A EUROPEAN summit of women’s amateur golf will be the perfect “teeing-off” point for a dazzling York summer of sport.

York’s Fulford Golf Club is to host the European Ladies’ Amateur Team Championship from July 9 to July 13 with the city expected to rake in a significant boost to its economy.

Already one major city hotel – the Marriott – is booked solid for the week of the tournament as the official base of as many as 20 teams from across the Continent who will compete in the biggest golf tournament in the city since the heyday of the Benson & Hedges in the 1970s and 1980s.

Coun Sonja Crisp, cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism at City of York Council, hailed the European tournament, viewed as the foremost amateur team competition in European ladies’ golf.

She explained how the council, Fulford GC officials and the national governing body GolfEngland, had helped to bring the showpiece event to Fulford – only the third time in the event’s 54-year history.

She said: “It’s a brilliant tournament for the club and the city. It’s yet another major sporting event and will tee off an exciting time what with the city cycle rides, the Yorkshire Marathon and then running on to the Tour de France in Yorkshire next year.”

She said the council was to co-ordinate more events so that the many teams, officials and spectators who come to York for the championships will remain entertained at the end of each day’s play.

“We are working on extra activities to be put together and it shows the value of sport in not only increasing visitors’ spend but in health and well-being,” said Coun Crisp.

“Youngsters coming along to Fulford may well be playing for England at the next European championships.”