Some of Europe’s top golfers will descend on Coventry this week to compete in one of the game’s most unusual events.

Former Ryder Cup players and captains will be in the field when the British Short Course Championship begins at Nailcote Hall, Berkswell on Thursday.

The annual event is played on the hotel’s nine-hole course which consists completely of Par 3’s, and has attracted some of the top names from the European Tour.

Nailcote owner Richard Cressman believes that the field for the 1999 tournament will ensure that the event is as good as ever.

He said:

"You can see the standard of player we are attracting to the event by the fact that the defending champion Peter Baker is unable to play because he is competing with the World’s best players in the US Open in the same week.

"He qualified for that by finishing in the top 15 in the European Order of Merit last year, and yet when he competed at Nailcote it was far from a stroll for him.

"This year we have former Ryder Cup players Gordon J Brand and Paul Broadhurst, who of course is from Atherstone, twice Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Hunt, Gary Evans and Mark Mouland who are all big names on the tour.

"David Carter will also be here and everybody saw what he could do last year when he won the World Cup for England with Nick Faldo."

Cressman is delighted that such high-profile players agree to compete in the event, but believes it offers them a change from the usual tour events.

He said:

"It is very different to a the grind of the European Tour. The professionals come to Nailcote to enjoy themselves and relax, and because of that they play some splendid golf.

"Because it is a par 3 course the excitement level of the tournament is great and every shot is absolutely vital, and we have geared all our efforts to getting the course in perfect condition for this tournament."