Hall of Fame

The D.O.G. Gets His Due

Director of Golf Russ Miller joins eleven other Broadmoor luminaries in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

BY JON RIZZI

IN 1993, RUSS MILLER WAS A PRODIGIOUS PGA director of golf at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C. “Man, was he impressive,” The Broadmoor’s Chairman Steve Bartolin recalls. “I loved the guy.”

On a recommendation, Bartolin had flown to North Carolina to assess whether Miller had the goods to replace the retiring Dow Finsterwald, the director of golf who’d worked at The Broadmoor for twenty-eight years— nearly as long as Miller had been alive.

And therein lay the rub.

“Russ was a stud—sharp, in control, personable,” Bartolin says. “But he was only 30 years old, and we had a legacy of golf at The Broadmoor that we had to preserve. So I turned him down.”

Bartolin’s decision was understandable. In addition to Finsterwald, who had won the 1958 PGA Championship and participated in four Ryder Cups, The Broadmoor had only had two other directors of golf in its history: “Long Jim” Barnes, who’d won two PGA Championships, a U.S. Open, and a British Open; and “Big Ed” Dudley, a fifteen-time winner on the PGA Tour who’d spent twentyfive years splitting seasons between The Broadmoor and Augusta National Golf Club.

Five years and a number of golf pros later, Bartolin hired the then-35-year-old Miller as The Broadmoor’s fourth PGA director of golf. Ever since, the North Carolina native has perpetually exceeded the expectations of members, hotel guests, and management.

He has delivered three USGA major championships since 2008 (plus a fourth, the 2025 U.S. Senior Open); resurrected The Broadmoor Invitation tournament; overseen the restoration of both the East and West courses; mentored dozens of future head professionals and Evans Scholars; and immortalized The Broadmoor’s 104-year golf history in the clubhouse’s stunning Heritage Hallway.

Miller has not only perpetuated The Broadmoor’s golf legacy. He’s burnished it to such high luster that the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame inducted him in 2020. We spoke with Miller about the honor.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE COLORADO GOLF HALL OF FAME?

I am incredibly honored, appreciative, and thankful. I never expected anything such as this. I have had the privilege to serve as director of golf at The Broadmoor for twentyfour years. Following in the footsteps of Dow Finsterwald is something I don’t take lightly. As only the fourth director of golf since 1918, I am committed to helping the golf program at The Broadmoor be as good as it can be.

RUSS MILLER

WHAT GOT YOU INTO GOLF?

I grew up in Asheboro, North Carolina, fifty miles west of Pinehurst, playing football, baseball, basketball, and golf. But once I figured out that I wasn’t big or fast enough to play those other sports in college, I settled on golf. I went to Ferris State University in Michigan, which had the first PGA Golf Management program sanctioned by the PGA of America. I competed on the golf team—but I found I really loved the business of golf.

WHAT HAS MADE YOU A PERFECT FIT AT THE BROADMOOR?

Harvie Ward always told me, “You have to work for the best people in the best places.” And this is it. I have great respect for The Broadmoor’s leadership because they have faith in us to take on new programs. They’re not afraid to try things, and neither am I. For example, in addition to our professional caddies, we’ve started The Broadmoor Caddie and Leadership Academy, which will teach teenagers not only to caddie and forecaddie, but provide the life lessons that could lead to an Evans Scholarship and will serve them as adults.

WHAT WAS THE BEST PROFESSIONAL ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED?

I’ll never forget what the great PGA Professional Bill Strausbaugh told me when I was 23 years old: “Russ, success is a choice” It seems elementary, but it is something that I have never forgotten and try to aspire to every day.

WHAT ABOUT THE USGA EVENTS?

The Broadmoor has a rich amateur golf history, which includes eight USGA championships— three of which have been on my watch: the 2008 and 2018 U.S. Senior Opens, and the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open. I’m proud to say we are also going to have the U.S. Senior Open in 2025. Our team has remained the same and knows what to expect from the USGA, and vice versa. There’s a comfort level that I feel it’s my obligation to build on and continue.

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?

This place is so busy and ever-changing that I never get bored. I enjoy going to USGA meetings. I love mentoring aspiring golf professionals and helping them obtain premier jobs in the golf industry. I enjoy interacting with people—our staff, members, and hotel guests—on a daily basis. This job gets into your blood. I’ve never regretted a day of work.