Like most Clubs, Woodcock Park B.C. enjoys a full annual programme of competitions which are open to all playing members and for which trophies, some individually donated over the years, are presented to the various winners at the end of the season. Apart from the Willie Osborne Cup and the Sporan Flask, which are both aggregate competitions, they are all played on a knock out basis; some scratch; some handicap, and all past winners are recorded on the several Honours Boards to be seen hanging in our pavilion.

The Championship, Handicap, Two Woods and Pairs competitions date back to the formation of our Club and today are still regarded as the Premier competitions. Others have been introduced over the years and from time to time this does give rise to some confusion among newer members in regard to the background of some of these. With this in mind the following is a brief resume of all our present competitions:~

Championship

A scratch competition; open to all members; first player to reach 21 shots being the winner. In 1968 a proposal to seed both this and the McLennan competitions was defeated on a show of hands. The question of seeding has been raised on several subsequent occasions without success and it was not until the AGM of 1990 that it was agreed to seed the Championship on a trial basis for the 1991 season. Under this arrangement seeded players would be excused the Preliminary and First rounds and, automatically therefore, would be excluded from the McLennan competition.

McLennan

This appears to have been played originally as a team game on a weekly aggregate basis over best eight games. presumably through the season. At the 1967 AGM it was agreed this should become a singles, scratch competition of 21 shots to decide the winner, open to all first game losers in the Championship.

The trophy was presented by W.(Bill) McLennan who joined the Club in 1956 and who won the competition in 1966. Today entry to the McLennan is automatic to all first round losers of the Championship. In this latter context the first round means either the preliminary or first round, whichever is the first game played. In 1967 an entrance fee was charged but was subsequently waived for many years. It was re-introduced on a par with other competitions at the 1990 AGM.

Singles Handicap

Open to all members. From 1963 onwards, has been played on a 21 shots, handicap difference basis i.e., 21 shots in the case of the lower handicap player or 21 shots plus handicap difference in the case of the higher handicapped opponent. The first player to reach his target score being the winner.

Two Woods

This is open to all members and was originally a Handicap competition. From 1964 until the late 1980's it was played to 15 shots plus one half onets own handicap to lowest whole number, e.g. a 7 handicap needed to score 18 shots. Currently it is a scratch competition played to 21 shots.

Pairs Handicap

Open to all members, the pairing is drawn on a handicap basis, i.e. one player from each of the upper and lower halves of the overall handicap spread.

The game is played over 21 ends and difference in each pairs combined handicap is taken into account to decide the winning pair. The position of Skip and Lead is decided by mutual agreement between the two players constituting a pair and is not conditional upon individual handicap ratings.

Timpson

In 1955 a Silver cup was presented to the Club by Mrs Timpson in memory of her late husband a Founder Member and first Competition Secretary of this Club, It was agreed this be played for as the Timpson Competition by the lower handicap members. on Championship lines, i.e. scratch not handicap. In the mid 1960's eligibility was defined As those members of 6 handicap or lower who had not previously won a Club singles competition of any kind. From this point the handicap qualification was subject to some variation until 1975 when the figure was raised to 7, which is where it remains today. The Timpson is played on a 21 shot basis and these days is regarded as the Junior Championship.