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Toro Turf Tour
COURSE: THE LAKES GOLF CLUB, NSW SUPERINTENDENT: ANTHONY MILLS
Course superintendent Anthony Mills relies on Toro’s range of industry-leading course equipment and irrigation products to keep The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney at its finest, week in, week out
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he Lakes Golf Club in Sydney is one of Australia’s pre-eminent private clubs and a leading major tournament venue. The golf course provides its members and their guests with a unique opportunity to play one of the country’s most famous layouts in a serene environment on outstandingly presented playing surfaces. Since its foundation in 1928, the club has played a major role in the Australian golfing landscape, having hosted no less than seven men’s Australian Opens. The first came in 1964 when Jack Nicklaus collected the first of his eventual six Stonehaven Cups. In 1980, Greg Norman did likewise, winning his home Open for the first time and setting the platform for what would be a further four titles. After Steve Elkington won in 1992, The Lakes dropped off the Open rota for a number of years, but a major course redevelopment in the mid-2000s saw it make a welcome return in 2010. Since then it has hosted a further three Opens, the most recent coming in 2018. 46
That redevelopment was something of a reawakening for the club. Under the auspices of the Ogilvy Clayton design team, The Lakes was dramatically altered in a bid to return it to its origins. They opened up vast tracts of sandy wasteland, in particular on the front nine, re-establishing the once open, windswept dunescape that The Lakes had exhibited in its infancy. Additionally, a whole new set
of greens and bunkers were constructed, the greens being bigger, more undulating and far greater in difficulty. Current-day custodian of this proud club is Anthony Mills who arrived at The Lakes a few months before the 2012 Open. Initially joining the club as assistant superintendent, within three weeks Mills found himself in the top role and with it the prospect of getting the course
The Lakes purchases its Toro equipment outright and has a dedicated machinery replacement programme in place
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 22.2