THE summer programme of major events for Ross-on-Wye Golf Club men seniors' members aged 55 and over continues to receive outstanding support, with 115 taking part in the annual Seniors Championship to determine who became the club's 2026 Seniors Champion, writes KEITH RAY.

And it proved just the opportunity for four handicapper Steve Wallbank to be crowned Ross Seniors Champion for the second successive year.

Steve's gross 74 medal round won him the Peter Carton-Kelly Cup and included no less than four birdies on his front nine holes to put him in a strong position at the half-way point.

Although the Gorsley-based tree-lined Ross course is in excellent condition and the greens receptive, players still found it tricky to get close to the pin positions.

And Steve's two over gross par round proved too good for the chasing pack.

Robert Beavis with a gross 76 medal round came closest to catching the frontrunner, and meant that Iain Bissell's gross 77 saw him finish in third place again for the second year running.

John Hall, Kevin French and Phil Holmes were also highly respectable gross 77 medal scorers.

In the net handicap division, to determine the winner of the Marsh Allan Trophy, it was an outstanding nett 64 medal score by 18 handicapper lefty Les Buchanan which made the headlines.

With two birdies on the board at his half-way point, Les kept his cool with four pars on his back nine holes and for most of the day his Trophy win seemed like a foregone conclusion.

Ultimately late finisher Geoff Robinson almost caught Les with a nett 65 medal score-card which revealed a gross nine score on the par four third hole, and which would have floored most players.

Instead Geoff kept his calm and proceeded to deliver 11 pars and a birdie in the next 15 holes to finish runner-up and amaze himself and his countless friends.

David Dockray and Nigel Montague were also nett 67 scorers followed by Mike Wilkinson with a nett 68.

As honours board winners, both Steve and Les now have the Ross Club's Annual Trophy Presentation evening to look forward to on Saturday, September 12.

This is taking place after the club's various Annual Knock-Out Finals have been played throughout the day, where the semi-final stage was recently reached to determine the club's 2026 Men Champion.

Remarkably, the semis will include three members from the Ross Juniors Section, so that current 2025 Men Champion Tim Shotton now faces 16 year old Oli Walker, and either twin brother Billy Walker or 18 year old James Sayce will find themselves in the 36 holes encounter on finals day as the opponent.

This situation owes itself entirely to the Ross club's decision in 2012 to invest in young people and the appointment of Head Professional Tim Hall and the emergence of his 'School of Golf'.

Since then, Tim's Juniors Academy has gone from strength to strength, where he and his PGA professionals James Dobbs and Zach Galliford are the current driving forces.

Assisted by strong support from club members, the atmosphere is created in which children as young as five years old can improve and flourish in a marvellous environment.