What Is The Elite Amateur Golf League?

2022 EAGL Winners - Rowlands Castle

(Image credit: EAGL)

published 28 March 2023

Since the implementation of the World Handicap System (WHS), consensus at golf clubs across the country is that it’s harder for lower handicap golfers to win nett events. Most clubs only have a handful of scratch tournaments each season meaning many low or plus digit players don’t have a huge amount of organised golf at their home club in which they feel they can be competitive. This sentiment was an inspiration for the Elite Amateur Golf League (EAGL).

The founders of the Elite Amateur Golf Group (EAGG) wanted to create a vehicle to bring clubs and scratch golfers together through a forward-thinking, season-long, scratch golf competition. Over four years, the EAGL has grown from 24 to 105 teams this season from the southern half of England and it features well known entrants like Woburn, Hindhead, Bearwood Lakes, The London Club and Liphook.

Last year’s winners, at the finals held at Hollinwell Golf Course in Nottingham, were Rowlands Castle.

The event, currently sponsored by TaylorMade, Motocaddy and Travis Matthew, and supported by Golf Monthly, starts in March and follows a Champion’s League style format with 21 mini leagues of five teams being played out between March and August.

The top two teams from each mini league enter a knockout phase of the competition, where 21 teams battle it out in the Trophy knockout and 21 go into the Salver knockout. The competition culminates in a complimentary finals day in November, where the champion team will lift the coveted Elite Amateur Golf League Trophy.

Why Would Your Club Enter The League?

It’s a chance to be part of the biggest and most competitive scratch golf league in the UK and to compete against top clubs for big prizes.

It offers your club’s elite amateur players competitive opportunities through the season and provides a chance to shine a light on the quality of the players at your club.

There’s also the chance to create new golfing relationships between clubs and give your club’s players a taste of top-level amateur golf, inspiring them to play in further events.

What Is the Aim of the League?

The primary aim of the league is to foster friendship and camaraderie within the healthy confines of competitive scratch golf.

It’s an inter club cross-county team event with 21 groups of five teams – Groups are organised so journey times are a maximum of 45 minutes between clubs where possible.

Entrants will play two home and two away matches between March and August, with prizes to be won throughout the season. The top two teams in each group go on to the knockout stages with a chance to make it to the finals of the Trophy and Salver contests.

What’s The Format?

Elite amateur — There are great prizes on offer

Clubs enter teams of five amateur golfers, players can be male or female. Clubs can change their participants through the course of the season.

The format is singles matchplay and each tie is decided by the winner being “Up” with fewer holes remaining. The tie can be halved if all square through 18.

The overall match is decided by the total amount of matches won by the five players – Each match is worth 1 point so a total of 5 points are available in the match.

For the full match, teams are awarded 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a match loss.

For all the details on the Elite Amateur Golf League – see complete information on the organisation’s website.

What Other Events Do The EAGG Organise?

Singles Scratch Matchplay – For an entry fee of £49, this event brings together 32 previous, current and aspiring Club champions from across the UK for a knockout competition running from March to November.

4BBB Pairs Knockout – This is the UK’s first and only scratch fourball better ball knockout tournament. For an entry fee of just £72, it gives good players the opportunity to play incredible courses at low or no cost throughout the season as well as the opportunity to play competitive golf against likeminded scratch golfers. 32 pairs will compete in the 2023 event between March and November.

Finalists in both the 4BBB Pairs Knockout an the Singles Scratch Matchplay will compete in the Finals weekend in November.

For further information visit the EAGG website. It’s a great set of events and one that looks set to go from strength to strength in coming years.

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?