Pro-Am Tournament

The “Pro-Am” tournament is open to all club members for no charge. Doubles teams of one veteran player and one player in his/her first two years will face friendly competition in two matches in the morning, followed by concours and consolante matches in the afternoon.

On their registration forms, players will identify their level of experience, and on the morning of the tournament, teams of one veteran and one new club member will be randomly drawn out of a hat to form teams for the day.

For new players, this is a great chance to gain tournament experience; for the veterans, the day will allow a chance to share what you know about strategy and technique. 

Each spring the petanque season begins with the EPC League, which takes place from April to June. At stake is the Chris Guitton Trophy, awarded to the outstanding doubles team for the season. Typically 12-14 teams of two players take part, and the action is intense.

Over the course of six weeks, teams compete in a round-robin series of matches at the Edmonds Petanque terrains. Each match consists of two games. The winner of each game earns one point, and a third point is awarded to the team scoring the larger total number of points in the match. For instance, if teams split the two games they play against each other, each earns a point for their win; and the team whose total points are greater takes the a second point. In the case of a tie, each team earns 1.5 points.

At the end of the League, the team with the most points is declared the champion. To top off the League season, in June, all teams participate in a one-day elimination tournament. There is nothing like a good League match to rouse the competitive spirit!

In mid-July, the Edmonds Petanque Club celebrates French Independence Day by holding the annual Bastille Day Tournament. This tournament is organized as a “panache” or “carousel” event, in which each participant is paired randomly with a different player for each of four matches. Thus, first-time players may find themselves enjoying the partnership of seasoned veterans, and players from many of the regional clubs are mixed and paired with each other.

The day offers a fantastic chance to learn the game and make new friends. At lunch a French accordion player circulates among the picnic tables to provide that French ambiance that everyone enjoys. Fundraising raffles and auctions are held to raise money for the club; and at the end of the day, a shooting competition draws the sharpshooters from the crowd with a chance for the most accurate shooter to win a substantial prize. Bastille Day is the perfect blend of good fun and competition.

The Edmonds Petanque Club works actively as part of its mission to support the community of Edmonds. Perhaps the most significant annual event that accomplishes this goal is the Food Bank Tournament held in late August or early September. Dick Van Hollebeke, early club member and former EPC Board member, originated the idea of supporting the food bank in 2011, and the tournament is now held in Dick’s memory and to honor his work in the community.

The tournament itself draws competitors from clubs across the NW region and is organized as a full day of petanque action among select doubles teams. Most important, after tournament expenses have been met, all proceeds from tournament registrations, from fund-raising raffles, and from donations by club members and town merchants are donated to the Edmonds Food Bank.

The one-day EPC Food Bank Tournament typically raises more than $12,000. Since its inception, the Edmonds Petanque Club has contributed more than $65,000 to this important cause.

The Cross-Sound Cup, first played in 2023, is a friendly but serious intra-club competition that is jointly organized by the Edmonds Petanque Club and the Port Townsend Petanque Alliance.

Each fall, both clubs form a team of 12 players. On the day of the competition, players face off in singles, doubles, and triples matches, as well as a shooting and pointing competition.

Player selection is based on guidelines that each club develops to help it assemble a team that broadly represents that club’s overall membership. Clubs consider factors such as gender, length of time and amount of participation in the club, skill and performance in other events.