ARCHIVES

ARCHIVES

GC Golf Croquet

GC Level Play League
results by year:
 

Manager's pre-season comments

 

Note: the New GC Handicapping System being trialled in the EACF region is mandatory for all GC League games.

2015 MATCH RESULTS - North & Central Area

Winner: Colchester

Results vs.: Colchester Ipswich Hunstanton Bury Newport POINTS GAME
DIFF
NET
HOOPS
PLACE
Colchester   11-7
[hoops: 102-92]
14-4
[hoops: 115-79]
13-5
[hoops: 106-71]
13-5
[hoops: 114-80]
8 +30 +115 1
Ipswich 7-11
[hoops: 92-102]
  17-1
[hoops: 123-66]
13-5
[hoops: 114-61]
16-2
[hoops: 122-65]
6 +34 +157 2
Hunstanton 4-14
[hoops: 79-115]
1-17
[hoops: 66-123]
  12-6
[hoops: 112-88]
11-7
[hoops: 109-97]
4 -16 -57 3
Bury St. Edmunds 5-13
[hoops: 71-106]
5-13
[hoops: 61-114]
6-12
[hoops: 88-112]
  13-5
[hoops: 114-87]
2 -14 -85 4
Newport 5-13
[hoops: 80-114]
2-16
[hoops: 65-122]
7-11
[hoops: 97-109]
5-13
[hoops: 87-114]
  0 -34 -130 5

Venues may be changed by mutual agreement. The Home team should arrange the match. Results to be reported preferably by text message to the League Manager immediately after each match, otherwise by email or phone within 24 hours.

Guideline dates for completing rounds:
Round 1 1 June
Round 2 1 July
Round 3 1 August
Round 4 1 September
Contacts:
Ipswich 01473 288448
Hunstanton 07753 279710
Colchester 01206 501895
Bury 01284 787728
Newport 01223 890041
2015 MATCH RESULTS - East & West Area

Winner: Watford

Results vs.: Watford Letchworth Northants Enfield Leighton Linslade Chelmsford POINTS GAME
DIFF
NET
HOOPS
PLACE
Watford   10-8
[hoops: 102-98]
11-7
[hoops: 104-80]
11-7
[hoops: 111-99]
10-8
[hoops: 100-95]
15-3
[hoops: 122-67]
10 +24 +100 1
Letchworth 8-10
[hoops: 98-102]
  13-5
[hoops: 115-85]
15-3
[hoops: 116-76]
10-8
[hoops: 108-96]
14-4
[hoops: 104-70]
8 +30 +112 2
Northampton 7-11
[hoops: 80-104]
5-13
[hoops: 85-115]
  13-5
[hoops: 113-87]
15-3
[hoops: 122-79]
9-9
[hoops: 108-92]
5 +8 +31 3
Enfield 7-11
[hoops: 99-111]
3-15
[hoops: 76-116]
5-13
[hoops: 87-113]
  14-4
[hoops: 116-83]
15-3
[hoops: 120-85]
4 -2 -10 4
Leighton Linslade 8-10
[hoops: 95-100]
8-10
[hoops: 96-108]
3-15
[hoops: 79-122]
4-14
[hoops: 83-116]
  13-5
[hoops: 111-95]
2 -18 -77 5
Chelmsford 3-15
[hoops: 67-122]
4-14
[hoops: 70-104]
9-9
[hoops: 92-108]
3-15
[hoops: 85-120]
5-13
[hoops: 95-111]
  1 -42 -156 6

Venues may be changed by mutual agreement. The Home team should arrange the match. Results to be reported preferably by text message to the League Manager immediately after each match, otherwise by email or phone within 24 hours.

Guideline dates for completing rounds:
Round 1 1 May
Round 2 1 June
Round 3 1 July
Round 4 1 August
Round 5 1 September


Contacts:
Northampton 01604 467780
Watford 01923 236068
Letchworth 07710 601584
Leighton Linslade 01525 839094
Enfield 020 8372 2943
Chelmsford & Bentley 01245 224059
Key:
Results vs.: Club A Club B
Club A   Club A - Club B score
Club A at Home
Club B Club B - Club A score
Club B Away
 

The matches shaded yellow are played at home for the team in the left-hand column.
So to read the table easily, (1) find the club in the left-hand column (in bold),
(2) read across to find its scores against each opponent as the first figure given;
(3) read across to find its Home games in yellow and its Away games in white.

2 points for a match win, 1 for a draw. If the overall number of points is tied then
the winner is determined by who-beat-whom, then by game difference, then by
hoop difference, then by other means determined by the Manager.


Final: played at Colchester on Sunday 18th October

2015
Final
2015
Winners
The GC Level Play
League Trophy
Click on image
for an enlargement
North & Central Area Colchester Colchester
10-8
East & West Area Watford
League Manager:
(Letchworth)
mobile: 07738 468980
home: 01462 635880

Colchester win the EACF Golf Croquet Level Play League

Colchester beat Watford 10-8 in a dramatic climax to the 2015 golf croquet season.

Colchester generously played host to the 2015 final (a venue fixed before the start of the season) on what for them was the last playing day before their autumn maintenance period. The lawns were green and played true, and provided a wonderful canvas for the day's croquet.

