BILLINGS — Longtime Yellowstone Country Club and The Briarwood head golf pro Bob Eames died on Thursday at his home in Billings.
The Yellowstone Country Club posted that Eames had passed away on its Facebook page on Friday afternoon, leading the post with “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Bob Eames, a legendary golf professional and an enduring part of Yellowstone Country Club’s story.”
Chad Dillon, the head golf professional at YCC, confirmed Eames passed away in a phone call with The Billings Gazette and 406 MT Sports.
Eames, who retired as director of golf at Yellowstone Country Club in 2019, was inducted into the Montana State Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2022 as a contributor for his service and dedication to the game of golf.
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Eames was employed as the head golf pro at The Briarwood from 1990-2004 and YCC from 2005-2019.
Per previous Billings Gazette and 406 MT Sports reporting, Eames was also the head professional at Idaho Falls Country Club in Idaho (1976-1985), and had two stints as an assistant pro at Yellowstone equaling 11 years. He spent parts of two years in the early 1970s on the PGA Tour, playing in eight events as a rookie and made the cut once.
When Eames — a 1965 Billings Senior graduate — retired at the end of 2019, it was at the same Yellowstone Country Club where in the spring of 1969 he started as an assistant professional to Paul Allen. Per previous Gazette and 406 MT Sports reporting Eames was only the second head pro ever hired in the history of YCC, which has roots back to the late 1950s.
“It’s funny, I feel blessed,” Eames was quoted The Gazette and 406 MT Sports in 2019 for a story about his retirement from YCC. “January first I am going to be able to say I started and finished my career at one of the finest country clubs in the United States of America. And, when I think of that, I say ‘Wow, the good Lord has blessed me.’ ”
Dillon succeeded Eames as head of the YCC pro shop and at the time told The Gazette and 406 MT Sports of the then 72-year-old Eames, “He is a very, very good people person. He certainly has a gift. He treats people the right way.”
The YCC Facebook post also detailed that Eames’ “lifelong commitment to the sport and to our community left an indelible mark on the lives of members, students, and fellow professionals alike.”
Funeral arrangements for Eames, who was an all-state guard for the Billings Senior basketball team and received a basketball scholarship to Wyoming, were pending per the YCC clubhouse.
“Bob’s legacy is woven into the fabric of Yellowstone Country Club,” the Friday YCC Facebook post read. “His passion, generosity, and devotion to golf will continue to inspire us each time we step onto the course.”
Email Gazette Sports Editor John Letasky at john.letasky@406mtsports.com or follow him on X/Twitter at @GazSportsJohnL
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