In 2010, the BHI Croquet Club decided to try to hire a Croquet Pro to help the current croquet players improve their games and to help us to expand the croquet program at the Bald Head Island Club. We sent out an RFP to several highly qualified Pros, and after considering them all, the Executive Committee chose Jeff Soo, a Durham NC resident who is a world class croquet player.

Jeff came to the island in October and November of 2010 sponsored by the Croquet Club to begin assessing our player’s skills and giving lessons and clinics. By the beginning of 2011, the Board of Governors of the BHI Club decided that the BHI Club would support this program and Jeff Soo became a part-time employee of the BHI Club.

In 2011, Jeff came to the island seven times, for 4 days each time. During those seven times plus the two times that he came at the end of 2010, Jeff completed 36 Assessments, gave 118 lessons, involving 127 people, and held 40 Clinics and Coaching Games, involving 128 people. By the end of the year, everyone who participated felt that their game had improved.

In addition, Jeff took over the arduous task of scheduling for the week long BHI Croquet Invitational, and he was instrumental in arranging for the North Carolina State Singles tournament to return to BHI for the 2nd year in a row. Before the end of the 2011, it was announced that the NC State Singles would return in 2012 for the third consecutive year. In addition the Solomon Cup tournament, between the USA and Great Britain, would be at the BHI Club in October of 2012. This will be the first time that the Solomon Cup is to be played in the US anywhere other than California or Florida.

In 2013, Jeff will once again be on the island for seven teaching sessions. His schedule is as follows:

2013 Schedule

In an effort to get BHI Club members who currently do not play croquet involved in the game, the BHI Croquet Club will advertise these dates to all members of the BHI Club.

Club Pro Bio

Jeff Soo took up competitive croquet as a player in 1994, and as a coach, referee, and tournament director in 1996. As a player he has won twelve USCA national championship titles, and has been selected to the United States Croquet Team ten times, three times as Team Captain. As a tournament director Jeff has managed events at club, state, regional, national, and world level. As a coach he has given clinics and private lessons throughout the southeast and as part of the USCA Schools program. Jeff is a USCA Class I referee and has taught and certified many referees.

Jeff is married to Eileen, a computer scientist and also a keenly competitive croquet player. They live in Durham, NC. When Jeff is not playing or teaching croquet he is a freelance web developer.

This page was last updated on: 10 February, 2013