At my DGrade level, I will be forever playing in 1st flight or possibly 2nd flight as time goes on.
When playing in 1st flight, I have competed against some very competent and competitive players who usually excel at their local clubs. Having grown up and playing golf most of my life, I would equate these players to a 5-7 handicap in golf. Some may be as low as 3 golf handicap.
In Championship flight in golf croquet, the matches are normally not timed, and the players know the rules. Insisting on a timed match and no suspension of time in a double-banked game can be very frustrating for 1st flight players when some players do not know rules or etiquette, especially when so many matches end up with a score of 5-4 or 4-3 or lower. I realize that organizing and running a tournament and getting the matches played in a timely manner may be the most difficult challenge.
1st flight GC tournament play should not resemble a dyadic kinship, that is a mentoring relationship when playing against crossover 6W opponents or GC players. Don't get me wrong: I love the American Six Wicket Game. I do not know all of the rules, and I would not want to compete in a 6W tournament until I do.
To qualify for 1st flight ranking, the DGrade must be adequate, and the Golf Croquet Referee Examination must have been passed. The crossover players or any other GC players may play in 2nd flight until the Examination has been passed. This could also have the benefit of speeding up play, not adding extra time to the match, as play would certainly speed up if players are familiar with rules and etiquette.
In tournament play, there can be no tie game. Currently, when time has expired after hoop 10 and the score is 5-5, the player to score at hoop 11 is the winner. The first ball to hoop 11 has a huge advantage. To reward the 1st flight player when a hoop is scored at hoop 11 and the score is 6-5, then allow each player two more shots to play to continue to hoop 12. This could result in a more exciting opportunity to play to the hook at hoop 13. In this infrequent circumstance, a match would have a more exciting ending. This extra time should not badly affect the tournament director's timing and will reward the 1st flight players who have passed the Golf Croquet Referee Examination. |