By SUE SPENCER
A new way of playing golf is taking the sport by storm. Inspired by Twenty20 Cricket, PowerPlay Golf is played over nine holes using the Stableford scoring system, but with a twist.
Golf fans may have seen TV coverage of the first Pro PowerPlay event at Celtic Manor on May 30, which was won by rising Swedish star Caroline Hedwall and where Ian Poulter blew it by missing his final PowerPlay putt. It’s an exciting format.
There are two flags on each green and you can score extra points with a birdie or better by choosing to play to the PowerPlay flag.
You must have three PowerPlays in the first eight holes and can go for a bonus PowerPlay on the ninth, but if you do, you risk losing points if you score a net bogey or worse.
Games are often won and lost on the ninth hole.
The new format was dreamt up around three years ago by British amateur golfer Peter McEvoy, a former captain of the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team, and David Piggins, a sports venue owner and operator, and since then 500 courses worldwide have become licenced PowerPlay venues.
The very first golf course in Portugal to offer the sport is Boavista Golf Resort at Lagos.
Every Tuesday, from 4pm onwards, the first nine holes of the course will be set up with PowerPlay flags
The summer green fee will be €35 per person including a shared buggy.
“We are very excited about this new innovation,” said Boavista’s Golf Director Rodrigo Ulrich. “Instead of rushing around the course trying to play as many holes as possible, our PowerPlay twilight golfers will get better value for money. It’s about quality
not quantity.”
Boavista Golf Resort introduced the new PowerPlay format to members and representatives from other Algarve golf courses on Tuesday with a competition that will be shown on Sky Sport’s Golfing World early next week, as well as on PowerPlay’s website.
“We are hoping other golf courses will also want to offer PowerPlay Golf so that we can establish a PowerPlay league,” said
Rodrigo Ulrich.
The inaugural competiton was won by Leonel Rio, the Golf Director at Penina, with 26 points.
For more information, visit www.powerplay-golf.com
