BOYCE Hill Golf Club feel that the Golf Sixes would be a hit at the Olympic Games.

The PGA European Tour’s Golf Sixes was hosted at the Centurion Golf Club, which is near St Albans, last month, with Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen and Lucas Bjerregaard coming away victorious.

The new format proved popular with players and fans and established itself as the blueprint for the sport’s version of cricket’s Twenty20 format.

And Martin Hayhurst, of Boyce Hill Golf Club, says that the inaugural event was a success.

Hayhurst said: “It would have been interesting to try something like this in the Olympics.

“The format used of 72 hole matchplay is time consuming, with each match taking some five hours, which is a long time considering all the other events are taking place at the same time.

“I can think of two previous golf programmes, ‘A Round with Allis’ and the ‘World of Shell Golf’, which were very popular many years ago partly because of the very relaxed way they were played and the interaction between the golfers and the viewing public.

“We think that anything which attracts new and younger people to look at golf in a different and new light is a good thing.

“The game still unfortunately has an old fashioned, maybe even ‘fuddy duddy’ connotation with younger people and this recent ‘PopStar’ interpretation of the game will be a real eye opener to them.

“The Golf Sixes was a European Tour professional event, but is not really transferable to your ordinary local members’ golf club.

“There is absolutely nothing to stop members from playing six holes, nine holes, or any other combination.

“It really depends on the players and how much time they have because nine holes can be completed in 90 minutes.

“We regularly hold nine and 11 hole mixed events at Boyce Hill just for fun.”

The Golf Sixes event proved that golf matches can be played over as few as six holes, while tournaments could be completed in much less time than they currently are.

And although Hayhurst feels there are positives to take from the latest format, other previous changes have also proved successful.

Hayhurst added: “There have been many changes over the last decade or so which have improved the game and its reputation.

“We like to think we are always open to new suggestions, which is maybe why we frequently have new members joining us.”