ROSS-ON-WYE Golf Club will step on to the national stage next week when it hosts the English Senior Women's Championship.

Starting next Tuesday, the four-day event will have plenty of local interest, with club members Jan Armstrong, Pat Watkins and Amanda Marshall all competing.

This will be the first time Ross will have staged a national championship and, in total, more than 100 of the country's leading female golfers will be taking part.

“There’s a feeling of excitement building up," said Ross secretary Ian Griffiths.

“Many of the members are looking forward to helping out and over 50 have already put their names down to volunteer.”

Among the women taking part are defending champion Helen Lowe of Leicestershire, and Staffordshire's Julie Brown, the British Senior Champion and winner of England Golf's Senior Order of Merit for 2015.

Five other internationals who teamed up to win the senior women;s Home Internationals last year have also put their name down: English senior stroke play champion Lulu Housman of Middlesex, Caroline Berry, Sue Dye and Cath Rawthore of Cheshire, and Lindsey Shaw of Derbyshire.

All competitors will play 18 holes on each of the first two days of the championship.

The top 16 players will go forward to the championship match play, which takes place next Thursday and Friday.

Players finishing 17th-64th after the qualifying rounds go forward to play in Flight Two, taking part in a 36-hole stroke play competition, with 18 holes played on each day.