I am Janne Lehto MG, golf course agronomist, superintendent, chairman of the board and environment consultant based in Helsinki, Finland with strong passion for sustainability, innovation, golf and turfgrass management. 

As a Master Greenkeeper and Sustainability Champion I am dedicated in leading the transformation of golf course management into a global model of sustainability and committed to innovation and continuous improvement of golf clubs and turfgrass excellence. 

I have worked on golf courses all around the globe, from Finland to Scotland to Australia and have vast experience in professional tournament set-up at the highest stage. I have had the privilege to work at the highest level at the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup and the Open to name a few. I also have had the opportunity to gain experience at the most prestigious clubs in the business such as Loch Lomond GC. 

My sustainable golf course management approach I have been able to implement at Hirsala Golf as a golf course superintendent for the last 8 years and drive the club as one of the sustainability leaders in the golfing world. Hirsala has been able to be one of the early adopters of game changing innovation of robotics and 100 % of the fairways and 75% of the rough of the course is maintained with automatic mowers fleet. Hirsala has also been nominated in the top 100 most sustainable golf courses in the world and has won Finnish Golf Federations Environment award three times (2010, 2018 and 2021).

My agronomy and consultancy role has given me chance to work with various exiting projects in golf business in Finland. Greens grass species change project at Kytäjä Golf, a premier club in Finland, long term development and grow-in project at KeriGolf together with Ilonen design, course remodeling planning at Sarfvik Golf’s Old Course and Master Planning at Hirsala Golf and project management of the Golf Course Management book for Finnish golf industry alongside with long lasting partnership with the Finnish Golf Federation have been the highlights of my agronomist journey so far.

Alongside golf I also enjoy other sports on my free time with special interest for football as it had a central role in my youth. I also enjoy padel tennis, fishing, gym amd traveling as my hobbies and I am happy that my golf industry career has given me the opportunity to travel around the world and learn new cultures. 

I am a firm believer in sustainability and dedicated in enhancing the golf experiences through environmental biodiversity and connecting nature into golf. My goal is to inspire as many as possible into sustainable golf course management journey, leaving positive impact into golf course management business in long term.

I’m always open to connecting with like-minded individuals, discussing turfgrass management, sustainability and environment or golf industry. Feel free to reach out if you share a passion for golf courses and let’s explore the possibilities together.

Thank you for taking a moment to get to know me. I look forward to connecting and collaborating with you!