12th WCF World Association Croquet Championship

Introduction

The World Croquet Federation (WCF) has awarded the hosting of the 12th WCF World Association Croquet Championship to the United States Croquet Association (USCA).

The winner will receive the Wimbledon Cup.

The event will be played from Saturday 9th to Sunday 17th May 2009 in West Palm Beach, Florida with the centrepiece at the National Croquet Center's 12 lawns.

Additional matches will be played at The PGA National Club (5 lawns), The Beach Club (3 lawns) and The Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club (2 lawns).

All the clubs are within easy commuting distance of each other and Palm Beach International Airport.

Event Organising Committee

Stewart Jackson (Chairman)
Archie Peck (Vice Chairman)
Jim Taylor

Anti-Doping

At this time, neither the WCF or USCA are signatories to the World Anti-Doping Agency Doping Code.

No testing will take place at this Championship.

For further information on the WADA Doping Code see the WCF Anti-Doping page.

Playing Conditions

The Championship shall be played in accordance with the Laws of Association Croquet, 6th Edition, under Law 36 Advanced play conditions, as amended from time to time, and the WCF Sports Regulations as amended from time to time.

Dawson 2000 balls will be used.

Play will commence each day at 08.30hrs and will continue until dusk which is approximately 20.00hrs. At this time floodlighting is not available at the venues but this is being considered. Players must therefore be prepared to play under floodlight 's conditions at the Tournament Manager's discretion.

Entry Fee

The entry fee is yet to be set for this event. For guidance the fee for the last event was £60 (GBP) per player.

Further details will circulated in due course.

Players

Allocations will be made in late 2008.

Venues

Transport

The main local airport is Palm Beach International Airport served by many carriers.

Other airports in the locality are:-

Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport

Miami International Airport

Palm Tran offers a bus service to every corner of the county. It provides an efficient and inexpensive public transportation operating 7 days a week.

Tri Rail, South Florida's commuter rail service, offers convenient, comfortable and affordable travel from Palm Beach County to Dade County, also operating 7 days a week. It also connects the three airports listed above.

There are many rental car firms in the area. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a corporate partner of the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and Institue, offering discount rates to all major sport groups that choose the conuty as its destination.

Palm Beach County has twp major expressways, I-95 and the Florida Turnpike, running north-south throughout the County.

Accommodation

West Palm Beach (closest to NCC and more moderate pricing than Palm Beach).

Palm Beach

Further Away

Qualification Tournament

Details of the Qualification Tournament will be announced in due course.

Passport and Visas'

All Travel into the USA requires a passport and possibly a visa, although many countries have a visa waiver programme.

This is a changing situation and those intending to play or visit the event from foreign countries, should log on to the USA Department of Homeland Security web site for their current entry status and documentation requirements.

Those that require a visa are encouraged to make early application.

After the event and upon leaving the USA, ensure you return the Department of Homeland Security Form I-94 (white) or Form I-94W (green) Departure Record in your passport, at the port of exit.

If you returned home with your Department of Homeland Security Form I-94 (white) or Form I-94W (green) Departure Record in your passport, it means that your departure was not recorded properly. It is your responsibility to correct this record. You must provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with sufficient information so they can record your timely departure from the United States. This will close out your earlier record of arrival to this country. Failure to do so automatically means that you may be recorded as overstaying without permission and future entry to the USA adversely affected.

Day Trips

With over 47 miles of white sandy beaches, Palm Beach County offers every conceivable amenity.

40 cultural venues, 5 major shopping malls, 2,400 restaurants, 1,500 tennis courts and over 160 golf courses.

Here is an inexhaustible list of some of the more popular attractions:-

Shopping Districts

Worth Avenue

Atlantic Avenue

City place

Clematis Strreet

Downtown at the Gardens

Mizner Park

Shopping Malls

General Information

The event will have an opening and closing function including the official awards ceremony.

Social Functions will be arranged.

Further details will circulated in due course.

Climate

South Florida's tropical climate is unique to any other region in the USA.

The average temperature for May is 78F (25C) with a monthly average rainfall of 5.39 inches. (13.7 cm)

Media Releases

20th August 2007

The World Croquet Federation (WCF) has much pleasure in announcing that the United States Croquet Association (USCA) has been awarded the hosting of the 12th WCF World Association Croquet Championship.

The event will be played from Saturday 9th to Sunday 17th May 2009 in West Palm Beach, Florida with the centrepiece at the National Croquet Center’s 12 lawns. Additional matches will be played at The PGA National Club (5 lawns), The Beach Club (3 lawns) and The Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club (2 lawns).

All the clubs are within easy commuting distance of each other and Palm Beach International Airport.

The event was previously hosted by the USCA in 1992 in Newport, Rhode Island.

There will be an expected entry of up to 80 of the world’s top players in the main event.

President of the USCA, Richard Curtis said,
"The USCA is excited to be hosting the 2009 WCF World Association Croquet Championship once again. This is one of the premier croquet events in the world and we are looking forward to welcoming the top croquet players from around the globe to the Palm Beach area. With matches at the National Croquet Center, PGA National, the Beach Club and the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, there will plenty of action for croquet fans and the weather and many attractions of South Florida should provide much enjoyment for the participants."

President of the WCF, David Openshaw commented,
“I am very pleased that the USCA has put forward a successful bid to hold the Association Croquet World Championships in 2009. We really appreciate their commitment and enthusiasm to hold such an event. I am sure all other member associations and players will join with me in saying thank you to the USCA.

I know that the players will appreciate playing at the venues in Florida. The Golf Croquet World Championship and the MacRobertson Shield have already been held with great success at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach.

We look forward to a very enjoyable event in May 2009”.

Further details of the 12th WCF Association Croquet World Championship will be released in due course.

Note to Editors:

1. The current World Association Croquet Champion is Reginald Bamford, South Africa who beat Robert Fulford, England at Cheltenham, England in August 2005. He will be defending the “Wimbledon Cup” in Christchurch, New Zealand at the 11th WCF World Championship which takes place from 2nd – 10th February 2008.
2. The USCA was founded in 1977 by five original clubs, largely through the efforts of Jack Osborn, its first president. It is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year and has grown to more than 250 clubs throughout North America, including Canada and Mexico.
3. The forward schedule for other key Association Croquet World events is as follows:-

2nd - 10th February 2008: 11th WCF World Championship, Christchurch, New Zealand

July / August 2010 MacRobertson Shield, England

2011 / 2012 WCF World Championship (preferred bidder Australia).

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