ip Arnold’s golfing career started when he was 10 years old as a caddie at Denver Country Club. At the age of 15 he was made assistant pro to John E. Rogers, the head pro at DCC. Arnold continued to caddie and assist Rogers while attending Denver West High School. Under the guidance of N.C. “Tub” Morris, Rip played on the West High golf team and was team captain his senior year.
By 1932 Rip Arnold was a full-time assistant at DCC and along with Rogers played on the winter tour of the PGA. Arnold consistently made the cut and finished near the top several times. In 1938 the U.S. Open was held at Cherry Hills Country Club — the first time west of the Mississippi River — and Arnold was among the competitors. The following year he was hired as the head pro at Cherry Hills, and remained there for 23 years. During Arnold’s years at Cherry Hills, the 1941 PGA Championship and 1960 U.S. Open were held at the club.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower considered Rip his personal friend and teaching pro. He rarely played at Cherry Hills when Rip was not in his foursome; in fact he insisted on it.
One of Arnold’s significant contributions to Cherry Hills was a prolific junior golf program. It was this program and the many contributions he made to Cherry Hills that led the board of directors at CHCC to build the par-3 nine-hole course on the northeast corner of the property.
During the early years of World War II Arnold got involved promoting war bonds through golf. He arranged an exhibition match with himself and Bing Crosby playing against Rogers and Bob Hope. He also arranged for another exhibition; this time he and Hope played against Crosby and Babe Zaharias.
