'Bool gearing up for new-look club championships

The club will debut the new format which will give each player - regardless of whether they're playing in the male, female or veterans category - the option to play a midweek or weekend round.

Previously, players of those divisions were only able to play on the day allocated to their class.

Warrnambool Golf Club captain Blair Prescott hoped the switch would encourage as many members to play in the championship as possible.

"It's amazing with all the changes we're going through. A lot of people don't sort of work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm anymore," he said.

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"A lot of people have different jobs or are students or have different things going on. They might not have been able to play in years gone by.

"That's the major difference we'll have. We'll essentially have three club championships in one. In the past they've been on different days but the chance to offer any player a midweek or weekend option is quite exciting." Prescott said the final round of each division would take place on the same day.

"We'll have them finish at the same time and do the same presentation, which we've never done before," he said. "That's really exciting as well." Prescott said while the aim of the championships was participation, he expected a high standard of play across all three categories.

"The club championships for an amateur golfer, it's still a sought-after prize," he said.

"People have tried to win for many, many years and have still fallen short. Even to qualify for that final day, which is generally the top nine of your grade, that's a bit of a triumph in itself.

"To go on and win a championship in your grade... There's a lot of people who've been out there practising and taking close notice of the rule changes and things like that."

Prescott said reigning champion Jarrod Fary would be "formidable" in the male A grade but said talented youngsters would compete hard. The women started on Wednesday, the men start on Saturday and the veterans on Tuesday.

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