Australian Open Doubles and Singles Golf Croquet at Cairnlea, May 2023

Pop Peterson and Dick Byres at Cairnlea.

I wanted to compete in the Australian Open Doubles and Singles for the 9 day tournament. I played in the Doubles for the first 4 days with Dick Byres. We both learned a lot and enjoyed it despite the freezing cold, wet and windy weather. The hoops were very tight and if we made an error, we were crucified! There were some excellent players and any games won were a bonus.

The weather improved for the Open Singles for the next 5 days although still very cold and breezy. The greens were very fast and I enjoyed playing new and better players, learning from their various tactics and strategies. I felt that by the end of the tournament, I had improved my game which was rewarding. There is no doubt that by playing better players your game gets better and you realise how much more it has to improve!

I would recommend it and loved watching the top players competing in the finals.

By Pop Petersen, Nambour. From the Croquet Newsletter, May/June 2023, page 20.