welcome to
NELSON BAY CROQUET CLUB
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Nelson Bay Croquet Club has been established for 27 years. It is located in the Blue Water Paradise of Port Stephens, just north of Newcastle, NSW. Membership is open to all who are interested in the game, and visitors are warmly welcomed.
Members play all the three internationally recognised forms of Croquet – Golf, Ricochet and Association. The Club plays both social and competitive games five days each week on four professionally maintained full sized courts and has a small clubhouse on-site. We also have an active program of social events.
Playing schedule available here:
NEWSLETTER
We need YOUR help!! If you have items that need to be communicated to other members of the Club, please e-mail them to David Wilson at David_Wilson@internode.on.net
Also, if you have photographs of members and/or Club events, please e-mail them to Karen Lilly at chaz.kaz@bigpond.com
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
CLUB COMPETITIONS IN 2023
The dates for club competitions in. 2023 are as follows:
Winter Doubles
Thompson Trophy
• A Grade
• B Grade
• C Grade
Ricochet Knock-out
Spring Singles
Blowes Shield
President’s Cup
Sunday 28th May
Sunday 25th June
Sunday 23rd July
Sunday 20th August
June/July
Sunday 17th September
Sunday 15th October
Sunday 29th October
LATEST NEWS
DIVISION 3 STATE PENNANTS FINALS - TEAM BIRUBI
Monday 22nd - Wednesday 24th May 2023
Toronto Croquet Club
The Division 3 qualifying competition was closely contested with Nelson Bay and Pelican Croquet Club finishing equal on top with 6 contests won with 1 lost and 16 matches won with 5 lost .... but Nelson Bay were placed 1st on the basis of 36 games won and 14 lost versus Pelican's 35 games won and 16 lost.
The final was also closely contested with three of the five teams finishing level at the top, winning 3 contests and losing 1 – Marrickville, Nelson Bay Birubi and Wollongong. They were placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd on the basis of matches won - Wollongong 1st with 9 matches won, Birubi 2nd with 8 wins and Marrickville 3rd with 7 wins.
A great result for the Birubi team to finish runners-up. The team comprised Barry Elliott, Les Guzowski, Ralph Harrison, Allen Lees and Marty Quirke .... with Tony Knife filling-in for one qualifying contest.
Team Birubi
WORLD CROQUET DAY
Saturday 6th May 2023
The Club celebrated World Croquet Day with a BBQ and Social Croquet. 25 members enjoyed the great weather to play friendly games of croquet before gathering under the new roof to partake of BBQ fare and a wonderful celebratory cake
Thanks to Social Secretary Faby Batho for organising the event and baking the cake.
Faby with the cake
Members enjoy the BBQ and cake
AUTUMN SINGLES
Sunday 30th April 2023
The Club’s Autumn Golf Croquet Singles were played on Sunday 30th April 2023. The competition was open to all members and 10 members entered: Gary Allen, Faby Batho, Barry Elliott, Marion Graff, Jan Marshall, Brenda-Lee Peet, Rod Peet, Jan Puckeridge, Marty Quirke and David Smith.
The players were split into 2 blocks of 5 players with all players playing 4 games in a round-robin first round – the winner of each block playing a final. The games were handicap play, 13-point games with a 50-minute time limit.
Both blocks were tightly contested with players in each tied on number of wins. In Block A, Gary Allen finished on top on hoop count-back from Brenda-Lee Peet. In Block B, Faby Batho finished on top on hoop count-back from Marty Quirke and David Smith. Gary won the final 6-3 over Faby.
Thanks to Club Captain Rae Uptin for organising the event and to Trevor Black for refereeing.
Barry Elliott plays Jan Marshall
Brenda-Lee Peet plays Jan Puckeridge
THOMPSON TROPHY NOVICE GRADE
Sunday 16th April 2023
The first Nelson Bay Croquet Club major championship of 2023, the Thompson Trophy Golf Croquet Novice Grade for players with handicap 14 or greater and no competition win, was played on Sunday 16th April 2023. 10 members entered: Bev Apps, Faby Batho, Chris Bult, Marion Graff, Anne Jensen, Jan Marshall, Kath Orton, Jeff Pettifer, Vivianne Pitt and Rosemary Taylor.
The players were split into 2 blocks of 5 players with all players playing 4 games in a round-robin first round – the winner of each block playing a final. The games were level play, 13-point games with a 50-minute time limit.
Play started in light rain but this soon cleared to perfect conditions for croquet. Despite the “novice” status of the players, the standard of play was exemplary and many of the games were closely contested. All players managed at least one win.
In Block A, both Faby Batho and Jeff Pettifer won 3 games each, with Jeff topping the block on hoop count-back (+3 to +2). In Block B, Jan Marshall won all 4 games to finish top with Rosemary Taylor a close 2nd with 3 wins. The final was a tight affair with Jeff hanging on to win 4-3 over Jan.
Thanks to Club Captain Rae Uptin for organising the event and to Trevor Black and Barry Elliott for refereeing.
Club Captain Rae Uptin presents awards to winner Jeff Pettifer and runner-up Jan Marshall