Inspired by Don January’s win at the 1967 PGA Championship at Columbine Country Club, 12-year-old Bob Doyle began a love affair with golf that eventually led him to the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.
It’s been a wild wonderful ride since it began as a caddie at Cherry Hills CC in 1967. He played on two Cherry Creek High School state championship golf teams, and he spent two years at Colorado State University on the golf and basketball teams before figuring he was more adept as an administrator than a touring pro.
He passed the PGA’s Playing Ability Test, aced Business Schools 1 and 2 and landed assistant posts at Tamarack in Limon, Flatirons in Boulder, South Suburban in Littleton and Hyland Hills in Westminster. He then became the head PGA professional at Rifle Creek GC.
In 1985 he engineered lease acquisition of the budding 36-hole Riverdale complex in Adams County, formed Professional Recreation Management (PRM), Inc., and made history. In 1985 he took charge of completion of the clubhouse and Dunes course opening and for 22 years was a dynamo.
Doyle engineered and served as tournament director for the Nike PGA Tour Colorado Classics in 1996-97 and the U.S. Public Links Championship in 1993, both at Riverdale. And in 2005 he spearheaded the move to give the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame a great showcase at Riverdale.
His enthusiasm is exceeded only by his business acumen. He’s twice been PGA Section president after terms as vice president and secretary-treasurer and countless committees. On a national level, he was District 9 Director, serving four years on the board as well as education, properties budget, audit, and University Management boards. Doyle also has been honored as PGA Section Golf Professional of the Year in 1997 and 2000, and received the 2008 Vic Kline Award for leadership. Ten of his past assistants have become head professionals or directors of golf.
