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League Format

Our Horseshoe League was formed a ways back in the early 1984 era and only 8 teams participated, because we only had four courts at several locations. As we grew we were able to extend along the way until at present we have a 26 week playing schedule with 14 teams, playing at five different locations. It is broken up into two sessions of 13 weeks play.

Most of our teams are sponsored each year by a local business as advertising and all team members wear a T-Shirt advertising that particular local business. One very unique team that is sponsored by a local Mortuary/Crematory call themselves, Are you ready, "Dead Ringers."

We also have many others with colorful names, such as the "Vultures," "Leprechauns," "The Wild Ringers," "The Stingers" and "The Jetts", so named after a long time horseshoe player that left the area last year, he was a great one and all the teams miss him, he was affectionately known as 'J.D.' Jett.

Other teams followed the theme of the game itself, "The Broncos," "the Hosses, " Dot's Colts," this lady is captain of the team and not only sponsors the team herself, but pitches for them also, and quite good as a matter of fact, and then there's "the Mustangs." One team is quite unique calling themselves "Giddy-Up."

Others chose non-conventional names such as "The Magnificent Seven," denoting their entire roster carries seven players, The Sun City "Kids," are quite unique since, since there is not a 'kid' in sight. Ours is a senior league and unless you are at 55 years of age or older you can't join. And finally the last on our list of 14, just simply call themselves "Sun City Three" also denoting that at one time they were able to field three teams.

We play what is called "walking doubles" with each of two teams, with two participants tossing 20 shoes each. Every horseshoe player is handicapped by average every four weeks of play, when those handicaps change as supplied by the statistician of the league.

There are 6 rounds played by the 14 teams, each week, count all, and ringer cancellation prevails, so at the end total 'score' wins that round.

We then do it all over again the next week. Scheduling is done by our statistician and holidays are taken into account. We also like to have a few tournaments where possible, during the year, with the same format as our league play, games are played at the Country Lakes 15 Pits course, open to all league players and a fee for the tournaments is $5.00 a player.

We usually have 3 divisions all based on the handicaps, A, B and C. During our tournaments we have a very lovely lady that takes the fees and holds a 50/50 drawing. The co-Capt. of the "Hosses" assists the Capt./Statistician in conducting the tournaments, which always end up a lot of fun and camaraderie.

We have quite a unique ability in our area of play. In the case of rain or the threat thereof, we have a 4-pit playing area under a roof. We "affectionately" call it "the Big Barn," if rain is forecast event we simply break up our league schedule into two playing times, with eight teams playing the first half and the other six teams play the second half, so no loss of times and no makeup games, we get our schedule in. It is not easy and we do have a "few disgruntled players" but that is the rules of the league.

We are a very close knit bunch of "oldsters" and we love the game. If you are ever in our areas of plays on a Wednesday come on by and introduce yourself, "we will all be glad to see ya."




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