Huxley Golf, the well-known supplier of all-weather surfaces for golf, has announced the unexpected death of Barry Huxley, who founded the Huxley Golf business with his brother Paul in 2000.
Barry had been a director of the Huxley family business Huxley (UK) Ltd for over 50 years, before its transfer to an Employee Owned Trust in 2020. The business was started in 1946 by Barry and Paul’s father, Ted Huxley, who began selling Allen Motor Scythe grasscutters in London and the home counties when he was demobbed after war service in the RAF and Fleet Air Arm flying Spitfires and Seafires.
Until 2000, The Huxley Grass Machinery business manufactured and supplied commercial grass cutting and turf maintenance machinery to golf courses and sports grounds throughout the UK and across the world.
Barry joined the family business in 1970, after an apprenticeship at Ransomes in Ipswich, where he learned about the manufacture, servicing and sales of mowing machinery. The firm continued to prosper, introduced the Cushman Turf Care System to the UK in 1975 and began to develop and manufacture its own range of Huxley mowers, turf care implements and trucks.
When the Huxley Grass Machinery business was sold in 2000, Barry and his brother Paul started the Huxley Golf business, having spotted the need for low maintenance, realistic and innovative all-weather golf surfaces.
It was clear from the start that high quality installation was key to the new business and Barry led from the front, supervising the installation of all-weather practice greens and tees for Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, as well as many other world-famous tour professionals and championship courses. As Huxley Golf’s reputation grew, the firm carried out installations in many countries and now have appointed distributors as far away as China.
A keen sportsman throughout his life, Barry captained the school cricket team ay Bradfield College, scoring several hundreds, was chosen to captain the ESCA southern schools against the north and then played for Berkshire. He played golf at Sunningdale and New Zealand Golf Club, where he had many friends and, over the years, he achieved high standards at croquet, tennis, gliding, riding, ballroom dancing and clay-pigeon shooting.
The Huxley family have expressed their gratitiude to the many friends from all over the world who have shared their memories of Barry and expressed their sympathy and sadness about his sudden death. Huxley Golf extends heartfelt condolences to Barry’s family and his many friends.
