Maleny's 'MaRainy' start, a musical mid-game break, and pennants season underway

Should we mention El Nino or will it start to sound like John Cleese from the Faulty Towers skit? It's probably best left alone saying that Maleny has lived up to its nickname of "MaRainy". Despite this, social play has been consistently well attended over the last two months with very few abandoned days though a couple have been shortened.

One of the more dodgy days was a Sunday in late February. Rain, heavy rain, was about for most of the day and yet three, one might say foolishly optimistic players in the form of Ken Barker, Dave Kerr and Wallace Roy, lined up to play as rain pelted down. Hoops were put in with play under looming skies about forty minutes late. Some beverages had been consumed in this period. Dave made a good start with a break of three and finally to hoop six, which was just as well because his partner, Ken, was dead weight, making only two hoops. Wallace came good mid-game to have a blinder towards the end when torrential rain decisively stopped play about an hour after they began. Great game. The photo shows Wallace air-guitaring while Dave is about to lip onto the imaginary bassoon for mid-afternoon entertainment. Eat your musical hearts out Swifties.

Pennants season has begun in the Sunshine Coast region. Maleny has entered two teams for Association Croquet, one in the Bray competition for players in divisions 3 and 4, the other in the Lochwood for divisions 1 and 2. We have also entered a team in the Ricochet croquet competition. The club has a strong commitment to interclub competition drawing much pleasure and gaining valuable experiences from the interaction with players from and lawns at other clubs. The attached photo shows Sarah Widin and Bill Habner signing off the official scoresheet for our match in the Lochwood against Caloundra.

Preparations are now nearly completed for the national golf croquet championships and the interstate shield for golf croquet which will be played in this region mid-year. We urge you to visit, either as a player or a spectator. It will be worth it.

Sarah Widin and Bill Habner signing off the official scoresheet for the Lochwood match against Caloundra.

By Ken Barker, The Range Maleny. From the Croquet Newsletter, March/April 2024, pages 29, 30.