Recent News and Articles

Snake Doubles Championship Pits 15 Teams Against Each Other

A Tribute to George Dej

Croquet Canada was saddened to hear that Georg Dej passed away on Sunday October 5, 2025 after a lengthy illness.

Georg was a long-term member of Croquet Canada who in 2015 became a director and then secretary until his term ended in 2019.

He was very diligent as an active and reliable volunteer worker for the betterment of Croquet in Canada. He had his own set of hoops, balls and mallets and would happily set up an introductory class at a local lawn bowling club for anyone who showed interest in the game.

He was always helpful and encouraged young players to keep improving. Through Georg, John Richardson says he had the opportunity to teach croquet to young kids over several summers at the Cricket Club where Georg was a member. He also oversaw updating CroquetScores and conducted Golf Croquet clinics before tournaments for eager learners. Georg contributed to the Player of the Year and Club of the Year selection. Georg was tournament director for the Golf Croquet Croqcan tournament hosted annually by the Cricket Club in Toronto.

The Falling Leaves Tournament Golf Croquet tournament was initiated by Georg, as a beginner and intermediate tournament held annually.

Georg, along with his wife Joyce edited the E-mallet, a periodic email newsletter to members. Joyce continues to be editor of the Croquet Canada Facebook page and has been a great supporter of Georg’s work and croquet in general.

In his career Georg has witnessed Canada’s international presence and local programs continued to grow. For those who may not be aware, we now have more applicants for both Association Croquet and Golf Croquet World Championships than ever before.

Canada has achieved significant milestones, including winning Gold at the AC Team Worlds Tier 2.2 and, more recently, Silver at the 2025 Golf Croquet Team Worlds Tier 2. Croquet Canada now boasts several outstanding players and many others steadily improving. We believe the welcoming, enthusiastic atmosphere Georg fostered continues today—with increased local and international player participation.

Our condolences go to Joyce and her family and members of the Cricket Club where both she and Georg have been long-time members. 
​North Toronto Croquet’s John Miles Wins the Falling Leaves Tournament

The Falling Leaves Tournament returned on October 4, 2025, at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club after a two-year hiatus. This long-standing event, launched in 2003 by George Dej, was created to provide a sanctioned forum for novice and intermediate golf croquet players. The 2025 edition carried special significance — continuing the proud legacy that George and Joy Dej began over two decades ago. This year the tournament was set up as a half-day event, best of 7 hoops and 30-minute games. Traditionally it was a one-day sanctioned tournament played to the best of 13 hoops with a one-hour time limit per game. The tournament director was Ken Forthum.

After the block play, players were separated into Championship, First Flight, and Second Flight. North Toronto Croquet’s John Miles went undefeated in block play, as did Lance Newman, who represents both North Toronto and the Toronto Cricket Club, and both ended up in the four player Championship flight.

In the Championship Flight semifinal, John faced Lance and prevailed with a 4–1 victory. John went on to the finals, winning decisively with a 4–0 score to capture the 2025 title. Lance played for third place and was also successful in his playoffs.
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This victory was particularly meaningful for John, who finished runner-up in both 2019 and again in 2021.
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Note: ​After the article was written we were advised that Georg Dej had passed away. He was a dear friend to many and contributed to the Canadian croquet community for decades.
The Quebec Open

It was sunny, it was rainy, but the mood was always bright at the 2025 Quebec Open tournament held Sept. 5- at the Westmount Croquet Club in Montreal.

For several years now, in order to meet the growing interest in golf croquet, Westmount has offered two tournaments in one.

Under the guidance of tournament director Andrew de Courcey-Ireland, both lawns were busy, one offering golf croquet, the other association.

The competition was keen with upsets and close calls.

In association play, long time tournament winner Brian Cumming was upset in block play suffering a rare defeat but obtained revenge in the finals, winning the championship in a best of three games, two straight against Jim Wright. Jane Beharriell captured third place.

