The NSW 3 and Under Single association croquet tournament was held on Feb 3 & 4. The event was heldat the NSW croquet headquarters in Tempe, Sydney in very hot and humid conditions. The field 16 strong and included several members of the NSW state team.
After finishing first in his block on Saturday, Mike Gidding from Ballina Croquet, went on to defeatStephen Pearce, Tim Murphy and in the final, Trevor Bassett to take home the title.
Mike Gidding accepting the cup after winning the NSW 3 & Under AC competition
Well done Mike!!
Bunnings BBQ preparatioon and teamwork
Mike giving Joe the finer points of croquet
Ballina Bunnings Christmas Fair - December 2023
Ballina Croquet had a successful night at the Ballina Bunnings Christmas Fair selling handmade Christmas decorations and demonstrating croquet. It is always a buzz to see the joy and fun children have playing croquet - skittling the dolls and running hoops. Lots of the children came back for repeated goes, making massive strides in their skills and enjoyment.
Ballina Croquet wins monthly Greater Bank Community Grants Program grant, October 2023. Members were delighted to be presented with the $2000 winners cheque by Tammie from the Ballina Branch of the Greater Bank. The Club thanks the Greater Bank for the Bank's very real contribution to community organisations. A wonderful program. Thanks to the Ballina Branch staff for their ongoing great customer service. Thank you also to members and supporters who voted for Ballina Croquet.
Mary and Sharon enjoyed catching up with players from other Northern Rivers Croquet Clubs at the Tweed Heads Croquet Club Shaw Memorial Spring Festival - Werner and Dennise, Byron Bay CC, Mary, Leonie, Bev and June, Casino Croquet Club. Mary and Sharon won their block in the doubles. Congratulations!
Bunnings Father's Day Event
A fun night at Ballina Bunnings at the Father's Day event on Thursday 31 August. The children loved knocking the dolls over using mallets and balls. Thanks to Bunnings for providing the prizes and the opportunity to showcase croquet as an inclusive game for all ages.
A busy last day of practice, training and come and try on Friday 1 Sept 2023 before the annual lawn repairs.
Karlye, Steven, Brett and Robert making the most of a glorious day before the enforced break. Askam and Kymbra with Michelle and Di from Bangalow CWA
Roz and Suzanne taking the lead with 2 visitors from Bangalow CWA
Dara with Loretta, Robina, Donna and Lyn for the last U3A class of the term. An enthusiastic group of students with great potential
CWA Bangalow members with Richard, Jenny and Liona
CNSW ADVANTAGE GC TOURNAMENT
Congratulations to members Margaret Mitchell and Sharon Daley (bottom left) winners of the doubles in the first CNSW Advantage GC Tournament. The doubles tournament was held at Ballina and Byron Bay on 28, 29, 30 June 2023. Also below (bottom right) some of the other doubles competitors Mary (Ballina) Gerd (Byron Bay), Wendy (Ballina), Geoff (Byron Bay), Margaret (Ballina), Stuart (Byron Bay), Sharon (Ballina), David TM (Cherry St), Jim (Cherry St), Simon (Coutts Crossing), Chris (Port Macquarie), Paul (Coutts Crossing), Pam (Maitland), Richard (Ballina). Congratulations also to Wendy Fryer and Mary Hughes who came fourth in the doubles.
Sharon topped off a very successful tournament as runner up in the singles, held on 30 June to 2 July 2023. Winner was Margaret Carwood, Maitland. (Below top left) Sharon in action in the final with her swag of scoring clips. She had to run 11 hoops in the 19 point final against Margaret who had to run 8 hoops. We were delighted to welcome Sharon Cadwallader, Mayor, Ballina Shire Council who came to see the action on Friday 30 June (Sharon with Catherine top right).
Advantage Golf
Ballina Croquet has been playing advantage GC in addition to usual extra turns and level play. Sharon Daley, the club GC Co-ordinator, has developed a score card to make it easy for players to score games. Sharon was also concerned that the clips attached to the centre peg and the advantage post were not easy to see for the players and spectators so she has developed scoreboards which are portable, easy to read, easy to understand and to use. Sharon's son Blake made the score boards. A great mother and son team!
1st scoredboard (legs are folded for easy carrying) - the top numbers are primary colours. Blue/Black starts on -1 and Red/Yellow 1. Second colours - Green/Brown start on 2 and Pink/White start on -1. 2nd scoreboard - B/K start -1 and R/Y 0, second colours G/B start on -4 and P/W on 2
B/K start on -1 and R/Y on 0; G/B start on -4 and P/W on 2
Competitors (including club member Mary Hughes, who won the Plate event) warming up before play at the inaugural ACA Ricochet Championships held at Tempe 14 to 21 April 2023. Congratulations to the winner of the singles Peter Freer - Canberra Croquet Club and the doubles Ray Chapman and David Scott - Ballina Cherry Street. (photo Petula Shun, Tournament Referee)
Ballina Croquet congratulates Alstonville Croquet Club on the the official opening of their Club House - 23 January 2023
A good turn out of local club members and the local State Member Tamara Smith who worked with the club to ensure the club got the necessary grants. Thanks to Ballina member Catherine for the gift for Alstonville. Tamara had a go running hoops with a Hoopmaker Mallet!
BALLINA BUNNINGS SPRING FAIR 10 and 11 September 2022
Two days of promoting croquet as a game for all ages and backgrounds. Many children came back again and again for a hit. A few even came back on Sunday to have another crack. Thanks to Bunnings for including Ballina Croquet in this wonderful, fun, festive community event.
