Toro central to Highwoods Golf Club’s success

By Alistair August 29, 2024 08:30

As Highwoods Golf Club celebrates its centenary year, the East Sussex club reveals how Toro’s complete turfcare offering has been central to its ongoing success.

“We’re a Toro club through and through,” says Jamie Melham, course manager at Highwoods. “Alongside our new fleet of turfcare machinery, we’re also using Toro’s Lynx irrigation system, which, together, ensures all the greens, tees, approaches, and fairways are maintained to the highest standard.

“A strategic plan has been put in place to take the course to the next level and continue to push, year-on-year,” he adds. “With all eyes on us for our centenary, that’s never been more important.”
There is a lot for the club to prepare for as part of its centenary celebrations. Highwoods has been invited to host the County Championship in July 2024, and, as general manager Rebecca Prout points out, preparation for 100 years at Highwoods has been some time in the making, beginning in earnest back in 2017.

“Over the last seven years or so, Jamie and the greenkeeping team have been working hard on several projects to celebrate our hundredth year, including a new centenary pond on hole fourteen,” explains Rebecca.

“Toro has played a pivotal role in these developments and, thanks to our new fleet, the brand will be central to ongoing improvements at Highwoods, particularly when it comes to pushing those fine turf areas to the next level.”

To do so, Highwoods has invested in a variety of new turfcare machinery. However, thanks to the club’s long-standing relationship with Toro distributor Reesink, it has been able to do so in a simple, affordable way.

With a range of finance packages available, clubs like Highwoods can have all the benefits of market-leading mowers without the upfront investment.

“Leasing Toro machinery through Reesink guarantees first-rate performance year-on-year, as we will always be using the latest kit,” explains Jamie. “That way, we’re always going to get the highest quality of cut, delivering the consistency we know our players love.”

Highwoods’ new fleet includes the Toro Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420, which, according to Jamie, has created a real buzz amongst his team.

“Everyone has been really excited to try the 3420,” he says. “It eliminates ribbing around our greens and, as the cutting units are so stable, we’ve already noticed significant improvements in the overall finish.

“By fitting an eight-bladed cutting cylinder, we can also use the 3420 on tees and approaches, which has totally transformed the way they look. The way it glides and follows the contours of the ground is truly remarkable.

“My team always takes a moment every Friday afternoon to appreciate the work and notice how beautiful the course looks,” he goes on. “It’s one of the best things about greenkeeping – the satisfaction you get when you can see the difference all your hard work has made, and Toro helps us achieve that feeling week in, week out.”