When Harold Weber began to lay out the course that was to become Highland Meadows Golf Club in 1925, little did he dream that 100 years later, the course would see countless numbers of golfers playing thousands of rounds each season or that it would be home to the long-running LPGA Golf Classic, and now the new Greater Toledo Golf Classic, pitting LPGA golf legends with Epson Tour newcomers.
Weber was hired to design the course by a group of area golfers, headed by attorney Edward H. Ray, who wanted a low-cost, no-frills, golf-only, private club. A championship player and also a golf course architect, Weber knew the game of golf. Starting at what was the pig sty on the 123-acre former farmland on Erie Street, he staked out the entire golf course, playing through fields of alfalfa with 50 golf balls. With only a few changes, today’s golf enthusiasts play on that same layout.

While the game of golf continues to be the primary focus, as its name implies, other amenities have been added over the years. This combination has fostered the development of a culture of congeniality and strong, lasting friendships for members.
Construction of a new clubhouse was started in 1926.  Until its completion, members used the Parker farmhouse. Over time, locker rooms and a sun porch were added to the clubhouse along with a kitchen addition. The pro shop and pool buildings all have undergone expansions to meet the needs of the ever-growing membership base.
An in-ground pool was added in the 1950s and replaced with an Olympic-size pool in 2001.
LPGA at Highland Meadows
Weber and the founding members could not have imagined that the LPGA tournaments would find their way to Highland Meadows for over 35 years, showcasing the course with national and international exposure.
In keeping with LPGA standards and club member expectations, a driving range expansion, more than doubling the size, was completed in 2017. Hole number nine was altered slightly to accommodate the larger driving range. Number 10 tee was relocated, and a new putting green was installed on the former tee. According to a former club board president, Dick Balhoff, who headed the renovation project, “Everything that was done was for the golfers’ safety and convenience. The LPGA officials and members seemed to like everything about this, and the members capped off the renovations by installing the signature clock between the 10th tee and the putting green.”
“The golf course is always maintained tournament-ready for our membership,” noted course superintendent Eric Swary. “However, during tournament week, we let the rough grow a bit longer and we cut the greens twice a day.”
Club Manager Andy Masten is well aware of the importance of golf to the membership. He guides his staff as they serve the membership, providing well-planned menus and events centered around activities on the golf course. “We have also opened our doors to the community by hosting organizations such as the Sylvania Chamber, Sylvania Area Community Improvement Corporation, Rotary, and others for luncheon meetings, receptions, and more. We average nearly 15 golf outings on Mondays for different community groups, businesses, and charitable organizations, and we are the Northview golf team’s home course,” he reported. “We have such a great group of members, and it is a pleasure to work with them,” he noted.
 “We also have a wonderful staff. Our team does such a great job with the club and the pool. But, we do golf well!”
Masten also realizes the importance of the history of the club. “Knowing about our past keeps us thinking about the future,” he wisely said. Keeping an eye on the future, long-range plans indicate renovations for the men’s locker room, pro shop, and the point patio.
Golf professional Nick Myers, a veteran of 22 years, echoes Masten’s sentiment about the staff and the members. “It is great to be part of this organization and to work with the staff we have. As a golf professional, what a joy it is to be part of a club whose members value the game of golf and love it as much as I do,” he reported.
There are several membership categories. “While we value all our members, we emphasize our junior program,” Myers pointed out. “The primary goal for all of our Junior Golf programs is to develop lifelong golfers with a passion and enthusiasm for the game. We have something for everyone here,” Masten explained.
Members reflect
New member Andrew Headman noted that he and his wife chose Highland Meadows because they wanted a facility that provides a fun and relaxing environment while also not being too far away from their home.

Highland Meadows Board of Governors member Duane Horst joined the club 23 years ago at the urging of some friends. “You join for one reason, and then you find out there are so many other benefits you never imagined,” he recalled.
“I was an okay golfer, but I quickly saw how my game improved just by playing with better golfers,” he noted. “And it is incredible how much help the old timers are willing to mentor and help those of us not quite in their league. I also didn’t realize how many new friends I would make and how comfortable it is to have a place just to relax and be with fun people.”
Horst enjoys the chance to be part of the many tournaments where you are placed on teams by random draws. “You get to play with different members that you might not know, which is also great fun,” he said. Horst also has high praise for the chef, the club manager, the golf pro, and the greens superintendent.
 “Best of all, as an active member, I am one of the 300 owners of the club, and we each have input on all decisions. And we share the same goal to keep Highland Meadows ever improving. With an eye to the future to ensure we stay relevant, we also honor our past and keep our traditions alive.”
“I decided to join Highland Meadows because it felt like home,” remembered Joe Mehling, current board president. “And I have nothing but good memories of time spent at the club. Our kids grew up at the pool and on the golf course, and now my grandchildren are enjoying being here,” he noted. Mehling said highlights of his three terms in office include honoring Bill Geha, the pool manager of 50 years, and bestowing the honorary membership to Denny Spencer for all his contributions to the club and the game of golf.
Mehling also noted the long tenures of former golf professional Dave Samaratoni, who served 29 years in that role, and current pro Nick Myers, who is in his 22nd year. “This speaks volumes about our membership and the entire organization, and I certainly have enjoyed how the club manager Andy Masten, greenskeeper, Eric Swary, and golf pro Nick Myers work together.”
Longtime member, Lloyd Otto, has been a witness to many of the innovations and finds the values envisioned by the founders to be still intact. Otto, a low handicap golfer, followed in his father’s footsteps, or rather, golf shoes, as he became a member in his own right in 1958. He had grown up on the course, playing golf since he was 11 years old, and learning about the game by caddying for his dad, who scored in the 80s.
“I liked being at Highland Meadows because it was down-to-earth and not a fancy country club. It is a good place to play golf,” he said. “Later, it became a place for our family to enjoy. We had lived in the Trilby area of Toledo, but finally moved to Sylvania to be closer to Highland Meadows. We have made a lot of friends here on and off the golf course, taken memorable trips, and having a great time. And we still do!”
According to Otto, Highland Meadows is just what the founding fathers envisioned…a no-frills, low-cost golf club…and much more. It’s filled with members who make the club a memorable place to be.
Centennial Bourbon
To celebrate the 100-year milestone, a barrel of bourbon was purchased last September from the family-owned Kentucky New Riff Distillery. It was bottled in specially labeled bottles etched with Highland’s 100-year celebration logo. It is available for members to purchase and comes with two rocks glasses, also engraved with the club’s 100-year logo. The barrel remains in the club lobby.
In addition, Inside the Five’s Brandon Fields brewed a centennial beer for Highland Meadows called “Par for the Course.”