On the south lawn, croquet newcomer KS Tsang of the North Toronto Club in a nail biting final against Chris Olsen took the GC Championship in two games straight. In doubles, George Claffey and Greg Gelgor were the top team, winning the doubles championship.

And there was more than just croquet! Food to feed the hungry players! There was a steak BBQ at the club Saturday evening. This was followed by a salmon and pasta creation from the enthusiastic chef at the Hillside Tennis Club. Then everyone dug into the famous Montreal smoked meat sandwich lunch back at the Westmount club on Sunday, rounding out the weekend. No one went hungry! Nor thirsty!

Thanks to all the volunteers led by TD Andrew de Courcy-Ireland for all their hard work in making this year another successful and memorable Quebec Open.
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Jim Wright
jdepwright@gmail.com
Team Canada competes August 5-10 at the World Croquet Federation Golf Croquet Team Championships. From left to right,  Amr Hamdy, Adam Barr, John Richardson and Hesham Elzoghby represent Canada in England. Check croquetscores.com for results as they happen.
Winners of the Founder’s Cup at the Bayfield International Croquet Club, July 17-19, Michael Albert and Arlene Parker.
Adam Barr Defends His Title at the 2025 Canadian National Golf Croquet Championship
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From July 10–13, North Toronto and Lawrence Park croquet clubs hosted the 2025 Canadian National Golf Croquet Championship, welcoming 26 players from 15 clubs in England, USA, Egypt, Spain and Canada. 
With top players competing in both Championship and  first Flight divisions, the tournament delivered four days of exceptional play.

Adam Barr  successfully defended his national title, solidifying his standing as one of Canada’s finest croquet players. In the First Flight, North Toronto’s KS Tsang captured the First Flight title, while Nancy Crouch captured the Plate.
Block play in the First Flight was shared between North Toronto and Lawrence Park, while all finals were held at NT. It was a warm stretch of days, but that didn’t stop players from delivering some of the finest croquet seen in recent years. 
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A touching moment occurred on the first day when players and volunteers gathered for a group photo with Elizabeth Randall, who brought Brian Brittain’s mallet and his red Canada jersey in his memory—a heartfelt tribute to a friend.

The tournament's success is thanks to the Tournament Director Adam Barr and Event Coordinator Naomi Fisher. This event would not have been possible without the incredible support of our volunteers. A special thank you goes to Alain Giraud for his tireless work preparing the lawns and for arriving each morning at 7:30 AM to assist Adam with hoop setting—an essential part of maintaining top-level play conditions.

We also acknowledge the outstanding crew of volunteers: Ronnie Robertson, Suzanne Parsons, Colleen Ross, Michael Hawke, Max Barr, John Miles, Phil Parsons and Jeff Jakubas. 

We are grateful to our members for giving up their regular weekly croquet play to make this championship possible, and to our sponsors--Oakley Woods and PFC Mallets—for their generous support.
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Looking ahead, Adam, John Richardson, Amr Hamdy, and Hesham Elzoghby (who was unable to attend this year’s championship) will represent Canada at the World Team Championship this August in Sussex, England.
RESULTS – Championship Flight
1
Adam Barr
North Toronto Croquet
2
Macey White
Chesapeake Bay Croquet - USA
3
Alain Giraud
Ealing Croquet Club - England
4
Amr Hamdy
North Toronto Croquet
5
John Richardson
North Toronto Croquet
6
Rob Sinclair
Oakland Croquet Club - USA
7
Phil Parsons
North Toronto Croquet
8
Aly Radwan
Maadi Sports and Yacht Club - Egypt
9
Nancy Crouch
Chesapeake Bay Croquet - USA
10
Bill Simmons Jr
Sarasota Country Croquet Club - USA
11
Jim Wright
North Toronto Croquet
12
Mike Hoggatt
Bonita Bay Croquet - USA
13
Jane Beharriell
North Toronto Croquet
14
Manual Marcos Fal
Real Club Pineda de Sevilla - Spain
15
Patrick Little
Royal St. Catherines Croquet Club
16
Dorothy Silliman
Grand Haven Croquet Club - USA
First Flight
1
KS Tsang
North Toronto Croquet
2
Don Oakley
Brighton Croquet Club
3
Gregg Hannah
Lawrence Park Croquet Club
4
Mike Tevlin
North Toronto Croquet
5
Gopala Gowda
Victoria Bowls & Croquet Club ​
6
Sarah Persons
Lenox Croquet Club - USA
7
Venny Calvieri
Lawrence Park Croquet Club
8
Mounir Alnahas
North Toronto Croquet
9
Mohammed Al-Rifaai
Unaffiliated
10
Lance Newman
North Toronto
​Many compliments were received on the two lawns and facility. 
It could not be done without Mark, Kriss and Jonathan (Toronto Parks and Recreation) 
​Croquet Canada AC National Championship - Results
Hosted by Bayfield International
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The Croqcan  AC National Championship was held in Bayfield. We had 26 players from as far away as Australia, Victoria, lots of US and Canadian players and a few from Bayfield.

