Northwest golfing legend Bill Tindall passes away at 80

The Pacific Northwest golf world lost another legend over the winter. Bill Tindall passed away after a brief battle with cancer. He was 80. 

Bill was one of the most popular and beloved people in the region’s golf community, and he leaves behind a legacy and career that is unmatched. Renowned as a mentor, he had a natural talent for developing peoples’ skills, their character and professionalism.

Bill has long been recognized as the “Pro’s Pro” in the Northwest, and countless professionals have tried to emulate his career, professionalism, and generosity. He developed a reputation among his peers as one of the finest club professionals in the country, and was awarded with the Section’s Golf Professional of the Year award in 1987. 

Bill won the Seattle Amateur in 1958 at age 14, followed by winning the Washington State Junior Championship. In 1960, Bill won the U.S. Junior Amateur (and later served as the Honorary Chairman of the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur, held at Gold Mountain in Bremerton, Wash.). He finished runner-up (to Tom Storey) in the 1963 Washington State Amateur.

After graduating from Seattle’s Ingraham High School in 1961, Bill attended the University of Washington, where he played on the golf team and competed in three NCAA National Championships.

Bill left education to take his first job in the golf industry, as an assistant pro at Glendale Country Club in Bellevue, Wash. Starting in 1969 he served for eight years as the PGA head professional at Longview (Wash.) Country Club, and then in 1977 began a long career at Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle. 

Bill served as the PGA head professional at Broadmoor for 22 years, before moving to Aldarra Golf Club in Fall City, Wash. as it was being established. Bill also was the Director of Golf at Tumble Creek in Suncadia, before returning for a final stint at Aldarra when he was 70. A tremendous player, Bill competed in 10 USGA national championships, playing in the famous 1974 U.S. Open (the “Massacre at Winged Foot”) and making the cut in three appearances at the U.S. Senior Open. Bill played on the PGA Tour for one season.

He was the coach of the UW men’s golf team from 1984-1992, winning the Pac-10 title in 1988, and that same year became the first Husky men’s golf coach to earn Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors.

Bill was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Section PGA Hall of Fame in 2000.