The Mission Hills Croquet Club in Ranch Mirage, CA has announced that it has submitted a bid to host the next MacRobertson International Croquet Shield in 2017. The bid must be approved by all four MacRobertson Shield countries. The United States has only hosted the event one previous time -- at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, FL in 2003.
Read MoreUSCA Croquet News Magazine 2013 Volume 3
The USCA's Croquet News Magazine Volume 3 for 2013 mailed out in December and has reached most members by now. You can also now enjoy the PDF version which is available in the member's section of the USCA website along with back issues all the way back to 2007.One advantage of the PDF is that all website and e-mail links are live, so if you see an interesting reference you can reach out right away. The PDF version is best viewed as "two-up" and "show cover page" if you want to see the full spreads (on your Adobe Reader top menu: View/Page Display).
This issue features articles on both the GC National Championship and the US Rules National Championship. You will also find an interview with Western North Carolina District President Michael Albert on the keys to the recent success with golf croquet in his district. And, there is coverage of the Solomon Trophy Test from August and an interview with Stuart Lawrence that sheds light on his experiences at the 2013 WCF Association World Singles Championship. Cheryl Bromley is our player profile and the usual line-up of columns and departments are on deck for your enjoyment.
Please continue to send your letters or questions to uscacroquetnews@yahoo.com so we can keep the "Inbox" page active and informative. Also note that due to the limited page space, brevity is greatly appreciated.
Hope your New Year is filled with plenty of croquet!
Best Regards,
Dylan Goodwin, Croquet News Publisher
USCA Southeast Regional Date Change
The dates for the USCA Southeast Regional Championship have been changed to June 18-22, 2014. The venue will remain the same. Details: http://croquet.ning.com/events/usca-southeast-regional-championship-1
Morning Coffee: MacRobertson Thoughts Day 3
It's a bit of a challenge to offer insight on an event half a world away, but it's still a good time to scratch out a few thoughts on the event:KUDOS FOR CNZ VIDEO
Daily video interview's from Croquet New Zealand. This is so long overdue for croquet. It's easy and it really gives everyone following a much better insight on the event. Well done for New Zealand. These videos have been shared in the Croquet Network video section. And yes, I do want this area to become the official collection site for web video on croquet.
2014 MacRobertson Shield: Team USA Preview
Doug Grimsley submitted a Team USA preview on the upcoming MacRobertson Shield World Team Championship. Also, check the Croquet Network Association Forum for updates and dialogue on the event.
The US team goes into the 2014 MacRobertson Shield tournament with three-and-a-half more years of experience, and a realistic chance to win their first Mac title -- or finish dead last -- that's how much the competition has tightened over the last few years. England has gone into the last six or seven Macs as
Morning Coffee: USCA Grand Prix Surprise
If you haven't dialed into the USCA Grand Prix race lately, you might be in for a bit of a surprise. Danny Huneycutt currently has 30,418 points to lead the race while Ben Rothman has second place with 27,280 points. That should change slightly as the Association Doubles National Championship results have not yet been submitted and Rothman took a win there with partner Doug Grimsley. However, it's unclear whether or not that would actually bump Rothman into first.
Jeff Soo Gets One for the Thumb
2013 USCA Association Doubles Champions
The 2013 National Association Laws Doubles Championship was completed at the
National Croquet Center just prior to Selection Eights on October 23. Ben Rothman and Doug Grimsley defeated Brian Cumming and Jeff Soo to claim their second straight doubles AC championship and fourth overall as a duo.
Due to excessive rainfall, the final was carried over from the main AC National Championship event that was held in April 29-May 4 at the National Croquet Center.
Survey: Croquet Network E-Newsletter Follow-up
Last month, several readers participated in a survey on the weekly Croquet Network eNewsletter (now closed). I am pleased to report that all respondents rated the newsletter as good (58%) or excellent (42%). Granted, the survey obviously would have been most likely to find current subscribers ... and well, readers that don't like the newsletter would have unsubscribed long ago, so you can assume the favorable rating is a bit skewed. However, I'm going to run with that stat for now.
Read MoreRothman Going For Singles Triple Crown
Ben Rothman at the 2013 USCA Selection Eights in FloridaRANCHO MIRAGE -- As the number one ranked player in the US, Ben Rothman certainly has his name all over the USCA Champion's page. In fact, he is currently in possession of all six major singles and doubles national titles for the USCA. But when the balls roll out for the 2013 USCA American Rules Croquet National Championship to be held November 11-17 at the Mission Hills