Dawn Rimmer, the ladies’ captain at Naunton Downs, plays a lot of golf with Gill Ashton, her predecessor as captain.

Good golfers both of them and they can often be seen in deep conversation as they walk the fairways together.

But if you think they’re talking about the yardage to the pin or choice of club while on the picturesque course nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, then think again.

“No, we’re not talking about golf at all,” laughed Dawn. “We’re both huge fans of The Archers and we’re always talking about the latest goings-on!”

Now for those who don’t know, The Archers is the world’s longest-running radio soap opera having first aired nationally on 1st January 1951.

A contemporary drama in a rural setting, it has aired over 18,650 episodes and despite its longevity it is continuing to go from strength to strength.

Much the same can be said of Dawn Rimmer’s golf, although it must be added that she started playing the sport many years after The Archers had become an early-afternoon tea-time essential for so many.

These days 51-year-old Dawn, who has been a member of Naunton Downs for seven years, plays off nine.

Originally from Warwickshire, she first started playing at the Forest of Arden before joining Staverton Park in Northamptonshire where she played for 20 years.

Dawn moved to this part of the world – she lives in Guiting Power with her husband Neil – in 2011 and within days had joined a club that this year is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

“We went up to test the golf course and liked everything about the club,” said Dawn who is full of praise for the club’s pro Nick Ellis and greenkeeper Robert Hook. “Everybody was welcoming, the course was good, there was no point looking anywhere else.”

Dawn’s husband is a pretty good golfer too. A former men’s captain at the club, he plays off 14 which is obviously a slightly higher handicap than his good lady’s.

“Oh yes,” laughed Dawn when asked if she was the better player. “He won’t mind me saying that. He’s tried for a long time to be better than me but to be fair to him he doesn’t play as often as me.”

Dawn describes herself as “very competitive” when it comes to golf and she has certainly played at a very decent level having played county golf for first Northamptonshire and then Gloucestershire for not far short of two decades.

When she spoke to The Local Answer she was heading off to Minchinhampton to play for Gloucestershire Seniors in the South West regional final.

It’s clear that golf has played a big part in Dawn’s life and not just in her social life because she is also a professional referee.

It’s a job that has taken her to all parts of Europe and even further afield and she has worked on both the men’s and ladies’ European Tour.

These days she works almost exclusively on the ladies’ tour and is self-employed. It’s a job she has been doing for about 18 years although she no longer works full-time.

So how did she become a golf referee?

“I’d wanted to turn pro – not as a player but as a teacher,” she said. “Then the opportunity to become a referee came up so I took that route instead.”

And she’s certainly been plenty busy over the years.

“There’s a referee with every group on Tour,” she explained. “Ours is an advisory role, generally we keep out of things.

“But if we think someone is about to break the rules – usually accidentally – then we step in and advise them about the rules.”

So has she faced any difficult decisions?

“There have been some tough ones, yes,” she said, “particularly if live TV cameras are in your face. But if you know your stuff you’re okay.”

Dawn clearly knows her stuff but she admits she’s going to have to do some homework over the next couple of months.

That’s because the R&A and USPGA are introducing a new Rules of Golf which will be implemented on 1st January 2019.

You fancy Dawn will be up to speed come New Year’s Day although she admits she enjoys playing more than refereeing.

“I play for fun,” she said, “and refereeing is a job. It can be very long hours if the weather is cold. But I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it.”