Handicap tournament 10-11 September
Report by manager Geoff Strutt.
The weather was kinder than promised, but the entry was sparse - Deirdre Duggan, Gina Lewis, Mel Christie, Geoff Johnson and George Woolhouse being the outsiders in a field of 11.
T
he format was a Hands ladder (an Egyptian) with a knock-out embedded within it. This was not to the liking of some who preferred for there to be just one winner and therefore just one prize. In the end, the winner of the Egyptian was indeed the winner of the knock-out; but hindsight can be a very useful guide to planning. Experience applied next year will dictate a straightforward hands ladder with no embedding.
The no time limit/shortened games principle met with almost universal approval. This allowed 5 games for 5 players; 6 games for 6 players and one player achieving 7 games over the weekend - a total of 62 games being played altogether. Wharrad turns were applied to one game where one of the players had to get away on time; but even this proved unnecessary as the game was finished on the 12th Wharrad turn! Double banking was applied one occasion, for less than one game, to facilitate the mowing of lawns 3 and 4 on Saturday evening.
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he winner of the ladder was Geoff Johnson who won 5 out of 5 games with all his opponents making at least two hoops. George Woolhouse was runner-up in the knock-out and took the prize for the supplementary event.
Editor’s note: Quite apart from the play, the tournament was also noteworthy for the club’s further attempts to come to grips with the not-so-new mower. This resulted in mowing lawns 3 and 4 at a new low of 6mm on Saturday evening and lawns 1 and 2 at 7mm the following morning. 
Ladies of leisure: Deidre Duggan and Gina Lewis
Man of action: George Woolhouse
Geoff Johnson receives his prize from manager Geoff Strutt
© Wrest Park Croquet Club