Dr. Homer McClintock, a former member of the CGA Board of Governors who played a key role in the acquisition of the Evans Scholars house for caddies at the University of Colorado in the late 1960s, passed away on Thursday. He was 11 days shy of his 100th birthday.
Just last year at his home club of Cherry Hills Country Club, McClintock received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.
McClintock played an important role behind the scenes in the CGA’s Eisenhower Scholarship linking up with the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholarship in the 1960s. And he was one of three CGA officials on hand back in March 1969 when the E.S. house at 1029 Broadway in Boulder was first dedicated after being purchased from the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity the previous November.
Back in the ’60s, McClintock served as scholarship chairman of the CGA, and he and then-CGA president Dick Campbell and chapter house committee chairman Sonny Brinkerhoff played pivotal roles in finding and acquiring the house and getting it ready for the group that was then known as the Eisenhower-Evans Scholars. With the CU E.S. house having undergone a $6 million renovation and expansion in recent years, McClintock’s grandson, Keane, is an Evans Scholar there after caddying at Cherry Hills.
“The Evans Scholars program is really good, and it was run in the best way possible,” McClintock told coloradogolf.org last year. “The selection meetings (in which scholarship finalists are interviewed) are always very interesting, understanding what some of these kinds have gone through to get the scholarship. It’s fascinating and unbelievable.
“It’s such a great opportunity (for caddies). They don’t just get tuition, but they become part of a program that’s great.”
McClintock served on the CGA board of governors from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, a time when the association was greatly expanding its reach and services.”¨”¨In addition, McClintock was the club president at Cherry Hills in 1963 and ’64, and in 1977 leading up to the 1978 U.S. Open. He also played a key role in the hiring of Warren Smith as PGA head golf professional at the club. In 2005, Smith was inducted into the national PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame.
McClintock received a lifetime membership in the Colorado PGA in 1977. Homer’s son, Rich, served as chairman for the 1983 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the 1990 U.S. Amateur, both at Cherry Hills.
At one of the most historic clubs in Colorado, McClintock had been a member about 65 years and was the oldest living member at Cherry Hills, according to current PGA head golf professional John Ogden.ӬӬ
“He’s probably one of the most respected members in the history of that club,” Ogden said last year before McClintock received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. “He’s the most inspirational guy you’ll ever see — 98 years old (at the time), plays golf whenever he can, hits balls, works out every day, still goes to medical conferences. He was one of the first neurologists in Denver. He’s a neat guy. I love Homer. He’s just the best.”¨”¨
“If I’m that sharp (as McClintock was) in 10 years I’ll be happy. He’s a treasure at Cherry Hills, a true treasure. There’s not one person in that club who will speak anything but great (things) about Homer McClintock.””¨
McClintock was a Navy physician in the Pacific during World War II — he served with amphibious forces — before going on to become a neurosurgeon. A resident of Colorado since the early 1950s, McClintock was a very good golfer for most of his long life. He played on the University of Pittsburgh golf team in the late 1930s and was good enough to compete in the British Amateur in 1960.
McClintock first shot his age (or lower) when he was 79 years old as he carded a 74 in a member-guest. Last year, he said he’s managed the feat “over 25 times”.
“My lowest handicap was about a 3,” McClintock said then. “I was never a great golfer, but I enjoyed it.
“Golf is a great game. You play it in great locations and you meet nice people. It’s a great game for everybody.”
The McClintock family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations in Homer McClintock’s memory be made to the Evans Scholarship program in care of the CGA (5990 Greenwood Plaza Blvd #102, Greenwood Village, CO 80111).
(Updated Oct. 18: A celebration of life for McClintock is scheduled for Nov. 3 at 11 a.m. at Cherry Hills Community Church, 3900 Grace Blvd., Highlands Ranch. A reception will follow at Cherry Hills Country Club.)
