Armed Croquet Player, but no bandits - Surbiton Easter Handicap
[<<] [>>] by Samir Patel
20th April 2003
(AC - Handicap)
With Surbiton's full complement of seven laws open, 30 players met for the first full strength Easter Handicap Tournament for several years. Handicaps ranged from two at -0.5 through to 14, with an average under 8.
Early play saw Sue Strong, Ron Sherwin and Jeremy Smith emerge as day one leaders, unbeaten after three rounds in unbroken sunshine. On day two, cooler weather and tricky conditions led to numberless peels with the least positive players reaching the final. Innovative tactics and stroke play from the finalists left the
spectators baffled, with a display of croquet starting with four balls on the lawn, then three, then two and finally one.
Having previously roqueted Saturday's lunch with a shotgun, Michael Hague saved his best croquet strokes until the second day's play, earning a silver merit award.
Samir Patel beat Ian Plummer +6 in the final.