Just one of the unique features of the new GolfCross game is its oval-shaped golf ball, a genuinely smart ball which is said to be virtually impossible to slice or hook.

GolfCross is played over a course just like golf, using the same clubs - apart from the putter - and the same basic rules.

However, it has goals - imagine the top half of a rugby goal mounted about three feet above the ground and with a v-shaped net behind it - instead of holes, and rather than greens it has an area called a yard marked out around each goal.

If you miss the goal but land in the yard, you can turn the goal to face you, in one of three set positions, before attempting another shot.

Another departure from the norm is the oval ball, which is played from the tee cup for most shots and, despite appearances, claimed to be more aerodynamically stable than a conventional one. What it does in play is governed not so much by how you hit it but how it was positioned before you did so.

When played in the upright position, the ball's design is such that a player can hit it straight with far less chance of a slice or hook. On the other hand, by changing its position, 'controlled' slices and hooks can be performed easily.

Other benefits include being able to adjust the required degree of fade or draw, and putting backspin on the ball, even with a wood or out of the rough.

The company is currently in the process of setting up game courses and product outlets throughout the UK and has also come to a licencing agreement where GolfCross gifts and novelty products carry the England Rugby logo.

leisure-kit keyword: GolfCross