Pune: In an effort to make golf more accessible to young and the old, the Poona Club golf course has laid out its course for ever attractive franchise-based league for amateur golfers which will be played over three days of matchplay from January 25 to 27.

Eight teams divided in two groups of four each with every team playing three matches over 9 holes on the first two days to identify the top two teams who qualify for the semifinals.

The semifinals will see top team of a group taking on the second-placed team of the other group over 9 holes of matchplay with the final slated on the same day in the afternoon. “This is kind of T20 version of golf which we hope will help boost popularity of the sport among youngsters,” said Andrew Pinto, Chairman of the league.

Auction of the players was conducted recently wherein the eight team owners made bids for Marquee players, juniors and women players for a notional amount.
 
The league is also aimed at giving a big boost to women players as well as youths as it was mandatory for each team to have at least one lady player and a junior player (Under-16).

Some of the marquee players included Dr. Date for Poonawala, Rohan Dholepatil for Roary’s Lions, Pratik Nimale for Panchshil, Shishir Donde for Kalyani Amazing Albatrosses, Amit Bhattachrya for Vascon The Holey Ones, Jay Shirke for Shirke The Angry Birdies, Aaron Rocky for Syska Swinging Sultans, Col Dhar for Filtrum Eye of the Tiger amongst other talented players.

The teams: Poona Eagles owned by the Poonawala Group; Roary’s Lions by The Westin; Milkha’s Aces by Panchshil; Eye of the Tiger by Filtrum; The Holey Ones by Vascon; Amazing Albatrosses by the Kalyani Group; The Angry Birdies by Shirke; Swinging Sultans by Syska.