Carl Faddis was never afraid to take on a new challenge. A graduate of Denver North High School, Faddis served as an assistant golf professional or head pro at five golf clubs prior to retiring as director of golf and head pro at Valley Country Club in 2001. With his trademark grin, he might have pointed out that he also served for Uncle Sam during an Army stint in the early 1960s.
Faddis caddied as a youth and knew early in life that he wanted to be a golf professional. He got his start in 1958 at Grand Junction’s Lincoln Park Golf course. After getting his spikes wet there, Faddis moved in 1959 to Denver’s Willis Case Golf Course.
A year later, he began the first of two stops at Valley Country Club, a two-year stint that was curtailed by military duty. Soon after arriving for duty at Fort Hood in Texas, he was put in charge of running the golf course at the Army post.
After discarding his khaki uniform for good, Faddis took up residence in Sidney, Neb. From 1965-74, he served both as head golf professional and course superintendent at Sidney Golf Club. His pals back in Denver probably wondered if he had to grill the burgers as well.
Faddis’ desire to return to the Front Range was realized in 1975 when he was named assistant pro at his old stomping grounds of Valley Country Club. A year later, he was named head pro and director of golf. At Valley, Faddis gave lessons to some of the most famous sports figures in Colorado history, including John Elway and Doug Moe.
Faddis always made sure to give back something to the profession. A mentor to numerous club professionals in the state, he was named Colorado PGA Section Golf Professional of the Year in 1982. In 1984, he was elected president of the Colorado PGA Section. And it’s said that he served, at one time or another, on practically every Section committee. Faddis also donated his time to the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame as a board member.
