Highlands Falls GC Elite Invitational
June 12-15, 2025
Highlands Falls Country Club
The 2025 Highlands Falls GC Elite Invitational welcomed sixteen of America’s top golf croquet players to the beautiful mountain lawns of Highlands Falls Country Club. With national champions, regional favorites, and emerging talent all represented, the event delivered top-tier play and high drama in one of croquet’s most scenic settings.
Essick vs. Balding
A highlight of the weekend, this semifinal was a rematch of the recent U.S. National Championship final, where Essick had previously prevailed. Tom Balding struck first, taking Game 1 with calm precision and deep clears. But Matthew Essick, the top seed out of Block A, settled in and took the next two games with steady pressure and control. The match also reunited two members of the 2025 USA Openshaw Shield Team, which won the GC World Team Championship in Tasmania earlier this year.
Fordyce vs. Guffey
This was more than a semifinal—it was a local showdown between the croquet pros of neighboring clubs: Edmund Fordyce, of Highlands Country Club, and Darin Guffey, of host club Highlands Falls. Close friends off the court, the two delivered a fiercely competitive match. Fordyce took Game 1 with aggressive hoop running and confident pace. Guffey responded with measured play and pinpoint clearances in Games 2 and 3 to claim the win and advance to the final.
Final- Essick Keeps The Crown
In a repeat of the 2024 GC Nationals semifinal, Matthew Essick and Darin Guffey met again. Essick came out focused and composed, controlling both pace and position. Though Guffey applied pressure with tactical aggression, Essick’s consistency and hoop-running efficiency proved decisive. He took the match in straight games to claim the 2025 GC Elite Invitational title.
01. Matthew Essick
02. Darin Guffey
03. Edmund Fordyce
03. Tom Balding
05. Sherif Abdelwahab
05. Brian Lozano
05. Jim Jamison
05. Jim Teel
09. Crayton Morrow
10. Jimmy Huff
11. Shane Hettler
11. Jack Rush
13. Simon Dentchev
13. Dallas Denny
13. Curtis Drake
13. Scott Spoerl