CONGRATULATIONS to Ballina member Mike Gidding, runner up in the CNSW AC 3 and under event, against a quality field of current and former Australian and NSW state team members. Click on the link to read the story in the local paper, The Echo: https://www.echo.net.au/2022/02/croquet-in-ballina-is-on-a-roll/
Above - Mike with the winner Peter Landrebe
Centre - Mike preparing to run hoop 5
Right - Mike setting up a diagonal leave
NEW TO CROQUET OR INQUISITIVE ABOUT THIS FASCINATIONG GAME SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES AND PLAYED ALL YEAR ROUND - COVID SAFE
Interested to see what croquet offers click on the link below
If you want to try croquet click on the link below to let the Club know that you are interested in trying it out, group social event, or taking lessons
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_5Ay8F_paYsl58MzdZCvJU4vlcGA7uHCPPEkmKIicMQU87Q/viewform
Ballina Croquet Friendship Day, 85th Anniversary and Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea 28 May 2021
Members, guests, David Wright, Ballina Mayor, and owners of the fleet of historic vehicles. The historic vehicles were a highlight of the day and the club really appreciates the owners' time and generosity in attending a day of fun and celebration
Julie, Richard, Debbie and Mary in front of Ron Hambly's 1936 Plymouth ( the car is the same age as Ballina croquet)
Novelty games involved fierce competition!
Sandra (Alstonville Croquet Club), Debbie (Ballina) Daphne (Alstonville) and Liz (Ballina) suitably attired to celebrate the club's 85 years .
Ballina Croquet thanks local businesses - K Mart, Lighthouse Beach Cafe and Cafe Swish for their generosity in donating vouchers for the Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea raffle. BMT fundraising was just short of $1000.
Thanks also to LJ Signs for the banners they have produced and donated to the club (see below)
Barry and Mike (Ballina), Kevin (Alstonville) and Ray (Cherry St)
Thank you to Roz Glassop, a talented club member, who donated her original painting (below) - "A Windy Day in the Bush" for the Ballina Croquet raffle.
Neil and Margaret (Ballina)
One of 2 new banners supplied by LJ Signs, Ballina
( https://ljsigns.com.au ) Ballina Croquet thanks LJ Signs, a local small business, for their generosity in designing and making the banners as part of their wonderful sponsorship of our club.
Ballina Croquet Golf Croquet Championships - 2021
OBE Competitors Barry Brown, Dawn Fury, Ethel Hildebrand and Bert Carter. Judith Hodgson and Roger Barker also competed.
OBE winners Ethel Hildebrand and Bert Carter
Novice winner Barry Brown
High/Low Doubles winners Catherine Barker and Richard Hughes with runners up Mary Hughes and Richard Buxton
Div 3 winner Sharon Daley, runner up Debbie Jones
Div 2 winner Neville King
Div 1 winner and Open Singles Club Champion Mary Hughes
Ballina member wins Victorian Open Singles AC Championship 2020
Mike Gidding, Ballina Croquet member, winner of the Victorian Croquet Association Association Croquet Open Singles event played at Cairnlea, Victoria, Dec 2020 - Jan 2021 with the runner up Greg Hill and Mike Cohn, referee. Congratulations Mike. Previous winners are a roll call of distinguished players, including the world number one player of many years, Robert Fletcher, as well as Australian and State players. Click on the link below to access the Victorian Croquet Association Facebook page which has more photos and a very good summary of the tournament by Kevin Beard, former winner and Tournament Manager.
https://www.facebook.com/Croquet.Victoria/?ref=page_internal
Christmas Lunch 2020 at The Proper Cafe, Ballina
Two courses with a choice of Crusted Barramundi on Risotto or Chicken Leg on mash with vegetables for mains and for dessert Panacotta or Chocolate Cake.
Thanks to Margaret for organising the Lunch, creating beautiful door prizes and providing the delicious home made biscuits
COVID-19
Sunset from Debbie's balcony - Shaws Bay and the Richmond River
Dawn doing another tapestry
Julie and her Covid-19 quilt
Judy and Neville celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary at home.
Judy used this recipe with great success
Northern Rivers Presentation Day hosted by Ballina. Members from Alstonville, Ballina, Ballina Cherry St, Byron Bay, Casino and Southport attended for a day of celebration of GC, AC and Ricochet NRCA events. Despite the blistering heat members enjoyed games of GC in the morning, followed by the presentation of trophies to winners and runners up, rounded off by skills competitions. Thanks to Daphne Fulloon and Lorraine Beattie from Alstonville for all the work they did to get trophies engraved and results checked to make sure the presentation went well. Thanks also to Ballina members who provided the morning and afternoon tea and to Mary Hughes and her team who made the games successful!
Ben Franklin, MLC, presents Ballina Croquet with Premier's Rural and Regional Funds Grant
29 June 2018
The grant of $2950 is to purchase much needed equipment - 2 trolleys for the lawns, a laptop and Easy Scores software for tournaments. The Club is grateful for Ben's ongoing support and valuable representations in the grant process.
Welcome to Ballina Croquet.
We are an independent mallet sports club founded in 1936.
We play 3 days per week. Visitors and new members welcome.
Bunnings BBQ, preparation and team work.
Bunnings BBQ, preparation and team work