Wynnum Croquet Club: Challenge GC Doubles winners

Wynnum raffle prize winners

Smiling woman in a visor and blue-patterned shirt holding a wrapped prize basket indoors

hotos from Wynnum. The raffle prize winners!

Smiling woman with white hair and glasses holds a wrapped gift box in a clubhouse with wall plaques and a trophy

Smiling woman with short white hair holding a wrapped gift box in a room with trophies and notice boards

A smiling man in a white and maroon polo holds a wrapped prize near gold trophy cups in a clubhouse with wall shields

Wynnum lunch preparations and event sponsor welcomed

Two women preparing food and plates in a kitchen; no croquet equipment is visible

Ann Brooks and Beryl Russell preparing lunches.

Diana Kately introducing Michelle Steele, director of George Harnett Metropolitan Funerals, who sponsored the event.

Two women stand on a veranda beside a bowling green, with a man and another person inside a clubhouse behind them

Ernst and Spencer win third place play-off

Wynnum Croquet Club members playing croquet on the lawn

Play off for third were Lorraine and Barry Beattie vs Charlie Ernst and Gabby Spencer. Charlie and Gabby prevailed.

Three smiling people stand on a club veranda holding trophies, one woman in a red visor and top, another in a dark jacket, and a man in a white polo

Dennise and Werner win at Wynnum

Three people hold gold trophy cups outdoors near a clubhouse; the setting suggests a sports club award presentation

The winners Dennise and Werner, with presenter Michelle Steele, director of George Harnett Metropolitan Funerals, and runners-up Mary and Gordon.

Wynnum croquet club members with winners, runners-up and presenter Michelle Steele after a competition presentation

Winners' play-off: Borkhardt and Simmons v Mcmahon and Giles

The winners play off: Werner Borkhardt & Dennise Simmons vs Mary Mcmahon & Gordon Giles.

Winners' cups donated by George Hartnett Metropolitan Funerals

Cups for the winners donated by George Hartnett Metropolitan Funerals.

George and Len face Gordon and Mary in game one

Croquet players competing in a doubles match at Wynnum Croquet Club while a referee observes.

George and Len playing Gordon and Mary in game 1, with referee Deirdre Giles observing.

A man in white shirt and dark shorts holds a mallet on a green lawn, with colored balls and hoops visible

George Harnett Metropolitan Challenge GC Doubles at Wynnum

The George Harnett Metropolitan Challenge GC Doubles dished up plenty of heat, humidity and hard lessons, and George Nakhoul and Len Frankland met all three head-on.

George, a long-established member of Wynnum Croquet Club, teamed up with Len, who has been playing for just 10 months. Between them they brought 172 years of life experience, a combined handicap of 17, and a calm determination. Their opponents, some with a combined handicap as low as –1, made the task clear from the first ball struck. There was never much doubt about the scorelines.

Each doubles team played seven games in steamy conditions, with a light north-easterly making play a little more bearable. It was a demanding test of stamina and focus, and George and Len kept playing, game after game, knowing the odds were firmly stacked against them.

They didn't win a game, but they won plenty of respect. Tenacity, good humour and a willingness to compete no matter the challenge were on full display. Well done George and Len.

Players travelled far and wide for the George Harnett Metropolitan Challenge, from Byron Bay in the south to Hervey Bay in the north.

The ultimate winners were Werner Borkhardt and Denise Simmons from Byron Bay, who claimed the final victory 7–6 against runners-up Gordon Giles (Wynnum) and Mary McMahon (Southport) in a closely fought match that kept everyone watching to the last hoop. Third place went to Charlie Ernst and Gabby Spencer, who defeated Barry and Lorraine Beattie (Wynnum).

Off the courts, the tournament ran as smoothly as a well-struck roquet. Ann Brooks, our tournament providore, ably assisted by Beryl Russell, ran the kitchen with impressive efficiency and attention to detail. Pikelets appeared generously topped with jam and piped cream! All refreshments were very much appreciated. Thank you both.

Tournament Manager Dianna Kately kept the whole show on the rails, organising games and recording all 16 scores at the end of each game with helper Cheryl Rynga. That's 112 scores in total, no small task in hot, humid conditions. Well done.

Ensuring fair play throughout were Tournament Referee Deirdre Giles, along with Sue Green, Penny Jackson and Dot Davidson, all diligently refereeing and making sure the games were played according to the rules. A great job by the officiating team.

As always, a successful tournament is built on teamwork. From volunteers setting up the courts, arranging tables and seating, preparing food, organising games and collating scores, to those who stayed to pack everything away and return the club to "normal" ready for another play day on Tuesday, every contribution mattered.

Thank you all for making it such a memorable event.