Auld Boy's Championship

What's it all about? 

The Auld Boy’s Championship came about early in 2005 when one evening, after a dram or two, Messrs Moar and Mulraine were reminiscing about their junior days and how many juniors played then compared to now (2005). They thought it would be a laugh if they could recreate the Boy’s Championship with as many of their peers who played at that time, and a few guests.

The Orkney Golf Club was booked for September when the Boy’s Championship was always played and they sent out 32 invites to the lads who still stayed locally. Johnno Moodie from Muddisdale (the neighbouring farm) was asked if he still had all the old balls that he had gathered from the fields over the years and he gave them dozens of balls to dish out among the players. They ordered up pies and beans, it wouldn’t be a boy’s championship without pie and beans, and then waited to see what the response would be

So on a lovely day on the 10^th September 2005 the Auld Boy’s Championship (ABC) was played at the Orkney Golf Club for what was to be the first and only time. Some of the boys hadn’t played for 20 years and there were some non-golfers playing too so the draw was seeded so that all the groups were roughly even. It was a competition rule that you had to use the balls you were given which included Penfold Ace, Commando, Warwick, Dunlop 65’s, to name a few. Leigh Shearer had not played since the Boy’s Championship in 1986 and still had the scorecard from that day in his bag. The individual winner on the day was Pete McKinlay who shot a 69 gross, 65 nett using an old rubbery Commando ball. The winner of the prize for the most shots was Ray Shearer with 175. After the golf we retired to the ‘19^th’ hole, had our supper, prize giving and raffle then played pool and darts for the rest of the evening.

The feedback they received was very positive with most folk saying they should do it again the following year, so they did and since then the ABC has been played annually every September. The competition, a word that should be used very loosely when used in connection with the ABC, has developed since the inaugural year and now has several prizes on offer but they realised that if it was to become an annual event they needed a prize for the winner that would make it different from other competitions, like the Green Jacket at the US Masters. Obviously they couldn’t use a green jacket as it’s been done before so after a bit of head scratching and a few more drams they came up with the idea of a Purple Helmet that would be presented to the winner by the previous year’s winner. The Hamlet Trophy was also created for the player who took the most strokes.

In 2007 the ABC expanded again and included invites to our exiled friends for the first time. Six travelled ‘home’ from as far away as Sweden and Holland to compete in the 3^rd ABC in what was easily the worst conditions that any of us have ever played in. In 2007 we also introduced the red cap scheme so we could identify any ABC virgins. These caps have to be worn at all times throughout the day by any newcomers.

The ABC continues to grow, and after the 2011 event there has now been a total of 66 golfers of all standards that have taken part in it.

Primarily a social event, the object of organising this originally was to have a bit of fun and nostalgia with some old pals, however an added bonus to the Orkney Golf Club is that since the first Auld Boy’s Championship in 2005 in the region of a dozen new and ex-golfers have joined the club. We also do a raffle and sometimes one or two other bits and pieces and over the last few years we have managed to raise nearly £7000. DebRA, Red Cross House, Clan Haven, Macmillan, the Aberdeen Maternity Accommodation, Ronald MacDonald House at the Yorkhill Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, the Orkney Disability Forum & Dial a Bus and Alex Fender are a few that have benefited. We also donated £800 to the new Junior Indoor Training Facility at the Orkney Golf Club that was opened in 2009.