Vista Hermosa club de Golf offers golf, tennis and croquet in what is currently a sub-tropical climate for much of the summer. Three sand-based courts with floodlights stand in close proximity to an imposing multi-storey Basque-style clubhouse with a tower reminiscent of a Scottish castle.

29 players arrived on Wednesday to contest the first international Spanish Open Golf Croquet Championship with three more Alvarez-Sala brothers arriving today. The recent UK media silly season stories about croquet dying out by 2037 look even sillier in an event where eight of the players are under 30 and in a country which has grown a croquet-playing population of over 200 in a few years and continues to attract new players every year.

Days 1 (from mid-afternoon) and 2 are allocated to block play with four blocks of eight playing single 13 point games to split each block into top four and bottom fours. The top four will proceed to the championship section which will be best-of-three 13 point matches while the bottom four will enter the Plate. This will consist of two blocks of eight and give the players a further seven games with the top two from each block playing best-of-three semi-finals and final. Bolw and Shield competitions will occupy those who do not reach the Championship semi-finals.

Play so far has been quick and we have already completed the fourth round of seven. Some of the younger Spanish players are playing much better than their grades would suggest with pride of place going to Joe Riva and Maria Taylor.