Golf Business News – Highwoods Golf Club Celebrates Centennial with New Toro Fleet

As Highwoods Golf Club celebrates its centenary with week-long celebrations, the East Sussex club reveals how Toro's comprehensive turfcare offering has been vital to its continued success.

“We're a Toro team through and through,” said Jamie Melham, director of courses at Highwoods. “In addition to our extensive range of turfcare equipment, we also use Toro's Lynx irrigation system, which ensures that all greens, tees, fairways and fairways are kept to the highest standard.

“A strategic plan has been made so that the courses can reach the next level and continue to push, year after year,” he adds. With all eyes on us for our centenary, that has never been more important.”

The club has a lot 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 says, preparations for 100 years at Highwoods have been a while in the making, starting in earnest back in 2017.

“For the past seven years or so, Jamie and the greens team have been hard at work on several projects to celebrate our centennial, including the new centennial pool on the fourteenth hole,” Rebecca explained.

“Toro has played a key role in these changes and, thanks to our new fleet, the brand will be at the heart of the continued development at Highwoods, especially when it comes to keeping those grasslands up to standard.”

To do that, Highwoods has invested in a range of new turfcare equipment. However, thanks to the club's long-standing relationship with Toro distributor Reesink, it was able to do so in an easy, affordable way.

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

“Hiring Toro equipment through Reesink ensures first class performance year after year, as we will always be using the latest kit,” explains Jamie. “That way, we'll always get a high quality 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 in his team.

“Everyone was very excited to try the 3420,” he said. “It stops drilling our greens and, with the cutting units stabilized, we've seen a big improvement in the bottom line.

“By adding an eight-bladed cylinder, we can also use the 3420 on tees and fairways, which has completely changed the way they look. The way it glides and follows the contours of the world is truly amazing.

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

Reesink UK LTD is the sole UK distributor of Toro golf and sports equipment and irrigation products. Located at 1-3 Station Road, St Neots PE19 1QF. Call 01480 226800, email [email protected] or visit www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk