Dorset County

The South Western Group administers men's amateur golf events for Golf Unions affiliated to England Golf in the South West of England (Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Cornwall, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire).

2023 Championships:
SWCGA U16/U14 Championship Thursday 1st June
SWCGA Amateur Championship Rd 1 Tuesday 13th June
SWCGA Boys Championship Rd 1 Thursday 13th July 
SWCGA Seniors Championship Wednesday 19th

The format is unique, involving the six south western counties of Wiltshire, Gloucester, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and, of course, Dorset. Each county plays the other in a series of matches over five days, with a 36-hole medal on the Tuesday to decide the individual South Western Championship. The medal competition also decides which county shall represent the South Western area in the English County Championship finals. This is determined by the aggregate scores of six players from each of the six counties whose names are nominated prior to the commencement of play.

This qualification was introduced in 1955 and, in recent years, its outcome has tended to overshadow the result of the South Western team championship, which is decided by matchplay, and has always been regarded as the raison d’être of the meeting.

Each match of the team championship consists of eight singles played in the mornings for one point followed in the afternoons by four foursomes matches, each valued at one and a half points. It is believed that this order of play, with foursomes worth higher point's value than singles, is unique in team golf and places great emphasis on successful foursomes play. There are instances on record where a team has led by seven matches to one after the morning singles, only to lose all the afternoon foursome games and finish with the most disappointing result of seven points each.