Members and visitors at Saltford Golf Club, located between Bath and Bristol, are benefiting from a major upgrading of the club’s practice area following the commissioning of four new all-weather practice tees and an all-weather practice green, all supplied and installed by Hampshire firm, Huxley Golf.

The four practice tees were created using the latest specification Huxley Premier Tee Turf 2 (PTT2) all-weather turf which allows the ball to be played directly off the surface or from a tee peg inserted into the pile, enabling the full range of clubs to be used including the latest large-headed drivers, just as on a grass tee.

The tournament-quality nylon practice golf green chosen by Saltford Golf Club is of similar specification to the all-weather putting and chipping greens installed by Huxley Golf for eight Major Championship winners and at the English Golf Union’s National Golf Centre, Woodhall Spa, among others.

In addition to their high quality, natural feel and resistance to wear, an important feature of Saltford Golf Club’s new Huxley practice tees is that golfers have for the first time four horizontal and consistently level surfaces off which to practise their shots all year round.

Although the club has long been able to offer golfers a large area for practice close to the club house, the slope of the ground meant that practise shots had to be played previously from either above or below a player’s feet in the case of left-handers and right-handers respectively.

Using spoil resulting from major irrigation works carried out at the club in 2005, course manager, Darren Moxham, was able to produce four horizontal raised areas at one end of the practice ground on which Huxley PTT2 all-weather turf was installed on purpose-designed bases by Huxley Golf’s professional installation team. The resulting four tees are large enough to allow up to eight golfers to practise at any one time.

The new Huxley all-weather practice golf green is positioned to the rear of the tees and is laid out also on a raised base to provide a horizontal and level surface onto which golfers can play a full range of short iron shots from the mown grass surrounding the green.

Former captain and current secretary at Saltford Golf Club, Mike Penn, pointed out that the installation of the four Huxley all-weather tees and practice golf green had been made possible by a generous bequest from Captain John Willcock MC, a long-time member and former president and secretary of Saltford Golf Club and a distinguished past president of the Somerset Golf Union.

“When the bequest was made known to us, the committee spent many meetings discussing how to use the money,” he explained. “After much deliberation, it was decided unanimously to upgrade the practice area to provide a series of level teeing surfaces and a practice green that could be used successfully by golfers at any time of the year. A major feature of the Huxley installation is that the surfaces require minimal maintenance, just an occasional brushing, so there is very little extra pressure on the greens staff.”

Course manager, Darren Moxham, echoed Mike Penn’s words, saying that he found the surfaces easy to maintain and keep looking at their best. “They also provide a very natural and forgiving surface off which to play a golf shot,” he pointed out.

The final word on Saltford Golf Club’s new Huxley practice tees goes to club professional, Darren Read: “Huxley Golf’s Premier Tee Turf 2 is the best all-weather surface that I’ve ever played on,” he said. “It’s great to know that I can give lessons all-year-round without having to worry about ground conditions. The surface is ideal for practising both woods and irons because it will accept any length of tee peg and also allows shots to be played straight off the pile. It’s a great asset for the club.”