Pendle June Advanced week-end 19/20 June 2021

June in Earby again delivers blue skies, freshly cut short parched grass (5mm) timed at 13 plummers, championship hoops set firmly into new holes, in short – perfect conditions for a croquet tournament over the weekend. Disappointingly only seven individuals availed themselves of this offer, so six games each beckoned (all-play-all).

The games were played competitively, some very competitively (with tight results +1).

The weather rules of Camelot came into play overnight – the heavens opened and it chucked it down while we enjoyed a ‘Normal’ Tournament Dinner and slept. Sunday dawned and the ground had absorbed every single drop, so all four courts were fully operational.

All things shake out, so by the mid-afternoon, the silverware could be presented:

Chris Clarke Bowl – Robert Essler
Jeremy Dyer Bowl- Steve Skelton
Overall Tournament champion (the David Openshaw Claret Jug) – Paul Rigge

National GC B Series – Pendle Round – Saturday 15th May 2021

This year, the series comprises of 24 rounds across the country with only 3 awarded to clubs north of the midlands. Our round, held this weekend, was the first of those. 

Despite the forecast (wet), players gathered from Leicester, Crake, Bury, Ripon Spa, Durham as well as Pendle’s own to complete for not only our tankard, but a place in the National Final at season end.

Play was organised into a single all-play-all block, and the players ‘peddled on’ impressively with the workload – the manager kept sending them back out to contest the next round as soon as a game score had been handed in!

At the presentation, the manager thanked the field for putting on such a strong show, some playing  in their very first tournament and noted that playing standard improved during the day as did the weather. The majority of scores being a tight 7-6 or 7-5. 

National points were earned by McCann, Leach & Daines but the Tankard and top spot was taken, by a very solid NW Federation member David Cornes.

Spring One Day Tournaments at Pendle 24/25 April 2021

Spring AC Day Tournament – 24th April
Another Covid Milestone passed this week – we’re now allowed to cater again, well outside dinning only, but small steps are returning life back to normal (ish).

The new flagged area was thus utilized as our ‘Beer Garden’ for both lunch & tea service for the lucky few who had pre-booked meals…- also back by popular demand was the pre-play Bacon Buttie service so well received in the Heaton Park days!

Association Croquet – ‘the game in decline’ – was fully booked, with entries from Fylde, Bury, Keswick, Southport and Pendle. The event was split into a Handicap Knock-Out and a ‘free-for-all’ Egyptian, playing a mixture of Handicap and Advanced formats.

The day progressed as expected with both divisions being won by competitors from a single club – Fylde Croquet Club – by players Lee Hartley and Phil Snowden. (Sure it’s just coincidence that Riggey had held his first coaching clinic at Flyde this Thursday).

Spring GC Day Tournament – 25th April 
Having swapped the days about from their Easter running order, it was the turn of Golf Croquet to use the Pendle Courts. The Manager was really disappointed with the number of entries – only two were non Pendle members, he thought Golf was popular, the weather was perfect so he was at a loss to understand so few entering.

Again the easiest play format to fill the day with play for the competitors was an all play all ’round robin’. The players chose to use the WCF Trial Handicapping method instead of ‘CA Extra Turns’. As Games were not being ‘carded’, play tended to be more adventurous – hoop 10 being scored from just north of C4 for example. Good to see.

Everyone managed at least two wins but two players dominated, winning six of their seven games each. It required Net Hoops to separate them, our own Karen Bamforth from Pendle took home the winners wine.