The late Tom Babb served as director of golf at Inverness Golf Club from 1973 to 2000. He was there from the very beginning, helping prepare the course for its opening, even to the point of operating some heavy earth-moving equipment to construct holes. In the early years, Babb did about everything to get Inverness on its feet, including filling in as the operator of the course’s snack bar on busy days. And, thanks largely to Babb’s mentoring over the decades, many of his assistants have gone on to head professional positions.
Babb was a highly regarded instructor, a decorated member of the Colorado PGA and an enthusiastic host as major Colorado tournaments were played at Inverness.
Babb was a two-term president of the Colorado PGA, serving for a total of six years in the 1980s, and he was on the Section’s board of directors from 1977 to ’87. He played a key role in the Section establishing a home office of its own.
Babb won each of the following Colorado PGA awards twice: Professional of the Year (1981 and ’87), Teacher of the Year (1991 and ’92) and Resort Merchandiser of the Year (1995 and ’98). In 1999, he also earned the Colorado PGA’s Warren Smith Award for lifetime achievement. And in 2000, Golf Digest named Babb one of the top 10 golf instructors in Colorado.
During Babb’s tenure at Inverness, the club hosted the Colorado Open six times (1992-97), becoming just the second home course in the history of the event after the tournament moved from Hiwan Golf Club.
On his watch, Inverness hosted the prestigious John Elway Celebrity Classic, numerous Colorado Section Championships and the Colorado Open Golf Marathon, which raised significant funds for Craig Hospital. Babb was also recognized as an ardent supporter of junior golf.
In addition to being an outstanding golf professional and teacher, Babb was a very good player. He qualified for the 1987 PGA National Club Pro Championship and represented the Colorado PGA in the Colorado Cup Matches during the 1980s.
