Dataw Island hosting major Croquet tournament

From staff reports

The United States Croquet Association Regional Golf Croquet Championship is returning to the Lowcountry Thursday through Sunday, for the first time since 2015.

Beaufort’s Dataw Island Club is the main host site with matches also being played at Sun City and Spring Island to accommodate the full field of 32 competitors. The event will feature both singles (blocks) and doubles (knockout) play, with the winners of each advancing to the National Championship in Cashiers, N.C.

Dataw Island is home to two championship croquet lawns overlooking the beautiful Jenkins Creek and coastal marshes.

Dataw’s Director of Golf Maintenance, Brian Hollingsworth, oversees the care of the private community’s 36 holes of golf in addition to the croquet lawns, one of which was recently expanded and renovated.

“We’re really excited to open our doors to this talented field of players,” Hollingsworth said in a release. “The lawns are in great shape and my crew is really happy to see their work showcased.”

The croquet lawns are maintained much like golf putting greens – mowed daily, fertilized weekly, and “top dressing” with sand and rolling the lawns frequently to keep them smooth and fast.

“The croquet community here on Dataw Island is a really passionate group with some excellent talent,” Dataw Island Director of Racquet and Lawn Sports Warren Florence said in a release. “We really owe much of this honor to them – their support of the game here locally as well as in the area regionally has helped get our name out there as one of the premier facilities.”

He added, “The programming our Croquet Club delivers on a regular basis has introduced a lot of new players to the game. And, they really have fun doing it. That’s what this is all about, really. We do have some players who compete at a high level, but ultimately, it’s about getting outside, being social, and having fun. Period.”

The event was to have kicked off Wednesday with a players dinner. Doubles play commences at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, and Singles play starts at 8:30 a.m., Friday. Bracket-style eliminations continue Saturday, with the finals being played at Dataw Island on Sunday.

Dataw Island Club members Jack Howard and Ray Barrett will compete against players from Florida (four), Georgia (four), North Carolina (five), Virginia (two), and 14 others from South Carolina (one from Spring Island, six from Okatie, two from Charleston, two from Hilton Head, two from Aiken, and one from Bluffton).

SCHEDULE

Thursday

8:30 a.m.: Doubles (Knockout) – Dataw CC / Sun City CC / Spring Island CC

Friday

8:30 a.m.: Singles (Blocks) – Dataw CC / Sun City CC / Spring Island CC

7 p.m.: Tournament Dinner – Dataw, Tabby Room (Lowcountry Cuisine) / Cash Bar

Saturday

8:30 a.m.: Singles (Blocks) – Dataw CC / Sun City CC / Spring Island CC

Sunday

8:30 a.m.: Singles FF KO – Sun City (Quarters and Semi Finals / transfer to Dataw for final)

8:30 a.m.: Singles Championship Flight – Dataw Island CC

2 p.m.: Singles Championship and First Flight Finals – Dataw Island CC