SUMMER will be a whole new swinging time for York’s golfers.

A new golf league for individuals is to be played at the York Golf Centre in Skelton.

The pioneering venture is the brainchild of Martin Alderson-Crombie, a former local footballer who turned to golf four years ago after hanging up his boots.

So enamoured has he become of the game that he devised the league which is open to all individuals, male and female, and of any standard.

The league will be run at York Golf Centre, also known as the Skelton Park golf course, starting from Thursday, June 2, at 6pm.

It will be played over the nine holes each week with players amassing points on a stableford scoring system based on half-handicaps.

The winner will be the player with the most points after nine weeks from which the best seven scores will count.

Alderson-Crombie originally intended the league to be for teams, but while there was keen interest several players expressed difficulty about getting teams together on a regular basis throughout the summer.

Now there has been an even greater response to an individual players’ league, though there are still openings for more players, he said.

“I took up the sport after finishing football to keep myself occupied and it’s the same with several of my mates.

“We decided it might be a good idea to get a league up and running and when the York Golf Centre in Skelton agreed to host the event, then we went ahead.

“There’s been a lot of interest with close on 50 players already keen about playing in it.

“We believe it will be ideal whether you play off an eight handicap or 28 handicap because the way the system works it will be fair for everyone.”

The 41-year-old self-employed distributor said the York Golf Centre was also the ideal venue. Under recent new ownership, the nine-hole course has undergone a lot of refurbishment.

Alderson-Crombie said nine holes was perfect time-wise for a midweek summer league and that the course itself would provide a solid test.

Besides the stableford format, there will also be extra points for getting nearest a designated pin and for topping set points targets.

The cost to enter is £5 per player, plus green fees of between £5 and £7 a round.

If it proved a success in its inaugural year Alderson-Crombie hoped it would then be run as an annual tournament.

Other players interested in joining the new initiative can phone Alderson-Crombie on 07849 455497.