EVER fancied a round with Lee Westwood?

Thanks to a York company, you can now take the former world number one golfer out on the course with you.

2mee Ltd, based at the University of York, have developed a mobile phone training app that allows golfers to play side-by-side with the nine-time Ryder Cup star.

Users of Lee Westwood’s Official Golf Masterclass can record footage of their swing on their iPhone and see how it compares with that of the perennial major contender thanks to its Ultra Real - ity technology.

It allows golfers to feel as if Westwood is there playing with them, as they see how their swings shape up against the 41-year-old’s - even though he is actually thousands of miles away this weekend, competing on the luscious fairways and greens of Augusta National Golf Club at the Masters.

Dave Soppelsa, 2mee Ltd’s chief operating officer, took to the fairways at Sandburn Hall Golf Club, where he is a former member, to film the promotional photographs and videos for the application.

Snooker star Stephen Hendry, a brand ambassador, was brought in to present during a break in commentary duties at last year’s UK Championship.

And just this week, the 2mee Ltd team returned to the Flaxton course to film the swings of juniors taking part in training sessions.

One of the app’s updated features allows users to send their swings to Westwood and the player, who has won 41 times as a professional, will now run the rule over their techniques.

Soppelsa, who lives in Stamford Bridge, said: “For the last 18 months, we have developed this technology for sports and, in particular, golf.

“We showed it to Tiger Woods’ representatives and then went to Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke.

They both loved what we were doing and we signed them on board.

“You can take every club in the bag and compare yourself with Lee - from all four axis - and film yourself standing side-by-side with Lee. You can also overlay your swing with Lee’s to see how they compare.

“I am really passionate about this. It is technology which was born in York. We are a York company and I am really passionate about working with the University of York’s computer vision specialists.

“We are having discussions with major broadcasters, including Sky Sports, about them using this technology.”

Soppelsa added: “The possibilities Ultra Reality technology provides are endless. It can be applied to all sorts of sports or activities where visual analysis and repetition will help people learn and improve. It has never been easier to anaylse a person’s movements and compare them with a professional.”

Westwood, speaking at the launch of the app, added: “This technology is like nothing I’ve seen in the 28 years I’ve been playing golf. It’s so easy to use. You can record your swings on the course, on the driving range, in your backyard or even in the living room.

“I genuinely believe that if you put some effort in using this app, you’ll improve your game, regardless of your skill level.”

At Sandburn Hall, golf manager Rob Heath said the course was delighted to have played a part.

He said: “A lot of the promotional work was filmed here and it’s great you can take Lee Westwood round the course with you. It looks like it is going to take off and will prove very useful. It is great that the course is getting this sort of exposure.”

The app can be bought on iTunes.