KERRY Welding and Hannah Keir can both look back upon highly effective 2024 seasons at Ross-on-Wye Golf Club, which has resulted in improvements to their World Handicap Indexes, reflected in their current impressive 6.6 and 6.9 rankings respectively, reports KEITH RAY.

This makes them the current lowest handicap players within the Ross Ladies Section.

An important part of their journey took place in July when Kerry and Hannah scored 37 stableford points in the club's Gloucestershire Golfing Union annual greensomes event to qualify for the county final, as did Victoria Northcott and Ellie Teasdale, whose 40 points total headed the final score-sheet that day.

While there was some good fortune for the Ross Ladies that their club's tree-lined course at Gorsley had been chosen to host the county final event, this did not detract from Kerry and Hannah's impressive performance on final's day when good scoring was not easy.

They amassed 36 stableford points to be crowned county champions with their opponents being the top players from 17 other clubs across Gloucestershire.

As the greensomes format means that responsibilities are shared equally, Kerry and Hannah's achievement owed everything to their combined efforts.

While Victoria Northcott and Ellie Teasdale were unable to reproduce the form shown when qualifying, their 30 points total meant a respectable 13th place finish with 34 partnerships taking part.

The visitors who just missed out on the top spot were Clare Jenkins/Mary Mayes from Minchinhampton GC with 35 points and Ann Fisher/Irene Windslow from Cirencester GC who were 34 points scorers along with others.

Meanwhile, work has been ongoing on course maintenance, using a special aeration process to help improve soil health by increasing its oxygen levels, reducing compaction and enhancing water drainage.

The greens team also found time to mole plough the 18th fairway into the new open ditch at the back of the ninth green.