Last year's champion Alain Giraud won the Championship flight, Tony Simmons from Saturna B.C. won the 2nd flight ( narrowly beating Dave MacLaren in the final) and Arlene Parker from BICC won the 3rd flight.

Great weather meant plenty of good croquet was enjoyed by all.

Here is a more detailed description of play below, submitted by tournament director Arlene Parker;

The 2025 Croquet Canada National AC Championship Tournament was hosted by the Bayfield International Croquet Club between June 5-8, 2025. The tournament is played on five courts with three in Bayfield and two at the Seaforth Lawn Bowling Club. 

This popular tournament attracts players from North America and Australia. Canadian players arrived from one end of the country to the other. The 26-players were separated into three flights based on their world dynamic grade. 

This tournament offers outstanding croquet play as well as opportunities for players to get together and socialize. 

A disconcerting situation arose when players discovered that every red ball (Dawson Mark 3) was not perfectly round, resulting in these balls getting stuck in the hoops. The players elected to continue play with a previous version of Dawson balls that were older but round. 

The Championship flight was dominated by Alain Giraud from Toronto, On who won 8 of 9 round robin games. Brian Cumming from Elora, On shared the second spot with Rich Lamm from Cathedral City, CA, Stuart Lawrence from Springfield, MA and David Wise from Australia with 6 wins each. In the First Flight, Brian Wasylyk from Campbell River, B.C. shared the top spot with Tony Simmonds from Saturna Island, B.C., each with 6 wins. Pierre Dunn from Victoria, B.C. took the second spot with 5 wins. In the Second Flight, Jane Beharriell from Toronto, On won 6 games as did James White from Saturna Island, B.C. Phil Parsons from Toronto, On won 5 games. 

The Championship Flight Knockout was a best of three contest between the top 8 of 10 players. In the final round, Alain Giraud beat Doug Grimsley in 2 games. The second game featured an exciting 1 ball finish for each player. 

The First Flight Knockout with all 8 players saw Tony Simmonds beat David MacLaren in a single game.

The Second Flight Knockout with all 8 players resulted in Arlene Parker beating Jane Beharriell in a single game.

A number of spectators watched the Knockout rounds, appreciating the level of play. 

The 2025 Croquet Canada Association Tournament finished late on Sunday with presentations of art glass award designed, created and donated by Tim Charney who is a fused glass artist in Cathedral City, California. 

Championship KO
Alain Giraud - 26
Nick Howell - 9
Rich Lamm - 26
Brian Cumming - 20
Stuart Lawrence - 0
Doug Grimsley - 26tp
Chris Percival-Smith - 26
David Wise - 13

Semi Finals
Alain Giraud - 26 - 25 - 26tp
Rich Lamm - 62 - 63
Doug Grimsley - 26 - 26
Chris Percival-Smith - 119

