ONE of York's most successful amateur golfers is relishing the prospect of a return to the Yorkshire stage.

Former England international Jonathan Plaxton has for the past three years commanded a coveted working with the Royal & Ancient - domestic golf's governing body - as chairman of the men's selection committee.

That has put the 58-year-old at the forefront of the British game.

Now he has accepted an invitation to become the president of the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs in 2016 and is eagerly anticipating being at the active core of county matters.

Said the man, who has been a stellar member of Fulford Golf Club for more than 35 years: "Yorkshire is the biggest county for golf clubs with just short of 200.

"I'm looking forward now in driving the union's aim to encourage more particpati9n in golf.

"It's a great opportunity to again become more involved at a more local level."

Part of Plaxton's remit would be to try to get even more youngsters hooked on golf and staying in the sport.

Added Plaxton, who was introduced by his parents Joyce and Len to take up the game as a youngster in Scarborough and served as Fu;ford GC's junior coordinator from 2007 to 2013: "A big problem now is keeping youngsters staying in the game when there are so many other interests."

Both of Plaxton's sons - Josh aged 19 and 17-year-old Ben - are members at Fulford |GC, where they play under handicaps of two and six respectively.

Plaxton senior, who is a relationship director for Lombard Asset Finance in Yorkshire, still plays off two.

He has enjoyed an illustrious amateur playing career including time as a Great Britain and IUreland boys' international and then an England international at schoolboys, boys, youths and men's level.

Crowned Yorkshire amateur champion in 1983, Plaxton represented Yorkshire 87 times, plus made more than 100 appearances for the York Union at Inter-District union level.

A past captain of Fulford GC, where he was also the chairman of the centenary committee in 2006, Plaxton captained England between 2007 and 2009 and secretary of The England Internationalist Society until this year. 2014.