In Memoriam: Ronald Coleman (RC), 12/8/1944 – 4/16/2022

Ron (RC) Coleman was raised on a golf course and began playing golf at the age of five. He won his first junior event at the ripe age of seven. After a successful junior golf career, he attended the University of Houston on a golf scholarship in 1963-66  where he met Carole and married her in 1965. RC turned professional in 1967 and was the teaching professional at Apache Wells CC in Mesa, AZ. He then took a job at Lake Wilderness Golf Course (built and owned by his father Ray Coleman) in his hometown of Maple Valley, WA from 1967-1970.  In 1970, he was the first Head Golf Professional at the Cedars at Dungeness (originally named Dungeness Golf and Country Club) built and owned by his father Ray. He then accepted a position at Camelot G&CC in Mesa, AZ for a few years before returning to his beloved home State of Washington.

From 1977-1984 he was the Head Golf Professional at the Veterans Memorial GC in Walla Walla, WA, where he ran the Longest Day of Golf events to raise money for the Cancer Society.  A tireless promoter of golf, in 1980 Ron hosted an exhibition at Veterans Memorial featuring Sam Snead, as well as an exhibition in Yakima featuring Jack Patera (then Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks), Celtic great Bill Russell and longtime Wilson rep Jim Dignam. Both of these exhibitions raised money for local charities. Ron rallied with the local community to successfully break the Guinness World Records for the fastest 18 holes of golf.

During his years as a club professional RC held positions on chapter boards and committees, and served on the Advisory Committee for the Safeco Classic Golf Tournament, which was a LPGA Tour event held at Meridian Valley CC in the 1980’s and early 90’s.

In 1985, Ron accepted a new role as a PGA administrator as the Executive Director of the Western Washington Chapter and Executive Director for Western Washington Golf Course Superintendent Assoc. He created the first ever Super Ams. Then from 1990 to 1994 he was promoted to the Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Section. When he began as Executive Director, the offices were located in his garage in Enumclaw before he moved operations to Indian Summer G&CC. He convinced the owners of Indian Summer that they could market and benefit by having the course as the site of Pacific Northwest PGA headquarters. RC was involved during the development working with the golf course architect. The owner built an office building adjacent to the driving range for the PNW Section. This was the Section’s home for 10 years, rent-free. 

Among the many great things he did for the Pacific Northwest Section, Ron added a senior division to the Hudson Cup in 1992 and started ForeWord Press, the Section’s official publication. He also started the Section’s first $10K hole-in-one-challenge. It is because of Ron Coleman that the Pacific Northwest Section has one of the strongest PGA Section tournament programs in the country. He added events to the tournament schedule and convinced many companies to sponsor them, raising tournament purses to an unprecedented level.

In 1993, he was selected by his peers as the winner of the PNW PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award. During his fifty years as a PGA Golf Professional, RC wasn’t just an accomplished administrator, but an incredible golfer with thirteen hole-in-ones and one double-eagle.

Ron worked closely with Ron Hagen in the Western Washington Chapter PGA and the Pacific Northwest Section PGA. In 1993, Hagen and Coleman started a golf management company known as Golf Resources Inc. (GRI), which at its height managed seven golf courses and was involved in construction, design and opening four of those courses in Washington and Oregon. The two Ron’s operated GRI until RC retired in 2003. Coleman spent his summers in Walla Walla, later Yakima, running the Central Washington Chapter Pro-Am program for a number of years. RC eventually retired to Arizona and it is amazing how many of his lifelong friends from WA state are also calling AZ home.

Ron possessed an outgoing personality and an inner vision to share his love for the game of golf. His love for the sport earned him the respect of his fellow golf professionals who often called him for advice on topics from course construction to contract and employment matters.

During his retirement he loved watching the Mariners and the Seahawks and betting with friends every chance he had. He went to the Masters four times and his daughter, Kim spoiled him with tickets to see the Seahawks play in Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona. He lived next door to his son, Ron Jr and his daughter Kim was just down the street in Verrado, a community in Buckeye, AZ.

More than his love for golf, Ron had a love for his wife Carole who was right by his side throughout his career and with whom they raised their children together- Kelly Anderson, Kim Coleman, and Ron Coleman Jr. His legacy continues on through his three children, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. He will be greatly missed for his bigger than life personality. Whenever you mention his name, an RC story is bound to be told.

The family will be holding a Celebration of Life in his honor later this summer in Western Washington.   

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