Bribie Island's Community Challenge raises $1,800 and enrols 14 in a learn croquet course

Come and Try session under the Play Croquet banner at Bribie Island (Bribie Island Croquet Club)

Bribie Island Croquet Club turned a Saturday of croquet into $1,800 for the town's Neighbourhood Centre Emergency Relief Service, and 14 newcomers enrolled in a 6-week course to learn the game, at last month's Community Fund Raiser Day.

The day paired a Come and Try session with the club's Annual Community Challenge. Ten teams played five 20-minute games each, with finalists playing six, in an event run by Lynne M that finished ahead of schedule despite close contests throughout. The Mahalo Misfits, a team drawn from local outrigger paddlers, came from behind to beat the previously undefeated Odessey team in the grand final for their second win in a row. The Bribie Racketeers earned a special mention as the only team to peg out in a game.

The Community Challenge entrants in front of the Bribie Island clubhouse (Bribie Island Croquet Club)

Around 40 players turned out across the ten teams. Morning tea, organised by Lynn K and Barb M, and the club's sausage sizzle kept the day running, and local businesses and representatives from all three levels of government contributed raffle prizes.

"The Community Fund Raiser is an important day for our club," said club president Joan Gleeson. "It is our way of giving back to the community who supports us throughout the year and helps raise our profile and standing within the community."

Winners the Mahalo Misfits with the Community Challenge trophy (Bribie Island Croquet Club)

The Come and Try session attached to the day proved just as valuable: 14 of the people who tried croquet for the first time signed up for the club's Community Coaching Course, a 6-week series teaching newcomers to play, starting Thursday 6 August.

The club also thanked the City of Moreton Bay for a Community Support Grant that funded a new self-propelled mower for its grounds crew.

July at Bribie

Bribie's golf croquet championships kept the courts busy through July. Val O'Connell won the Golf Novice Championship on 26 July, with Camilla Smith runner-up. In the Golf 10 & Over Championship on 25 July, Helen Taylor took the title 7-5 over Sandra Edwards with a winning shot that jumped over her opponent's ball. Neville Taylor won the Golf 7-9 Championship on 5 July, with Don Bailey runner-up.

Golf croquet at Bribie Island (Bribie Island Croquet Club)

Dennis Green won the club's own 6 & Under Championship on 4 July, with Steve Bickley runner-up. A week later the wider 6 & Under Golf Tournament on 18 July drew visiting players, with Gordon Giles of Wynnum Croquet Club taking the title over Kevin Milner of Eurora Club in Victoria.

Elsewhere, Bribie fielded two of the four finalists at the Headland Cup doubles on 5 July — Steve Bickle and Jill Lenton against Dennis Green and Lyn Beh — meaning the club collected all the prize money on offer. Ian Carr was runner-up in Division 2 at the Gold Coast-Tweed AC Tournament.