CROQUET NEWS:  Welches Resort will Host Wicket Good Competition

Croquet - Nine of the world's top-ranked players will go mallet-to-mallet in this free event

1 June 2006
The Resort at the Mountain, Welches, Oregon, USA
by Tim Stumm in The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon, USA

Think again.

For the past decade, Tremaine Arkley, a 65-year-old former U.S. champion and current Independence vegetable farmer, has been quietly pushing Oregon on to the sport's international radar. He's the founder and legs of The Resort at the Mountain Croquet Invitational in Welches, an annual gathering point for many of the sport's biggest names.

Fact Box

What: 10th Annual Resort at the Mountain Croquet Invitational Who: Croquet players from England, United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa Rank Player #1 Reg Bamford, SA #4 David Maugham, UK #6 Chris Clarke, UK #33 Peter Landrebe, AU #41 Mark McInerney, IR #43 Damon Bidencope, USA #53 Jenny Williams, NZ #55 Ken Bald, AU #82 Danny Huneycutt, USA When: Wednesday, June 7 through Sunday, June 11 Daily start time: 8 a.m.; four rounds per day with last round at approximately 3 p.m. Finals start Sunday at 1 p.m. Admission: Free Where: The Resort at the Mountain Croquet Courts, 68010 East Fairway Avenue, Welches. Phone: 503-622-3101. To learn more: The Highlands Croquet Club holds weekly matches at The Resort at the Mountain. Cost: $45, annual membership Contact: Patrick Sweeney, 503-310-3227

"It's one of the premier croquet events in the world," said Reg Bamford of South Africa, the current world champion and No. 1 ranked man. A four-time competitor at The Resort, Bamford is widely considered the Tiger Woods of his sport. He'll be vying for a $3,500 first prize against No. 2 ranked woman Jenny Williams of New Zealand and No. 4 man David Maugham of England [Chris Clarke]. Ireland [Mark McInerney], Australia [Ken Bald and Peter Landrebe] and the United States [Damon Bidencope and Danny Huneycutt] are also represented.

Altogether, $7,000 is up for grabs. Cash prizes are awarded for second, third and fourth places as well. Although the sum may seem like petty cash when compared with purses offered at most professional golf tournaments, it's the sport's largest prize. Most croquet tournaments reward only with hardware and demand entry fees.

"It's a small purse, but for croquet it's huge," Arkley said.

"Treated like kings"

To sweeten the pot, and make the tournament stand out even more, players are given travel subsidies. Upon arrival, they are picked up at the airport and escorted to The Resort where lodging and amenities -- including green fees on the adjoining 27-hole golf course -- are complimentary. Though it may sound like standard procedure for most superstar athletes, in croquet such pampering is a rarity.

"We're treated like kings while we're here," Bamford said. Everything, including the purse, is paid for by The Resort.

For the players, the tournament is far more than a vacation. The stakes are high.

Because of the high level of competition, the World Croquet Federation, the sport's governing body, keeps a careful eye on what transpires each year at The Resort. An especially strong or weak performance could show up on a player's world ranking, which the federation updates based on results of major events.

Unlike its backyard counterpart, competitive croquet is a game of strategy that requires concentration. One bad hit or a missed wicket could cost a player a game.

"People you are playing with will exploit any mistake you make," Arkley said. Most games last one or two hours. Each player plays four games a day. If they want to succeed at the level of play that's present at The Resort, they need to be "on" the entire time, Arkley says.

"It's exhausting when you're playing for a number of days," said Ken Bald of Australia. "Most people have no idea how much mental application is needed when playing at the top level."

The Resort's two fields are 35 yards long and 28 yards wide, standard dimensions for international matches. The game is played with round iron wickets that are driven 6 to 7 inches into the ground. Each one stands 12 inches high and is no more than 4 inches wide. On many courses, players have only 1/32 of an inch clearance for a ball to squeeze through.

"You have to have good aim and really hit it right. It can be very challenging," Arkley said.

Professional mallets can cost $100 to $300. Most players have more than one.

Except during the tournament, the Resort's croquet courts are open to the public daily. A $10 court rental fee includes equipment and brief instruction. Green fees are $7.50 per player per 90 minutes. For players wanting to play regularly, The Highlands Croquet Club meets weekly at The Resort. An annual membership is $45.

For spectators, there may not be a better chance all year to see the sport at its highest level than at The Resort invitational. From June 7 to 11, tournament play begins at 8 a.m. and lasts until 4 p.m. Sunday's best of three finals will be fully narrated, starting at 1 p.m.

"When you get the top players together playing for the biggest purse, it's bound to be a huge event," Arkley said.