Following the busy summer season of knockout competitions, interclub matches and monthly qualifying competitions, the golfing season begins to quieten down in October as the days get shorter, reports RUTH KIRCHMEIER.

The summer season for the Ladies Section at Ross-on-Wye Golf Club is book ended by the Spring meeting and Autumn meeting, and there is a special trophy – The Josie Powell Trophy – which is awarded to the player who has the best combined gross score over the two competitions.

The Autumn Meeting this year was held on Tuesday, October 10, and the Josie Powell Trophy was won by Kerry Welding who had an impressive combined gross score of 172 made up of a gross 90 in the Spring Meeting and 82 in the Autumn meeting.

Thirty five ladies played in the 18 hole Stableford Competition run concurrently at the Autumn Meeting and the winner was Helen Palmer with 38 points.

In second place was Kerry on countback from Allison Charles with 36 points.

Diane Martin won The Bronze Lady Trophy with 30 points.

Nearest the pin on the 7th hole was Jenny Reeve-Tucker and on the 12th hole Hannah Keir.

Six ladies played in the 9 hole Stableford competition which was won by Marie-Anne Belton with 19 points, closely followed by Mabel Day with 18 points. In third place was Frances Nightingale with 17 points.

A very enjoyable Ladies annual dinner was held after the Autumn meeting to celebrate the successes of this season’s golf and to present end of season trophies and prizes.

Katie Stooke the current Lady Captain held her Charity Open Bowmaker Coffee Morning on Tuesday, October 24.

And this was a fun 9 hole competition where members invited friends to come and play at Ross followed by afternoon tea.

Katie’s chosen charity this year is West Midlands Air Ambulance and she was delighted to raise just over £1,000 from the ladies who participated in the golf and supported the raffle, cake stall and various other stalls. Ros Ashton’s team came first out of 22 teams, with 43 points, closely followed by Dinah Johnston’s team with 42 points. In third place were Jose Wilson, Rosemary Williams and their guest with 37 points.

At the beginning of October there was a Florida Scramble played on the first Tuesday by 11 teams of 3.

In first place was Sally Fycun, Dorothy Green and Jose Wilson with a nett 69 .

Second was Jenny Freel, Hannah Keir and Lois Price with a nett 75 and in third place was Amanda Marshall, Mary Smith and Maureen Turner with a nett 76.

Five teams of three played in the Back 9 hole Florida Scramble.

The winning team was Penny Caves, Christine Downs and Ellie Peake with a nett 39, followed by Kay Cotton, Mabel Day and Judith Landau in second place with a nett 43 on countback from Chris Crane, Marion Kirkland and Jill Sutton.

The final Individual Medal Competition of the year and the Taylor Cup was played on Tuesday, October 17, by 28 ladies. Mary Smith won with a nett score of 73, followed by Helen Palmer in second place, with a nett score of 77 on countback from Linda Gaiderman.

Mary Smith had the best gross score of 87.

Twenty ladies played in the 9 hole Individual Medal Competition, and Marie-Anne Belton came first with a nett score of 37.

Frances Nightingale came second with a nett 38 on countback from Jenny Reeve- Tucker.