History
The origins of this trophy lie in the discussions, begun in 1909, about how the club should mark reaching its “majority” (i.e. 21 years) in 1910. It was decided that a trophy should be awarded for the best aggregate nett score from three of the competitions played in the season. The venues that year were Elie, Gullane, Ferryhills at North Queensferry and Dunbar. The first winner was J. Douglas Gardiner, one of the Club’s best golfers at the time. A member since 1905, who won a scratch charm within two years of joining, he showed his all round prowess in 1910 by also winning that year’s scratch charm. At the dinner held in the Carlton Hotel, he was presented with the Rose Bowl, acquired and engraved for £5 guineas. It is minuted that the next year, when he was again the winner, he was presented with a small replica (at a cost of 12/6) which was his to keep. Future winners also received replicas until rising costs in 1948 made the practice unsustainable and recipients had to make do with a £3.3/- prize and their name engraved on the cup. Engraving of names had first started in 1913, after which the Cup was given to the Captain for safe keeping each year. Engraving of the winner’s name continues, but a prize is no longer given. Safekeeping is no longer the responsibility of the Captain, Bruntsfield having generously allowed the club space in the Sandy Watson room for Blackford’s silverware.
It was minuted in 1910 that the Majority Cup was to be exclusively reserved as an aggregate trophy. Alteration was left to the discretion of the committee. In the 1920s, because of the economic situation and strikes affecting the number of outings, the number of counting scores was reduced to two. In the thirties the criteria returned to three scores. However, by the late fifties a feeling was growing that to qualify for the cup was becoming, for many, “a feat of endurance since only those attending all meetings were eligible”. Consequently the number of counting cards was cut back to two, at which it remains to date.
As the oldest of the Club’s trophies, naturally the Majority has been won by the widest range of members. Forty six have won it once, including recent Captain Colin Stevenson, who won in 1980, his first year as a member. He won the Consolation Cup the next year! J.H.McLeod was one of thirteen members who have won the Cup twice. His was the longest gap between victories, winning first in 1952 and again in 1964. Two excellent years indeed, because he won the Calder cup in the same years. He must have been particularly pleased in 1952 because council decided that year to award gift vouchers for £3.3/- with the two cups.
Two members have won on three occasions. The first, J. D. W. Spence won every other year from 1954 to 1958. The other, Alec Steele, won three years in a row from 1971 to 1973, a consecutive run yet to be beaten. Since the Centenary year, three names have been the most prominent. Graeme Watherston and Nigel Richardson each have their names engraved four times in the period from 1985 to 2005. From 1997 to date (2015), David Macaulay has won the cup five times, the most achieved by any member.
Winners:
2012 David Macaulay
2013 David Macaulay
2014 Blair Malcolm
2015 Bill Savage