Final
Alain Giraud - 26 - 26
Doug Grimsley - 25 - 24

Grid Summary Order of Play

A Flight Knockout

Quarter Finals
Tony Simmonds - 22
Jim Erwin - 4
Donna Dixon - 10
George Saad - 12
Pierre Dunn - 26
Patrick Little - 15
Dave MacLaren - 21
Brian Wasylyk - 10

Semi Finals
Tony Simmonds - 18
George Saad - 5
Pierre Dunn - 15
Dave MacLaren - 26

Final
Tony Simmonds - 21
Dave MacLaren - 13

Grid Summary Order of Play

B Flight Knockout

Quarter Finals
James White - 26
James Hall - 1
Arlene Parker - 25
Peter Jeffers - 14
Phil Parsons - 15
John Easton - 5
Jerry Selk - 16
Jane Beharriell - 18

Semi Finals
James White - 11
Arlene Parker - 13
Phil Parsons - 4
Jane Beharriell - 10

Final
Arlene Parker - 18
Jane Beharriell - 14

- Written by Arlene Parker
North Toronto hosts 6 wicket tribute to Hollis Rinehart!

8 hardy souls braved the cold winds on Saturday May 31st, to play a series of 6 wicket games in honour of our departed friend Hollis Rinehart. (See article below)

Daughter Hildreth Rinehart hosted lunch after play and many memories of Hollis and his love of croquet were shared. Included in the memories was the time Hollis represented North Toronto to a Committee of City Hall in a successful defence designed to thwart attempts by a local tennis club to take over the North Toronto courts and expand their tennis club. 

Hollis talked about the value of croquet, especially for seniors and how it improves not only physical mobility, but also cognitive ability.

(Earlier article remembers Hollis and his croquet life.)
Dear Members,

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Hollis Rinehart, a long-standing and cherished member of the North Toronto Croquet Club. Hollis was a dedicated croquet enthusiast and a true friend to so many within our community.
For many years, Hollis served on the club's executive as Vice President and Director, contributing his time, expertise, and passion to the growth and success of the club. Beyond his leadership, he was always generous in sharing his knowledge, guiding new members, and forming enduring friendships as a playing partner.

Hollis lived a full life, recently reaching the remarkable age of 93. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Lenore (1942–2018), whom he met during her time as a fellow educator at York University. Hollis is survived by his daughter, Hildreth, and two grandchildren. 

Jim Wright (President, Croquet Canada and long-time President of NT) shared his memories:

He was the croquet champ of Vermont!

We never found out exactly when Hollis Rinehart reigned, but Champion was an impressive enough title that for a long time Hollis was our 6 wicket go-to-guy at the North Toronto Croquet Club. 
 
It was Hollis and wife Lenore with a small but faithful group that also kept 6 Wicket croquet alive at NT.
His tall lanky frame supported his accurate shots and a strategic mind. Hollis was a retired Professor of English at York University, but it was his generous guidance on a croquet court that earned him the gratitude of many new players.
 
His summer residence in Vermont sported its own croquet field….and a literal field it was. The hay was cut short but winning at croquet depended on lucky bounces as much as it did precision. Returning to Toronto for the other three seasons, Hollis and wife Lenore were long-time and loyal members of the North Toronto.
 
It was Hollis who provided a senior’s perspective to Toronto City Counsel arguing to save North Toronto croquet when the tennis club was threatening to take us over. 
 
Now, he and his wife Lenore are gone; Lenore first just before Covid, and this past Friday, Hollis passed on having reached the very respectable age of 93. He played until this past year when his diminishing skills and waning endurance forced him to retire from the club. It in turn, awarded him an honorary membership that recognized his contribution of many years to our game.
 
His daughter Hildreth has plans for a memorial gathering in the spring. In the meantime, we remember a true gentleman who will be missed by his family, and so many friends he gathered over the years from his wide range of interests. These include his folk singing and book club, but especially croquet. We will remember his gentle demeanour, his quiet intensity and his kind soul. 

We extend our deepest condolences to Hildreth and the entire Rinehart family during this time. 

Hollis’s contributions to our club and the friendships he nurtured will always be remembered fondly.