CROQUET NEWS: Meadowood Croquet Pro Makes History CROQUET NEWS: Meadowood Croquet Pro Makes History 25 January 2010
Meadowood Resort, St. Helena, California, USA
by Ron Horton
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| Jerry Stark with Solomon Trophy at Meadowood Resort. |
Meadowood Croquet Professional Jerry Stark is a proud member the USA Croquet Team. The Team recently beat Great Britain for the first time in history during the Solomon Trophy Test Match held at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, CA, Dec.4-7, 2009. The Solomon Trophy will now remain in the United States until the next Test Match is contested in England in 2011.
This was the 18th time the Solomon Trophy has been contested between the two countries. The competition began in 1985 when the USA played Great Britain in England. Since then, the two countries' top croquet players compete for the trophy and alternate play between England and the United States.
The Solomon Trophy Test is played as the best out of 21 matches, with each match consisting of the best of three games. Twelve single matches and nine double matches are played and the team that wins eleven matches wins the Solomon Trophy.
The American players are selected by the United States Croquet Association's Selection Committee; the other five Team USA players selected for the 2009 Solomon Trophy Test Match were Jim Bast (TX), Doug Grimsley (VA), Danny Huneycutt (NC), Ben Rothman (CA) and Jeff Soo (NC).
Stark, who joined Meadowood in 1989, is the 5th ranked player in the United States and the 42nd in the world. He is also the winner of five national titles and an inductee into the American Croquet Hall of Fame. Since 1989, Stark has been selected to play on 16 USA teams.
The next time you visit Meadowood, be sure to leave time for a lesson with Jerry on our championship lawns. You'll delight in learning the grown-up version of the game most played as children on hot summer days. And, you'll be learning from a true champion and a truly entertaining pro.