Our Founding: Timber to Tees
By the 1920s, cable cars were running down Madison Street to Lake Washington, and the Puget Mill Company saw an opportunity to create something entirely new in the Pacific Northwest: a private residential community built around a world-class golf course. The company dedicated 115 acres to golf and another 85 to a residential park — forming what would become the region’s first country club development.
Emerging from the hardships of World War I and the influenza pandemic, a group of visionary timber executives sought to build something enduring and elegant in Seattle: a place where people could live and play surrounded by both natural beauty and civic energy. They briefly called the project the Union Bay Golf Course, later Puget Golf and Villa Club, before settling on Broadmoor, a name borrowed from Colorado’s famous resort.
Led by executives from Pope & Talbot Lumber Company, including William H. Talbot and William Andrew Irwin, the founders envisioned a place that combined natural beauty, refined living, and recreation in one setting. Irwin’s research across the U.S. and Canada confirmed that no other major city yet offered such a combination.
After exploring design proposals from Herbert Strong and Willie Park, the company selected the renowned Canadian architect Arthur Vernon (A.V.) Macan, known for his thoughtful, naturalistic courses at Inglewood and Fircrest. The course was completed in 1927, and with it, a legacy of golf and community that endures a century later.
A Legacy of Championship Golf
Broadmoor has been home to many of the Northwest’s most memorable golf moments.
In 1945, Broadmoor hosted the Seattle $10,000 Open Tournament, with a field that included Byron Nelson, Jug McSpaden, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. Nelson took the tournament with a 72-hole world record of 259, 21 under par.
In 1952, at the Women’s Weathervane Tournament, Betsy Rawls bested Babe Zaharias.
In 1954, the 52nd Western Amateur brought Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, and Phil Harris to the course.
In 1961, Broadmoor hosted both the thirteenth annual USGA Girl’s Junior Golf Championship and the Seattle Open, where Dave Marr captured a $3,500 prize and Miller Barber won $10,000 for a hole-in-one on #7.
With the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962, the Seattle Open attracted Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper, Tony Lema, Ken Venturi, Dave Hill, Julius Boros, Doug Sanders, Jack Nicklaus, Hollywood stars Bob Hope, James Garner, Don Cherry, Dennis Morgan, and Phil Crosby, and a crowd of 6,000 for the Pro-Am.
In 1964, the Seattle Open was held for the last time at Broadmoor. Billy Casper claimed the top spot in the winner’s circle.
The USGA Women’s National Amateur Championship in 1974 yielded winner Cindy Hill of The Broadmoor in Colorado. The strong field included Nancy Lopez and Amy Alcott.
Broadmoor hosted the Pac-10 Men’s Golf Championship in 1989 and 1999. Paul Casey, from Arizona State University, set the men’s competitive course record of 60 in 1999 as he advanced to win the individual honors. The Women’s Pac-10 Championships were held in 2007, and Anna Nordquist, also from Arizona State University, set the women’s competitive course record of 69. Broadmoor hosted the expanded Pac-12 women’s event in 2018, which saw Patty Tavatankit, from UCLA, win the event.
Most recently, Broadmoor hosted the 2024 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, where Australian Nadene Gole bested Canadian Shelly Stouffer, 3&2 in the Championship Match. It was her first USGA title, and she became the first from Australia to win this championship. Gole came into the event as the No. 116 golfer in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking.
The course record remains legendary: in 2015, Fred Couples, a Seattle native, eagled the 18th to shoot 59.
Head Golf Professionals
Tim Feenstra is the PGA Head Professional at Broadmoor Golf Club, a position he has held since 2019. Tim was born and raised in the small town of Lynden, WA and began working at Broadmoor in 2008 after previously working at Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club and Homestead Farms Golf Club. He obtained his PGA Membership status in 2011 and became a Certified Professional in 2015. A highly decorated competitor in the Pacific Northwest section of the PGA, Feenstra has won multiple PNW PGA Professional Championships (2011, 2013, 2015), the Washington Open Invitational, and has qualified to play in the PGA Championship. He played collegiately at Western Washington University, earning honors including NCAA Division II Freshman of the Year and later being inducted into the WWU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017. At Broadmoor, he is respected for both his competitive record and his passion for teaching and growing the game locally.
Born in Spokane, WA, Hill played collegiate golf at Eastern Washington University from 1977-1978. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington.
