Broadmoor’s Anderson receives GCSAA, RMGCSA lifetime membership

Tommy Anderson, retired superintendent of Broadmoor Golf Club (Colo.), has been given an honorary lifetime membership to the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association (RMGCSA). He was also given an honorary lifetime membership to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

Anderson worked at the Broadmoor for 42 years and nine months, according to an RMGCSA news release. His role as superintendent included the U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Women’s Amateur and he was also the hotel’s property superintendent.

Bob Kinder, retired superintendent of The Club at Rolling Hills, was also given the honorary membership by the RMGCSA. Anderson recalls that he and Kinder both started in the golf business at nearly the same time and retired two days apart from each other. Anderson was the RMGCSA president in 1981, and Kinder was the president in 1995.

Anderson studied parks administration and forestry horticulture at Colorado State University‎ in the early 70s. There was no turfgrass program at the school at the time. He worked at Collindale GC in Fort Collins, Colo., for superintendent Neal Johnson.

After finishing college, Johnson recommended Anderson to Chuck Clark, then-superintendent at Broadmoor GC. Anderson spent his first few days at the Broadmoor helping with the irrigation. Clark saw his passion and offered Anderson the assistant superintendent position.

In 1974 Broadmoor brought in Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay to design its new third course, The South Course. Clark then became the director of golf for all three courses.

In 1995 the Broadmoor hosted the U.S. Women’s Open. The Friday night of the tournament, the No. 17 fairway had a mainline break. Anderson and staff worked through the night getting parts, digging and cleaning up. They took sod from the West course, had it repaired and cleaned up by 5:36 a.m.

Anderson resides in both Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. He has three children, two sons and one daughter. He can still be found out on the golf course helping out fellow superintends and friends Dan Hawkins and Fred Dickman.