Well, really it's a GC November-December to remember, but you get the idea. Somewhere in the background the U.S. Open came off, but most of the action has been centered around the GC World Team Championships which took up a big chunk of the calendar for the past few weeks with two divisions (16 total teams). Egypt took Division 1 and Wales just wrapped up the Division 2 event with a 4-3 win over Belgium. You can read more about that one below and I especially encourage you to read the CAI (Croquet Association of Ireland) report.
From there the action rolled straight into U.S. GC Nationals which concluded this weekend. I think the biggest surprise is the lower than expected turnout at 21 players. The event has had it struggles for participation in the past, but had seemed to find a niche at Mission Hills, drawing strong numbers in 2010 and 2011. Still, the event was a shootout with a lot of strong play. You can get up to date with the stories below.
For USCA members, I can report that the winter issue of the USCA's Croquet News has been printed and should enter the mailstream today. It's tough to gauge the mail speed this time of year, but if all goes as planned, I would expect some members to see their issue by the end of the week. Enjoy your weekly headlines ...
» Rothman Rules USCA GC Nationals
12/12/12 06:34 from Croquet Network
RANCHO MIRAGE, CA -- Ben Rothman defeated Sherif Abdelwahab 7-4, 7-3 to take his second USCA Golf Croquet National singles title. He also won the GC title in 2010. It represents …
» Wales Takes WCF GC WTC D2 Championship
12/16/12 13:15 from Croquet Network
The Second Division of the Inaugural GC World Team Championship concluded in Cairo, Egypt. Wales took the championship 4-3 against Belgium, in a close-fought final to win the WCF Pyramids Trophy. The trophy was donated by the Egyptian …
» CCJ Golf Croquet Teams World Championship
12/13/12 16:30 from Croquet Association of Ireland
Tier 1 - Johannesburg, Nov. 25-Dec. 2, 2012 Simon Williams report on the Irish Team's experience at the CCJ Golf Croquet Teams World Championship in South Africa …
» Coaching Clinics – Policy & Procedures
12/14/12 23:22 from Croquetwest
The policies and procedures for arranging coaching clinics at clubs are not well understood. A document has been created to clarify the details. The document covers what the charging arrangements are for coaching clinics arranged through …
» England selections for 2013 Golf Croquet World Championship
12/09/12 18:00 from Croquet Association News
The following players have been selected to fill England's seven allocated places: Stephen Mulliner Jacob Carr Tim King Howard Cheyne Martin French John Spiers Nicholas Cheyne Tobi Savage has been selected as the first wild card nomination …
FROM THE FORUM
US GC Nationals Championship Singles
Ben Rothman defeated Sherif Abdelwahab 7-4, 7-3 to take his second USCA GC National singles title. He also won in 2010. It also represents …
US GC Nationals First Flight Singles
Cameron Evans out-dueled Nick Gray 2-1 to claim the First Flight USCA GC National Singles title. The 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 final was described as a …
US GC Nationals Doubles Championship
In doubles play, Ben Rothman and Sherif Abdelwahab defeated Leo McBride and Brian Cumming 7-4, 7-3 to claim the USCA Championship Flight …
GC WTC D2 - Open Thread
It's been a bit confusing, but I believe Division 2 is under way in Cairo. Scores reported on croquetscores.com: Wales 4, Scotland 1 Czech …
Social Media Smackdown
Croquet Network lives on three different social platforms -- Facebook, Twitter and this Ning site. Here's the scorecard for popularity: …
US GC Nationals Update
Posted by Ben Rothman on Croquet World Online: Championship Doubles:1 Rothman and Abdelwahab will play 4 Butts and Nikora who beat 5 Hendry …
CWO: San Francisco Club Lawn Battles Retold
A feature piece on the San Francisco Croquet Club's trials and tribulations working with a municipal park …
NCC Now Boasts 19 Courts
The Palm Beach Post posted an article on the 10th anniversary year of the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach: The National Croquet …
U.S. Open Update
Posted by Leo Nikora on Croquet World: Open Flight Blue Block (top five advance) #1 Ben Rothman (8 wins) #2 Leo McBride (7 wins, 149 net) …