THE BEST IN THE WEST GOLF CROQUET
By Louise Smith
The top GC players available gathered at Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club on Saturday, 28th March for the “Best in the West” - the club’s annual pre-season warm-up tournament. This year saw the welcome return of East Dorset’s Jonathan Powe (-2), joined by new entrants Sam Cuthbert (-2, Cheltenham) and Andy Loakes (-1, Camerton & Peasedown). They complemented an already strong field featuring Martin French (-1, Bude), Richard Gardiner (0, Dowlish Wake), and Budleigh’s own Stuart M. Smith (-2) and Tim Jolliff (- 1). BSCC were also delighted to
welcome 2026’s special guest, Simon Carter (-2) from Dulwich Croquet Club - an elegant and composed player, renowned for combining pinpoint accuracy with controlled power. Smith dominated the opening four rounds, with no opponent scoring more than two hoops against him. Cuthbert also remained unbeaten, setting up a Round 5 clash between the pair. The contest was finely balanced until the turn for hoop 11, where Cuthbert took control to secure a 7– 5 victory. Gardiner performed well above his seeding of eighth, finishing with four wins alongside Carter and Powe. The penultimate Round 6 proved pivotal. Cuthbert, unbeaten at five wins from five, faced Carter, while Smith sat just behind on four wins. Carter built a two-hoop lead, only for Cuthbert to respond superbly, including a standout angled jump over two balls at hoop 8, turning the game into a 3-5 advantage. Unfazed, Carter levelled the match by taking hoops 9 and 10. A miss from Cuthbert after a short exchange at hoop 11
allowed Carter to edge ahead 5-6, running down to hoop 12, where victory seemed certain. However, the contest went to a deciding 13th hoop, where Carter, with the advantage of first approach, secured the win. This result left Cuthbert and Smith level on five wins each and one game left to play. In the final round, Loakes managed to score three hoops against the in-form Smith - one more than any of his early round opponents - but Smith still ran out a 3-7 winner. Although Cuthbert could not mathematically match Smith’s superior net hoop difference, he determinedly closed the gap with a 7–0 win over Gardiner. The final standings saw Smith and Cuthbert both finish on six wins, but Smith’s impressive +27 net hoops (to Cuthbert’s +19) secured him the tournament win - his second consecutive victory and fourth “Best in the West” title.
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