Dear all,
Thank you for entering the 2018 NZ AC Open Championships. Below you will find details of the formats and timings for all events together with an outline of some social functions. If you have any queries, please let me know.
Doubles
We have 18 pairs and will start with 3 blocks of 6 with 3hr time limits. Play starts at 8.30am each day and the entire doubles event will be played at United meaning that 2/3 of the games will be double banked. Two pairs will qualify from each block. The two block winners with the best records will receive a bye in the quarter-finals. Q-F and S-F will be single game with 3 hr time limits. The final will be best-of-3 and is likely to have time limits of 3/5.5/8.
Three block rounds will be played on Saturday and the final 2 on Sunday after which the knockout for both the main event and Plate will commence.
The Plate event will be single game k.o. with the 3 block thirds and the block 4th with the best record receiving byes in the last 16. Q-F, S-F and Final of the Plate will be played on Monday.
Singles
We have 38 entries and will start with 4 blocks (2x10 and 2x9) with 3hr time limits. Three rounds will be played each day Tues/Wed/Thurs after which the draw for the k.o. will be conducted at United using the Player Choice method. The top 4 players from each block will qualify for the k.o. with ties on wins being broken by net points.
Fendalton will be used as a satellite venue from Tuesday morning to Saturday lunchtime and almost all players will visit there at some point. Fendalton is 3km from United and takes 7mins to drive and 35mins to walk to.
The main event k.o. will start on Friday with best-of 3 matches and time limits initially of 3/5.5/8 hrs. If play progresses quickly, these time limits will be increased for later rounds. At present, I anticipate all matches to be double-banked apart from the final.
The Plate event will start on Friday morning with 4 blocks of either 5 or 6 players. These will be completed by Saturday afternoon after which the block winners will progress to the semi-finals which will be played single game. The final will be a best of 3 played on Sunday with 3/6/9 hr time limits.
For those players eliminated from the main knockout, CNZ has directed that a new event – the Bronze Medal – will be played this year. This will be a flexible swiss where you carry forward wins/losses from the main event. The top 4 players in this event on Saturday night will go forward to a single game knockout on Sunday. You will need to have played at least 5 games in order to qualify.
The Draw
The draw for both singles and doubles is now listed on croquetscores.com using the updated rankings after the Wellington and Vic Opens.
Details regarding order of play, byes and starting times, along with this welcome email will be posted in the commentary section of the NZ Open page on croquetscores.com. Please check this section for updates.
Double-banking and time limits
Due to lawn and time constraints, there will be quite a lot of double-banked timed games. If you believe you are likely to have to wait more than a minute for your double bankers, you may stop your clock – please remember to restart it!!
Practice
All players are entitled to 5 minutes practice prior to their first game of the day. During this time, hoops may be run, but only with strokes that would send the ball no further than 7 yards if the hoop was run cleanly. Players who have had byes first round and are due to play someone who has played a game may have 15 minutes practice. Players who have had a bye but have already played may have 5 minutes practice.
Balls
All balls at United are in matched sets. Please keep the balls on their original lawns.
Social functions
On Tuesday evening, all players, partners and hosts are invited to a BBQ after play at Chris and Jenny Clarke’s – 9 Sanctuary Gardens, Shirley (about a 12 minute drive from United). Please bring your own drinks.
On Thursday evening, all players, partners and hosts are invited after play to pizza, ice cream and a short croquet-themed quiz with spot prizes in the Rugby clubhouse at United. The player choice k.o. draw will also be part of this function. Cost $10 if you want to join us for food and the quiz.
BBQ sausages + onions will be available after play on Monday and the second Saturday at 5pm – price $2 each.
Cold soft drinks will be available from inside the fridge in the equipment shed – cost $2 each.
There will be a clubhouse fee of $5 per day for all players. Please pay this to the Manager on the first day you are present. Morning and afternoon tea will be included in this.
Lunches will be available at both United and Fendalton. The cost at United will be $10 per day. If all you want is one filled roll, these will be available for $5.
Please can you reply to this email indicating whether or not you are likely to purchase lunches.

Kind regards,

Chris Clarke
Manager