles pair to be the first to score seven hoops. Games were limited to 45 minutes, creating exciting finishes as teams raced against the clock. In many matches, all 12 hoops could not be completed within the time limit, so the winners were determined by the pair that had scored the most hoops when time expired.
One of the unique features of the Gala Day is its random draw, in which each experienced player is paired with a less experienced player. This format encourages mentoring, teamwork and camaraderie while giving everyone an equal opportunity to enjoy the competition.
After a full day of closely contested matches, the overall winners were Pat Woulahan (Wynnum Croquet Club) and Greg Hay. The runners-up were Michele Reed (Twin Rivers Croquet Club) and Brian Tidmarsh (Wynnum Croquet Club).
Wynnum Croquet Club thanks Renaissance Retirement Living for its generous sponsorship and all competitors for contributing to an enjoyable day of excellent croquet, friendship and sportsmanship.
