The Jack Beckley Tournaments are annual features of the Santa Monica Lawn Bowling Club. The club currently hosts two tournaments each year in Jack’s name. The Star Team Tournament consisting of 5 men and 5 women per team and is held in March. This year we hosted 50 stellar bowlers from more than 16 clubs which also drew the attention of a record number of spectators on our north bank, making for a truly festive day.

The second event is held in October and the pace changes to a more traditional Rinks Tournament. Indeed the rinks competition , is thought in some quarters to be the best test of true bowling competition, since all 4 team bowlers need to be on their game! Each year our greens have been filled with up to 64 Bowlers all vying for the glory & for the cash prizes!!!

Jack’s daughter, Lynda Vance and her husband Norman Cohen have been the generous sponsors of these tournaments since 2003. The idea for commemorating Jack in this fashion was entirely the creation of club icon, Alan Power. Lynda asked Alan to find a way in which to honor her father & Alan did just that. He was a close friend of Jack’s & is truly one of our most innovative, creative members. It was Alan who, after Jack’s wife died in 1991 , introduced Jack to lawn bowling & in no time he became a ‘mad keen bowler’!! He was extremely competitive & enjoyed the friendship & camaradie of the entire bowling scene!

Within a very short period of time Jack was on the tournament circuit. He took enormous pleasure in traveling to local competitions in San Diego, Santa Barbara Palm Springs and everywhere in between! Even his vacations were planned around places which were know for great bowling spots. The ‘mad keen bowler’ played in Buenos Aires, South Africa, Brazil and Australia – and he was in his eighties! Just goes to show what good clean competition can do! He continued into his 90’s living the dream of an international bowler, probably a dream to which many in our club aspire.

The first tournament in 2003 was organized by Alan who devised a unique scoring system which ensures tough competitive bowling at each end. Furthermore, Alan has always maintained that Jack would have insisted that the tournaments be FIRST CLASS events!!! which naturally included, of course, terrific lunches & refreshments. Jack was known to like his food!! He seldom met a meal he didn’t love!!! Alan broke bread on a regular basis with Jack @ the Tudor House after a good game of bowls which was always dissected in a Monday morning quarter back style! ..& willingly testifies to Jack’s delight in all things culinary!! He knows that Jack would have loved both events & would have gone over every move made during the competition.

However, obviously it would be impossible to put on a truly ‘first class’ event without the aid and support of our members all of whom donate & volunteer their time & all of whom take enormous pride in hosting these two outstanding competitions. It is a great team effort.

So, it is no accident that these events always attract the most competitive of bowlers from South West California including many USA team bowlers too. Several of whom take pleasure in remembering having played with Jack …life goes on & the game continues!!

Here is a photo of Jack in his 90s, still an active bowler at the time.

The winners for the 2010 tournament.