A new competition for golfers in Gloucestershire is being launched at the end of March.

It is called the Gloucestershire Fourball Betterball League – or G4L – and Alan Stenton, who is entering his last month as captain of Naunton Downs Golf Club, is one of the many members at Naunton Downs supporting the project.

Five clubs will compete in the initial competition – Naunton Downs, Sherdons, Rodway Hill, Tewkesbury Park and Minchinhampton Old Course – with teams made up of 12 players who will be divided into six pairs.

The competition is for men only and teams will play each other home away during the season. The first match takes place on Saturday 30th March when Tewkesbury Park host Rodway Hill.

The new league is an alternative to the long-standing North Gloucestershire Foursomes League, says Stenton, who says two of the aims are to give those participating more playing time and to reduce the number of one-sided games.

“Naunton Downs were members of the North Gloucestershire Foursomes League for many years,” explained Stenton. “We were never particularly successful.

“The year I was club vice-captain, we weren’t doing very well and we were struggling to get a team. We were getting beaten and players were sometimes only getting the equivalent of six holes.

“The format didn’t suit our membership. Because of that we decided not to participate last year but there was still a wish among members to play inter-club competitive golf.”

So the Gloucestershire Fourball Betterball League was formed and Stenton believes it will have a wide appeal.

“All matches will be played to the 18th green,” said Stenton. “A point is available for every hole so there are 18 points up for grabs in every match.

“If you’re six down with five to play, you still play on because there are points to play for. The aim is to give people more golf.”

Stenton believes that the fact their competition is a fourball rather than a foursome is also an attraction, adding: “It means more involvement for all the players.”

Another difference is that whereas the North Gloucestershire Foursomes League A Division is a scratch competition, the new league will be based on handicap.

“I play off 10,” said Stenton, “I’m getting hammered if I play someone off 3 or 4, I knew I was going to lose. But on handicap I’d give anyone a run for their money.”

Matches in the new league will be played at weekends on dates to suit the clubs involved and Stenton hopes more clubs will join the league in years to come.

“The aim is to grow the competition,” added Stenton. “It would be good to have more than one division.”

Long-standing Naunton Downs member Dave Sellwood – the club’s vice-captain in 2019 – is the driving force behind the new league while Naunton Downs’ G4L team will be led by the incoming men’s captain Nick Andrews.

Stenton will be handing over as Naunton Downs club captain at the end of February after his year in charge.

Anyone interested in participating in the league should email g4lsite@yahoo.com.

The North Gloucestershire Foursomes League was first contested in 1955. Last season 17 clubs split over three divisions took part and the league’s chairman Stuart Masson said the competition remained an important part of every competing club’s golfing calendar.

Masson, a member at Minchinhampton, said that the format “works well and continues to work well if you want competitive golf.

“Foursomes is a format of the game where there is no escape,” he continued. “It’s a true test of how good the six pairs in each team are.

“In fourballs, you can have one player playing his worst golf but if the other is playing at his best you can still win.”

But while Masson remains a big fan of all things North Gloucestershire Foursomes League, he certainly is not opposed to the newly formed Gloucestershire Fourball Betterball League.

“It’s a completely different animal and provides competitive team golf for the smaller clubs without a lot of low handicap members,” he said. “Points for each hole is a good idea. Playing to the last hole means everyone gets a full round.

“But our league also offers a competition for each clubs’ B teams. It’s a reverse fixture of the A team match and is a fourball betterball handicap match.

“It’s more sociable and was set up to allow B team players to play friendly matchplay team golf on different courses.”