WILTSHIRE are in the running to be named England Golf’s County of the Year.

They will go head-to-head with Lancashire in the battle for the title, with the winner to be announced at the England Golf Awards, sponsored by adidas Golf, on Thursday 21 March.

The glittering black tie event will be hosted by BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker at the Royal Lancaster London.

The counties are of contrasting size – Lancashire has 157 clubs to Wiltshire’s 26 – but both put their clubs and their players at the centre of all they do.

England Golf Chief Executive Nick Pink commented: “Both these counties must be congratulated for their commitment to their players and their clubs – and to encouraging more people to take up the game. It’s going to be a very tight close contest between two worthy opponents.”

The finalists:

Wiltshire is one of the smallest counties in England, but it aims to always punch above its weight, both on and off the golf course.

It won the English men’s county championship in 2011 and 2012 and the boys’ Championship in 2015 and 2016 – and now it’s at the forefront of the modernisation of the governance of county golf.

The men’s and women’s county organisations unified in 2018 to become one body, Wiltshire Golf, working for the benefit of the amateur game.

The results include holding the affiliation fee at the 2017 level, growing support for county competitions and the introduction of new mixed events.

It has a strong focus on junior golf with 120 boys and girls in last year’s squads, it launched a development tour for children with high or no handicaps; and it’s involved with the Girls Golf Rocks campaign.

The county now has a business plan, reflecting input from the Wiltshire clubs, and a range of initiatives are due to start this year.