Cole admits that deciding to step down wasn’t easy.

    “It’s difficult because I love the club and the members,”  he said in a recent interview. “I had a tough time figuring out when the right time was. But this is the type of job that you have to give 100 percent to. I’ve been here 17 years and I’m 67 years old, so it seemed like the right time. But my entire time here has been very enjoyable.”

       And like his predecessors, Cole won’t lack for memories in his time at Cherry Hills. After all, besides his role in running operations for one of the most prestigious clubs in the U.S., his tenure included Cherry Hills hosting the 1993 U.S. Senior Open and the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open.

      Given that Cole himself competed in the ‘93 Senior Open, that tournament particularly holds special memories. In fact, it holds great memories for many golf fans in general as Jack Nicklaus won the last of his eight USGA titles that year, fending off fellow former Ohio State golfer Tom Weiskopf.

      Earlier that week, Cole had the pleasure of playing a practice round with Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer (who won the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills) and a fellow qualifier, Paul Spengler. Palmer and Cole partnered in a match against Nicklaus and Spengler, and Cole and the King prevailed, with Cole shooting a nifty 4-under-par 67.

      Cole would end up qualifying for the Senior Open four times during the 1990s, but Cherry Hills marked the only venue where he survived the cut as he shot 74-77-77-76.

      In all, Cole has played in an impressive array of tournaments for a lifelong club professional: one U.S. Open (1972), three PGA Championships, four U.S. Senior Opens, three U.S. Amateurs, one Senior PGA and nine national club pro championships. He survived the cut in two of his three PGA Championships.

      “It takes a lot of hours” to maintain a competitive game while also fulfilling the many duties of a head pro,  Cole said.  “But I enjoyed all of it. You just have to have some game before you get there because of the time commitment; the most important thing is taking care of the membership.”

       Cole was born and raised in the South, but had some experience at Cherry Hills prior to succeeding Warren Smith as head professional in 1991. Cole had worked as an assistant under Smith from 1970 through ‘73. From there. Cole became the head pro at Dallas Country Club for a dozen years and then managed three course in Austin, Texas area until landing the position at Cherry Hills effective Jan. 1, 1991.

      Thanks to his work at Cherry Hills, where 11 of his former assistants have gone on to become head pros, Cole received the Colorado PGA’s 2005 Warren Smith Award for lifetime achievement. A dozen years earlier, Cole earned the Colorado PGA’s Senior Player of the Year honor and was also the Section’s private club merchandiser of the year.

      Like his two most immediate predecessors at Cherry Hills, Smith and Rip Arnold, Cole was elected to the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. The threesome’s combined tenure at Cherry Hills has lasted almost 70 years, from 1939 to 2008.

     Asked how he would like people to remember him as a head professional, Cole said, “as a true gentleman and for his passion for the game.”

     Mission accomplished. Indeed, Cole’s Colorado Golf Hall of Fame biography notes that he handled his responsibilities at Cherry Hills “with grace, class and professionalism. These three words pretty much sum up Clayton Cole.”

     As for what the immediate future holds, Cole plans to remain in Colorado — he lives in Englewood not far from Cherry Hills — but has “no immediate plans. We’ll see what evolves.

     “I’m sure there will be an adjustment period. I don’t know how I’ll adjust, but I hope it flows OK.”

     And will retirement include days on the links, as it does for many golf aficionados?

    “There will be some of that on the agenda,” he said.

“True Gentleman” Reflects on
Seventeen Years as Cherry Hills Head Pro

Cole retiring effective April 11; Ogden will succeed string of Hall-of-Famers

By Gary Baines

Colorado Golf Journal, Monday, March 31, 2008

      The head golf professional job at Cherry Hills Country Club isn’t what you’d call a high-turnover position.

      Since the club opened in 1922, there have been a grand total of five head golf pros. That’s an average of one every 17 years, which isn’t surprising considering Cherry Hills is arguably the preeminent course in Colorado. It’s hosted three U.S. Opens — and eight U.S. Golf Association tournaments overall — along with two PGA Championships. And it’s still ranked 53rd on Golf Digest’s rundown of America’s greatest courses.

      Given Cherry Hills’ history and renowned course, it’s significant when there’s a change  at the head pro position. The club is on the verge of undergoing such a change. Clayton Cole is living up to the norm of longevity by retiring after 17 years in the job; his last day at the club will be April 11.

      Cole’s club-chosen successor is John Ogden, a former Cherry Hills assistant pro who will return to the club from his current job as head pro at the Country Club at Castle Pines. Cole said Ogden will start at Cherry Hills on April 7, giving the two a week of transition.