As Spring playing conditions are still awaited across most West Country based golf courses, a demanding test greeted the 42 men members who qualified during the winter months to take part in the final of Ross Golf Club’s Annual Barnfield Trophy stableford event, this being the club’s first major competition of the 2018 summer season.

This meant that good scoring demanded both exceptional accuracy and distance, although it was the individual performances on their final two holes which separated the top five finishers, who all found themselves in potential winning positions as they stood on the 17th tee. With two birdies in his round and consistent play on his back 9 holes, dropping just two shots to gross par, 7 handicapper Steve Woods, with a 40 stableford points total, proved the most effective performer to claim his first Trophy success which comes with honours board recognition. Steve joined the Ross Club when the family moved from Yorkshire to the Wye Valley area four years ago and he is clearly an accomplished sportsman, having only taken up golf seriously 10 years ago and finding single figures handicap status after just two year’s play.

Runner-up was Ross Juniors Captain, 6 handicapper Liam Greig, who carded 39 points including three birdies with Liam probably ruing the 4 bogeys he incurred among his final 5 holes play. Equally third and fourth placed members Robin Henderson-Pugh and Tim Kefalas, with 38 points each, were both victims of lapses on their respective final two holes. They were followed by Adrian Hope and 2017 Club Champion, 3 handicapper Cam Haines, with 37 points each with Cam enjoying an impressive front nine holes which were completed in three under gross par.

It was a remarkable weekend for Stuart Smith as he started the Medal Pro-Am Qualifier on the Saturday as a 9 handicapper to win the event convincingly by two shots with 92 men members taking part. His impressive gross 78, nett 69 score resulted in Stuart having to suffer a massive 3 shots handicap reduction in the process. Playing in the Barnfield Trophy the following day as a 6 handicapper, Stuart still maintained his consistent good form to score 36 points and finish creditably in 7th place. In the medal event, runner-up was Matty Dobbs, one of the many aspiring Junior golfers at the Ross Club with a nett 71 medal score, followed by 3 handicapper Alex Duncanson and 6 handicapper Drew Davis, who both carded nett 72’s.