BOB LaDUKE

A LIFE OF SERVICE TO OTHERS

This year, the Rocky Mountain Open tournament committee & area professsionals would like to recognize, honor & thank a very special man, Mr. Bob LaDuke.

Elton R. (Bob) LaDuke Bob was born not far from Lincoln Park Golf Course in a house built by his grandfather and great-grandfather on North 7^th Street in Grand Junction.

He and his wife of 53 years, Caryl, have three sons, Daryn, Kelton, and Kevin, all of them and their wives living here. The six grandchildren and one great-grandson are a source of pride and enjoyment.

He has had two careers—one in education and the other in golf, both involve serving others.

Golf began for Bob LaDuke at an early age when he caddied at the Rocky Mountain Open and other tournaments for the “big guys” as he saw the golfers, both professionals and local players. Later he began playing each year in the RMO winning his division in 2003. He has watched golf in the Grand Valley grow from two 9-hole courses to six courses with 9, 18, and 27 holes.

Bob taught both elementary and middle school and coached basketball and track at Palisade High School. His winning track teams included both elementary and high school youth. His high school teams participated in both Colorado and Utah.

Throughout his 30 year teaching and coaching career, he encouraged youth to have integrity, personal pride, faith in themselves and their abilities—also qualities of golfers. His sons learned early the importance of education and personal goals.

He received numerous professional and community awards during his career in education.

Bob played golf whenever time and budget permitted. He served as a team captain in the Grand Junction City Recreation Golf League during the 1970’s. His team often included Mick and Jamie Clark, Ken McGeechie, Jorgie Jorgenson and Bill Lange. They won many trophies while having fun and improving their golf scores.

He retired from teaching on May 30, 1989 and began his second career two days later working at Tiara Rado and Lincoln Park Golf Courses under Jack Sommers. During the past 22 years he has held all the golf positions at these two courses from Shop Manager to Cart Manager. He continues to work at Tiara Rado on week-ends and whenever needed.

He has watched construction at Tiara Rado from the tearing down of the old pro-shop to the building of the new club house, to the recent changes in the back nine with the beautiful new lakes providing needed irrigation to the course.

He recalls that when he started to work at Tiara Rado, the pro shop was still in the little old farm house. It provided some memorable times, but nothing like the year when the pro shop was housed in a small modular trailer down by the putting green. Running a full golfing program from the trailer was a real challenge for all involved.

Since the golf courses were and are enterprise departments of the city, meaning that they are self supporting, not tax supported, there was no funding for many needed projects. Some of his happiest memories are when he and Jack Sommers were “carpenters” fixing whatever needed remodeling or repair.

He hired many high school boys and girls to work with the golf carts. He taught these employees about work ethics, dependability, and integrity. His philosophy that golf teaches life’s lessons was always incorporated.

Bob was hired in the early 1990’s by the Colorado Golf Association as their Western Colorado Secretary/Treasurer, a position that he still holds. He and CGA board member Mike Knode arrange and oversee the yearly West Chapter Championship Tournament and the Daily Sentinel Junior Golf Tournament.

He prepares and publishes the yearly tournament schedule for Colorado’s western slope golf courses. Getting the information from the courses during the winter months when many of them are closed is a challenge. Golfers begin asking for a copy of the new schedule as early as March.

After learning the rules of golf through classes and personal study, he has given numerous Rules Seminars to area high school golf teams. When his son became a varsity golf coach, he volunteered to be his assistant coach. He also served as a Director of the Regional High School Girls’ Golf Tournament.

He has served on many church and community boards including Crime Stoppers, Mesa College Alumni Association, Palisade Planning Commission, Palisade Lions Club, School Betterment, etc. He is currently on the boards of the Western Colorado Golf Foundation and Enstrom’s Rocky Mountain Open and is President of the over 350 member Tiara Rado Men’s Club.

Most early mornings Bob can be found on the back nine at Tiara Rado playing a quick nine holes with his buddies Deeter Southerland and Jim Ashe. Bob is always willing to respond to phone calls, letters, E-mails or just questions or comments from other golfers, both male and female. His home and cell phone numbers are programmed into many golfers’ phone books.

Golf has been Bob’s life and his love, and he has strived through service to return to it and other golfers the joy that it has given him.