Inaugural United States Croquet Association regional event features top players from throughout the state.
Peachtree Hills Place Croquet Club hosted the inaugural United States Croquet Association Georgia Cup Tournament on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23 for two days of intense croquet competition by top players from throughout the state of Georgia, several who are ranked amongst the best national players. The tournament, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead and TheKey, featured golf croquet and include players from Peachtree Hills Place Croquet Club and Lenbrook Croquet, Jekyll Island Croquet Club and Carroll County Croquet Club. Carroll County Croquet Club won the tournament with a combined score of 33 and Jekyll Island Croquet Club finished second.
“Croquet has been increasingly growing in popularity in the Southeast and Georgia, and we are thrilled to have a sanctioned USCA event recognize the high level of play that we have in this region,” says Peachtree Hills Place Croquet Club Chairman Bill Mullican. “We congratulate Carroll County Croquet Club on their win and appreciate all the players who joined us for the inaugural Georgia Cup tournament. Peachtree Hills Place Croquet Club looks forward to hosting again next year.”
The game of croquet is steeped in etiquette, including the tradition of practicing and competing in all white attire. Spectators from the participating clubs will be in attendance to watch the competitors expertly execute roquet and jump shots during play.
From casual play to competitive matches, croquet’s popularity is on the rise as Americans seek more outdoor social activities that promote a healthy lifestyle. Adding to the sport’s popularity is the multigenerational aspect as people of all ages can be competitive. Many golf clubs, resorts, and municipal parks have added croquet courts to the mix, as croquet is one of the fastest growing sports among active adults – second to pickleball.
But there is another side of croquet that is serious competition. Unlike the friendly backyard game of nine-wicket croquet, golf croquet uses six wickets and is the version of croquet that the USCA uses in tournaments. In golf croquet, players hit the balls through a series of wickets or hoops in a specific order. With each turn, each player gets one strike of the ball. The first player or team to go through all seven wickets or hoops wins the game. Men and women of varying ages compete in singles and doubles matches that require a combination of strategy and accuracy to emerge victorious.
In addition to the Georgia Cup Tournament, Peachtree Hills Place Croquet has plans for charitable exhibition games and tournament play with other teams in the near future. Additionally, Peachtree Hills Place is a host venue for the USCA High Performance and Talent Development Program, which is dedicated to improving the performance of US representatives in international team and individual competitions.
About Peachtree Hills Place Croquet Club
Established in 2019, the Peachtree Hills Place Croquet Club originated from the Peachtree Hills Place members’ collective passion for the game of croquet. Inspired by English country garden designs, the Peachtree Hills Place Central Courtyard features two TifEagle Bermuda grass regulation-sized croquet lawns – the only regulation-sized lawns in Atlanta. Open exclusively to Peachtree Hills Place members and their guests, the manicured greens are the perfect place for lawn sports and socializing while sporting croquet whites. Members enjoy private instruction from world-class players, competitive gameplay through Men’s, Women’s and Mixed matches, and casual, social gameplay at weekly Wine & Wickets gatherings. For more information, visit www.peachtreehillsplace.com/croquet-club.