Watford, the East and West Area winners, fielded a strong team (Nick Archer, -2; Jason Carley, -1; Geoff Johnson, 1; John Bee, 4) and took an early lead by winning both doubles games. But Colchester (Chris Sheen, -1; Ann Brookes, 0; Rich Waterman, 1; Peter Kenward, 3), the winners of the North and Central Area, seemed to come into their own in singles play winning five of the first eight games to tie the match 5-5 at the half-way stage. There was much discussion as we paused for an early lunch on how the match would be resolved if tied at the end of normal play. I could also see one or two anxious glances at watches as rugby fans tried to work out if they would get home in time to catch the end of the Scotland-Australia match.

The next round went to form with Chris, Ann, Nick and Jason each winning their games. And so, as two weeks ago in the handicap final, the stage was set for a nail-biting finale.

First to finish was Rich Waterman who, in beating Jason Carley, saw his handicap change to zero; congratulations Rich. Nick Archer continued his good form by winning all four of his singles games. The match was again tied; 8-8 with two games out. Chris Sheen had perhaps his closest game of the afternoon as John Bee took him to the 13th hoop. But Chris had the advantage and eased Colchester into the lead: 9-8.


The players L-R: John Bee (W), Peter Kenward (C),
Ann Brookes (C), Jason Carley (W), Rich Waterman (C),
Nick Archer (W), Chris Sheen (C), Geoff Johnson (W)

All eyes on the last game out. Geoff leveled the game as he nudged his ball into the jaws of hoop 12. Two minutes later Ann placed her first approach shot 18 inches in front of hoop 13, but her angled shot could not quite run the hoop and she then had nothing to do but watch as Geoff had two unopposed attempts to jump to score the hoop, win the game, and tie the match. I positioned myself with camera in hand to catch the spectacular winning shot. But unfortunately for Watford, first the tight angle and then the range proved just too much for Geoff. Ann, playing a captain's game, took the hoop, the game, and the match. Ann told me later that she had thought she was playing to tie the match; the lunchtime discussion was still very much in her mind. It could have gone either way, but on the day Colchester had played the more consistent croquet (106 hoops against Watford's 89) and just had the edge.

Congratulations to both teams, but particularly to Colchester, the worthy winners!

There are many contenders for man of the match: Nick won all his games; Ann kept her nerve when it mattered most. But for me Rich Waterman deserves the title. Mostly for his beaming smile which lasted all day, but also for playing at his very best. He said with genuine modesty after a 7-0 victory that he had never played so well in his life, then turning aside "but I will need to play even better next game" (Nick Archer beat him 7-4).

Finally, I would like to pass on my thanks to Jason who set things up so well this year, and to all those many players who took part throughout the season in the Level Play and Handicap leagues and who made my job as stand-in manager so easy; thank you.

Report and photo by John Noble
Click on images for an enlargement

See also:

The New GC Handicapping System Trial
GC League entry form (DOC 37 kb)
GC League score-sheet (2 courts) (PDF 49 kb)
GC League score-sheet (3 or 4 courts) (PDF 52 kb)
Championship GC Masterclass
GC Handicap League
Previous GC Handicap league winners - all years
Previous GC Level Play league winners - all years

 

Golf Croquet Level Play League Rules – 2015

Print version PDF

  1. All games shall be level play and played under the current CA-approved Laws of Golf Croquet (NB: new 4th Edition, March 2014).
  2. Each team shall consist of four players, not necessarily the same players each match. The players shall be listed in order, first by lowest handicap and then by highest index, and doubles pairings should be be written down and exchanged between captains prior to start of play. The doubles pairs with the first listed player on each side shall play each other.
  3. No substitutes are permitted.
  4. No player may play for more than one team in a season. In the event of a violation all illegal games won by that player shall be forfeit to the opponent with a 0-0 hoop score, but all illegal games lost by that player shall remain valid.
  5. The start time of the match to be agreed by both team captains.
  6. The match shall consist of 2 doubles games and 16 singles games. Each Team member will play 1 doubles game and 4 singles games. Match total 18 games. (A team scores 2 points for a match win and 1 point for a draw).
  7. 13 point level play games will be played to a finish with NO time limit.
  8. In the case of a tie on points, then the winner of the Area Group is determined by the number of points against those tied; then if still undecided by the game difference in all matches, then by net hoops in all matches, then by other means determined by the Manager.
  9. Handicap Cards to be submitted to each Team Captain prior to the start of play. All handicap cards are to be up to date and verified correct by either the team captain, Club Handicapper or official C.A. Handicapper. If a player forgets their card they can verbally declare their handicap but must provide a copy of the card to the League Manager as soon as possible.
  10. Any number or size of lawns may be used. Adjust the format accordingly. Spread the play if the quality of lawns varies.
  11. Results are to be notified by the home Team Captain to the League Manager within 48 hours after the match, and a copy of the score-sheet must be submitted to the League Manager within 5 days.
  12. All block games not played by the cut-off date of 30th September 2015 shall be declared void and no points awarded.
  13. If a team cancels a match unilaterally less than 5 clear days before a scheduled match, that team forfeits its points and the non-offending team shall be awarded the match and 2 points.
  14. In the event of a dispute the League Manager's decision shall be final.
  15. All Singles results will be submitted to the C.A. by the League Manager so that they may be included in the national and international GC ranking calculations.

Final Round Play-Off

  1. To arrive at the overall league winner a Final Round will be arranged by the League Manager, the date and venue stated prior to the start of any league matches being played.
  2. If the match is drawn at the end of all games, Captains will choose any 2 players to play a deciding 13-hoop game. To determine who starts, all four players to hit one ball from the same boundary line across the lawn; whichever ball is closest to the far boundary line without going over it commences play.


Manager