Bill Tindall was a beloved figure in Pacific Northwest golf, remembered as both a champion player and a respected club professional. A prodigy from an early age, he won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 1960 and later played collegiately for the University of Washington before moving into professional roles. His career included posts at Glendale and Longview Country Clubs, but he became most closely associated with Broadmoor, where he served as Head Professional for 22 years. During his tenure, Tindall not only upheld the traditions of our historic club but also mentored countless players and professionals, earning honors such as the Pacific Northwest PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1987 and induction into the PNW PGA Hall of Fame in 2000. His legacy at Broadmoor reflects both his deep passion for the game and his lasting impact on the golfing community.
With the resignation of Ben Doyle in September 1971, the search committee started the hunt for a new pro. By October they had 50 applications. In December, the board officially confirmed Duke Mathews as the new Broadmoor Head Pro, effective March 1, 1972.
As a young high school student in Olympia, playing on the Bear Golf Team, he also spent time caddying at the Olympia Golf Club.
Adolf Schmidt, Chairman of the Olympia Brewing Company, journeyed occasionally to Seattle to play Broadmoor, each time bringing young Duke to caddy for him. As Duke trudged the fairways, he was tremendously impressed with the views and the vistas offered by Broadmoor's beautiful homes and gardens bordering the fairways. Then and there, the young 16-year-old made a vow to return one day as the head pro at Broadmoor.
After a stint at Eugene Country Club, a year on the pro tour, and the head pro job at Olympia. Duke did indeed return as Broadmoor's head pro.
Ben Doyle was employed as resident pro in October 1967. George Howard remained on during the summer months as Pro Emeritus. Arrangements were made for Doyle to purchase the Pro Shop stock from George Howard. Ben's forte was in teaching, particularly the young beginners. He was a perfectionist. Give him a youngster, just beginning, for a year, and you had a budding champion. For the oldsters, with stiffening joints, Ben's lessons were painful. Ben, in his youthful exuberance, could never quite understand why any pupil, of any age, could not develop a full swing, a complete turn and a high follow-through. Ben resigned in September 1971.
George Howard was the Broadmoor Head Pro from September 1945, working full time from May 1st of each year until September 30th, at which time he departed for Palm Springs to be Head Pro at O'Donnell Golf Club, the winter base for many Broadmoor members.
During his tenure, because of his Palm Springs contract, George would bring many celebrities to enjoy rounds of golf at Broadmoor. Bing Crosby, Phil Harris, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, among others, looked forward to playing Broadmoor as Howard's guests, and they always responded when called upon for a charity appearance.
During the late '60's, however, a feeling grew among many of the members that Broadmoor should have a full time pro 12 months of the year. Finally, in 1967, the matter came to a head. Howard could not give up his Palm Springs position, so in October 1967 Ben Doyle was employed as resident pro, with Howard staying on as Pro Emeritus during his usual summer periods. This contract with George Howard extended until 1971.
George Howard was highly regarded as one of the best club pros in the business, and many Broadmoor members were greatly disappointed at his decision to devote full time to the O'Donnell job. When he left, he was given an honorary life membership in Broadmoor.
Broadmoor's second Head Pro started his club pro career in 1927 as an assistant to Martie Dutra at Tacoma Golf and Country Club. In 1930 he succeeded Dutra as Head Pro, serving until 1934 when he took over from Frank Rodia at Broadmoor. He remained at Broadmoor until 1945.
After leaving Broadmoor, Richards operated driving ranges and owned the Wayne Golf Course until 1953 when he was selected as head pro at the reorganized Overlake Golf Club. He remained at Overlake until 1965. Gordy is one of the legendary figures of Northwest golf.
His son Bruce, himself a scratch golfer, married daughter of past Broadmoor president, Cliff Mortensen. Each year they entered as a team in Broadmoor's invitational and could be counted on to make a run at the top spot.
Frank caddied at the Seattle Golf Club in the early 1920’s and organized a match between Ballard and Franklin High that led to the dawn of competitive golf in the Seattle school system. His first head professional job was at Alderwood in Portland, and he returned to Seattle in 1926 as the first Head Professional at the Broadmoor Golf Club. Frank was a fine player, winning the Washington PGA Match Play championship in 1931 and the Washington Open in 1929 and 1931. Following a move to San Diego in 1934, he became the first head professional at the Torrey Pines course in 1954, retiring in 1970. He returned to Washington the next year, becoming active at the Alderbrook Yacht and Golf Club on Hood Canal.
