GOLF?star Melissa Reid has joined the ranks of top tournament professionals who have turned to Alresford-based Huxley Golf to create a private practice area at home.

The Solheim Cup Star and five-time ladies tour title holder is riding high on the back of a successful 2015 and has her sights set even higher this year.

To focus in on her short game, Huxley Golf installed the 180 square feet all-weather putting and chipping green at Mel’s home under the careful eye of coach Kevin Craggs.

With well-positioned undulations, the three-hole green offers the ability to make uphill, downhill, left to right, right to left and straightforward putts on the world-leading artificial surface. While the putting green itself was created using Huxley Golf Premier Putting Turf, the rest of the garden was covered with Huxley Golf Premier Leisure Turf 20 to facilitate chipping practice.

The 28-year-old from Derby (pictured) said: “I’m keen to capitalise on my top 10 finish in the Women’s British Open last year so I’m working really hard. With a full global schedule too, I need to take every opportunity I can to practice – and that’s just been made much easier now that I can practice at home whenever I wish.

“I’m really pleased with my new Huxley green. It doesn’t matter if time is short or the weather is bad as now I can still work on improving my short game.”

Paul Chester, general manager at Huxley Golf, said: “We were delighted to be approached by Mel and her team and we all wish Mel continued success in the years ahead and look forward to seeing her lifting more trophies in the very near future.”

News of Mel’s Huxley Golf practice green comes hot on the heels of Danny Willett having a Huxley Golf putting green installed at his home prior to his legendary win at this year’s Masters at Augusta.