Toro teed up for PGA partnership

Global turf and landscape innovators Toro supplied extra machinery to The Oxfordshire to support the club in its preparations for this week’s Titleist & FootJoy PGA Professional Championship.

And the Rees Jones-designed course has clearly reaped the benefits judging by its excellent condition and reflected in Andy Raitt equalling the course record 63 on the opening day of the £78,000 event.

It’s just one area where the newly signed PGA Official Supplier will bring its expertise to bear for the benefit of PGA pros across the UK.

Ahead of the tournament, Andy Brown, senior sales manager of Toro for Europe, Middle East and Africa, outlined his ambitions for the partnership with the PGA which he hopes will match those the Minneapolis company already enjoys with the likes of the European Tour, various Club Managers’ Associations around Europe, the EGCOA, European Institute of Golf Course Architects and others.

“We feel very strongly it is for us to build those industry partnerships and support their activities to develop and professionalise their own memberships,” he said.

“We also help them present the right images to the world outside of golf – in other words we play our part in strengthening the overall position of golf in the world  - particularly in terms of environmental protection, the use of new technologies, renewable energies, water conservation etc.

“We were given an opportunity to become preferred supplier to The PGA and we consider this a very important partnership. The timing is right because of how the world of golf is developing. The PGA is looking at working with BIGGA, England Golf, the GCMA, and other partners, and as we are already working with many of them, it is logical for us to work more closely with the PGA.

“With the changing management structure of many golf operations, the PGA Professional is now being given the opportunity to move in to management positions within the overall golf operation where they are coming into contact with, and having to be involved in discussions about investments in the golf course itself.

“So it is important, we believe, that we help the PGA Professionals understand what is going on, outside on the golf course and how their experience and their professionalism, with regard to the overall golf operation, can be brought to support the activities of the superintendent, course manager and that between the two of them, along with the general manager, they produce a strong management team that can then deal with many of the long term strategic issues they have to consider.

“Often the course manager or greenkeeper won’t have the opportunity to speak directly to golfers unless they meet them on the golf course but the PGA Professional will, so if he/she understands what is going on and why, can deliver the right message about the golf course for the golf club, this will create a strong and unified message and hopefully reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings and issues – whether it’s member dissatisfaction or the like.”