Ross Golf Club’s Gorsley-based tree-lined course continues to attract visitors from far and wide, with members of 48 different golf clubs from the Midlands, Wales and the South West recently supporting its annual men’s Seniors Singles Open for 55 and over players.

A record 177 entrants took part, of which 154 were visitors, to enjoy the unique experience of playing the Ross Club’s ‘hidden gem’ course which fully lived up to expectations.

Such was the course’s perfect playing condition that Keith Ray, the Ross Club’s event organiser, received a copious number of acknowledgements and appreciations to pass-on to course manager Dylan Stokes and his green-keeping team.

Throughout the day an abundance of volunteers and helpers largely from the men’s seniors section were required to ‘make it happen’, together with the valued services of the respective teams of club caterer Nathan Wilson and bar manager Rebecca Boucher, the Tim Hall School of Golf Pro-Shop and office administrators, Sharon and Ashton Davies.

They all worked together to add further recognition to the Ross Club’s ‘No 1’ Brand name status.

The opportunity to ‘help others’ was again a feature, and the generous support for the raffles meant that the dedicated charity of the Ross Golf Club captain Steve Price, being the Sue Ryder Hospice, saw a massive record-breaking £822 added to his annual fundraising campaign for the centre’s specialised palliative care and family support ideals.

While the charity is based in Leckhampton, Cheltenham, the local Sue Ryder Shop in Ross-on-Wye’s Broad Street played its part in providing highly effective marketing materials to help create an investment buying atmosphere.

The standard of play was also a great credit to the occasion and a day upon which Tim Evans, an accomplished 10 handicapper from the Droitwich Golf Club can reflect with considerable fondness.

Despite needing three putts on his opening two holes, Tim then proceeded to play his best round ever in a competition to score 41 stableford points, equivalent to five over gross par, beating his previous best score by one shot in the process.

Tim also paid tribute to the quality of his driving which kept him on the course’s tight fairways, and his short game on the closing holes to make par from difficult situations, enabling his back 9 holes to yield a remarkable 22 points total.

Ross member Kristian Pedersen with 40 points collected a major prize too, as did Simon Webster and Tim Hamill both from the Glamorganshire Golf Club with 39 points each.

Terry Wilcox from Pontnewydd Golf Club was also a 39 points scorer, along with home players Steve Woods, Nigel Yates, Tim Kefalas, Peter Shaw and Robin Henderson-Pugh all delivering prize winning scores to make their day.