The Belmont Invitation returns next week ready to start a new era with a new name and a new format -- and in future it could have a new home too.

This year's event, which will be known as the Black Seal Invitational, had been in doubt because of the closure of the Belmont Hotel and the failure so far to find new owners for the Warwick site .

Organisers had tried to switch the venue to Port Royal -- something which may now happen next year.

But the long-standing event, one of the most popular on the local golfing calendar, will go ahead at Belmont, with a strong field of more than 100 amateur and professional players, including defending champion Paul Parajeckas who will be going for a hat-trick of Belmont triumphs.

And although the professionals will play 72-hole strokeplay as in previous years, the amateur competition will this time be a four-round stableford competition, with points awarded for eagle, birdie, par and bogey.

Tournament director Keith Cassidy, who took a break from the job last year, but has returned to take charge of his 13th Belmont, said the efforts to change the venue were based on boosting the tournament's prestige.

"We were hoping to move it to Port Royal this year, but that didn't prove possible,'' said Cassidy. "Port Royal is perceived as a more prestigious course and has a better reputation as a championship golf course.

"A lot of people consider Belmont to be a short course, though it can still be tricky to play.'' Parajeckas, a 49-year-old based at the Woburn Country Club near Boston, last year took the honours with a sensational final-round 65 to pip local pro Dwayne Pearman, who had led by three strokes going into the back nine on the last day.

The pair will renew their rivalry next week and Parajeckas will have two returning multiple champions to overcome as well if he is to take his third title.

This decade's top performer at the Belmont, four-time winner Tim Conley will be back. The American triumphed in 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1996.

And also returning will be joint tournament record holder Ian Doig of Canada, looking to add to the three titles he claimed in 1984, 1985 and 1987. But Doig admits to be hoping, rather than expecting to be up with the top names on the leaderboard.

Having played very little golf in recent years, the 38-year-old teaching pro from Alton, an hour's drive north of Toronto, said he wanted to mount a golfing comeback, using the Belmont as springboard.

"In the last three years, I have only played in four three-round tournaments -- and I missed the cut in two of those -- so my expectations are not high,'' said Doig.

"I miss competitive golf and I miss the camaraderie and I want to try and come back. Even at my age, my ultimate goal is to make the PGA Tour.

"I look at Mark O'Meara winning majors at the age of 42 and Dana Quigley, whom I beat in a play-off at Belmont one year, doing so well on the Senior Tour and I think there's no reason why I shouldn't give it a try.

"I think there's no better spot to get back on board than the Belmont, where I won my first tournament. It's a short course, but it's quirky and always fun to play.'' Doig flew down to Florida this week to escape the cold Canadian winter and got in two days' practice. But he didn't feel too encouraged.

"My game didn't look too good, but I'm really looking forward to the tournament and you never know. I could be shooting anything from 69 to 80, I guess.'' Dave Purcell, who won the amateur title, will not be defending it this year, said Cassidy, who added the new format for the amateurs was not popular with everyone.

"Dave has chosen not to play this year,'' said Cassidy. "One or two don't like the stableford format, but it has proved successful elsewhere and we wanted to try something different.

"If people get a 10 at a hole, it allows them to move on and stay on the board. Once you get past a certain point at a hole, you don't have to carry on. So you don't have to keep trying to get out of the bunker!'' The four-day tournament tees off on Monday.