Colorado University Athletics
Les Fowler spent 29 years as Colorado's golf coach on a volunteer basis.
From Caddie To Coach, Fowler Enshrined In Hall Of Fame
November 14, 2017 | General, Men's Golf
Les Fowler grew up in Memphis, Tenn., where as a kid he had a paper route and caddied at the local golf course to earn money. He spent a lot of time at the course practicing his chipping and putting while waiting to be picked up by any golfer who was needing a helping hand.
Fowler fell in love with the sport of a lifetime, and would spend his playing, teaching and coaching others.
A champion player and coach, Fowler's golf legacy was forever enshrined in Colorado's Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 9.
Getting to Colorado is a story in itself. When World War II hit, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in Washington D.C. as a language translator. He was sent to the University of Colorado to learn Russian. After the war, Fowler wanted to return to CU to earn his degree in business and finance. It was here he met his wife Jane, also a CU student. They married and made Boulder their home.
While attending CU, Fowler joined the golf team as by the time he was a senior, he was the school's player-coach, the norm for its day, as he succeeded Don Bell in the same role. That spring, he tied for fourth in the first Big Seven Conference meet the Buffaloes ever played in, recording a 3-over par 147.
Following graduation that spring, he went to athletic director Harry Carlson and asked to become the team's volunteer head coach. Carlson agreed, and Fowler would serve in that role for 29 years, stepping down in December 1976 (handing over the reins to his assistant, Mark Simpson, who would also coach the team for 29 years until his death in December 2005).
As a coach, his teams won three conference championships, with individuals claiming three league medalist honors and two NCAA stroke play titles (Merle Backlund in 1953 and Hale Irwin in 1967). His 1968 team won the Big Eight Conference title, CU's last league crown in the sport, and that team also went on to finish the highest a Buff squad has to date at the NCAA Championships (eighth).
"Growing up around golf, he learned to respect the game and the competition, fellowship and life lessons the game taught," his son, Mark Fowler said. "He always had a desire to introduce the game to others and thus coaching was a perfect fit."
Fowler was a very successful amateur golfer and was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 1978. To this day, he is the only player in state history to have won all four major amateur championships (Match Play, Stroke Play, Senior Match Play, Senior Stroke Play) of which he won a combined 11 times. He was the CGA's Senior Player of the Year four times (1978, 1979, 1980 and 1989).
"My dad's fondest memories of attending the university would be that of meeting my mother and giving back to the university, not only as a coach but serving the university in different roles," Mark Fowler said.
M.J. Mastalir, an assistant coach/manger in the 1960s, wrote a letter of congratulations to Mark Fowler, stating, "Les was a volunteer coach at a well-respected university. His coaching style was unique as he didn't do a lot of teaching as coaching in those days was mostly managerial in scope, arranging schedules and tournaments and accessing places for the teams to practice and play, holding tryouts and qualifying rounds. My involvement with the Big Eight Championship and my role as assistant coach/manager while I was in law school at CU was very special to me and influenced my life greatly, as it taught me many life lessons."
Fowler's career stretched well beyond the fairways. He was a successful insurance executive, state senator, state representative and Boulder City Councilman, where he enjoyed helping individuals and institutions. He worked with many university presidents and Board of Regents over the years in school financing issues. He also served on the University Hospital Board and was awarded the George Norlin award in 1997 from the University Alumni Association.
He passed away on Feb. 8, 2003, at the age of 78.
Fowler fell in love with the sport of a lifetime, and would spend his playing, teaching and coaching others.
A champion player and coach, Fowler's golf legacy was forever enshrined in Colorado's Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 9.
Getting to Colorado is a story in itself. When World War II hit, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in Washington D.C. as a language translator. He was sent to the University of Colorado to learn Russian. After the war, Fowler wanted to return to CU to earn his degree in business and finance. It was here he met his wife Jane, also a CU student. They married and made Boulder their home.
While attending CU, Fowler joined the golf team as by the time he was a senior, he was the school's player-coach, the norm for its day, as he succeeded Don Bell in the same role. That spring, he tied for fourth in the first Big Seven Conference meet the Buffaloes ever played in, recording a 3-over par 147.
Following graduation that spring, he went to athletic director Harry Carlson and asked to become the team's volunteer head coach. Carlson agreed, and Fowler would serve in that role for 29 years, stepping down in December 1976 (handing over the reins to his assistant, Mark Simpson, who would also coach the team for 29 years until his death in December 2005).
As a coach, his teams won three conference championships, with individuals claiming three league medalist honors and two NCAA stroke play titles (Merle Backlund in 1953 and Hale Irwin in 1967). His 1968 team won the Big Eight Conference title, CU's last league crown in the sport, and that team also went on to finish the highest a Buff squad has to date at the NCAA Championships (eighth).
"Growing up around golf, he learned to respect the game and the competition, fellowship and life lessons the game taught," his son, Mark Fowler said. "He always had a desire to introduce the game to others and thus coaching was a perfect fit."
Fowler was a very successful amateur golfer and was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 1978. To this day, he is the only player in state history to have won all four major amateur championships (Match Play, Stroke Play, Senior Match Play, Senior Stroke Play) of which he won a combined 11 times. He was the CGA's Senior Player of the Year four times (1978, 1979, 1980 and 1989).
"My dad's fondest memories of attending the university would be that of meeting my mother and giving back to the university, not only as a coach but serving the university in different roles," Mark Fowler said.
M.J. Mastalir, an assistant coach/manger in the 1960s, wrote a letter of congratulations to Mark Fowler, stating, "Les was a volunteer coach at a well-respected university. His coaching style was unique as he didn't do a lot of teaching as coaching in those days was mostly managerial in scope, arranging schedules and tournaments and accessing places for the teams to practice and play, holding tryouts and qualifying rounds. My involvement with the Big Eight Championship and my role as assistant coach/manager while I was in law school at CU was very special to me and influenced my life greatly, as it taught me many life lessons."
Fowler's career stretched well beyond the fairways. He was a successful insurance executive, state senator, state representative and Boulder City Councilman, where he enjoyed helping individuals and institutions. He worked with many university presidents and Board of Regents over the years in school financing issues. He also served on the University Hospital Board and was awarded the George Norlin award in 1997 from the University Alumni Association.
He passed away on Feb. 8, 2003, at the age of 78.
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