New golfers in Wales can take part in a national competition through the month of October at their clubs, in a relaxed and fun event.
The New2Golf Championship replaces the Summer Swing which was originally planned pre-COVID for golfers coming through the Wales Golf scheme New2Golf.
There are two categories for players with an official CONGU handicap and those without, with scores being submitted to Wales Golf to compete for a national prize.
Clubs around Wales can host the nine hole, medal format events at any time to suit them and fit in with their calendars.
New2Golf Championship Announced! 🏆
An updated replacement for this year's Summer Swing Events#WalesNew2Golfhttps://t.co/vZUP0EQZp1 pic.twitter.com/jRdhMdWlAl
— Wales Golf | Golff Cymru (@wales_golf) September 30, 2020
Clubs will receive a plaque for the winners of each category and will be encouraged to update the winning names each year the event is held.
Players affected by local lockdown regulations will be able to compete through reciprocal arrangements with other nearby clubs, where appropriate.
“We are looking forward to seeing how this new competition works across Welsh golf clubs, following on from a similar event for more experienced players which worked really well,” said Wales Golf Director of Development Hannah McAllister.
“The aim is to build on the New2Golf scheme which has seen so many players across Wales take up golf and transfer into club membership.
“We wanted to introduce those players to the joys of competitive golf, but in a way which was appropriate as people new to the game.
“The Summer Swing was going to see a series of events across Wales, but obviously those plans had to be put off for this year because of the COVID crisis.
“However we wanted to be able to offer some sort of competition, while still sticking within the Welsh Government rules and guidelines and keeping those competitions local.
“This is a great alternative, both fun for the participants to round off their introduction to the game and also to highlight the benefits of club competition.
“We look forward to seeing the results from the clubs around Wales and going through them to find national winners.”
To be eligible, clubs need to have run a New2Golf scheme over the past three years. All participants must be either brand new to golf or have been a participant in New2Golf.