The Tacoma Boys!

The remarkable golf pipeline in South Puget Sound produces world-class talent on the tee, on the bag and behind the scenes

By Bob Sherwin • CG Staff Writer

It’s hard to explain why such a relatively small patch of land south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and north of McChord Air Force Base has had such a remarkable national impact on the game of golf — producing professional tour players, high-profile caddies, architects, executives and entrepreneurs.

They’re from various walks of life, learning the game at driving ranges and public courses and country clubs, from a wide span of junior programs, a variety of teachers and a diversity of uncommon denominators.

It might begin with John Bodenhamer, 65, who grew up in Lakewood — ground zero for this concentrated golf colony — and went to Lakes High School. He was a junior champion in Washington, part of Brigham Young University’s NCAA championship golf team in 1981 and is now a USGA executive, serving as the vital Chief Championships Officer. He’s very visible during the USGA’s championship weeks on TV and online. Prior to that, Bodenhamer led the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and Washington State Golf Association as executive director.

Then along came the players, emerging from various junior programs at local courses. Perhaps the first was Troy Kelly, 47, who won 40 junior tournaments, went to the University of Washington and turned pro in 2009. He played on various pro tours, including 66 starts on the PGA Tour.

Ryan Moore

“We all looked up to Troy Kelly, who was five years older than us. That kind of drove the three of us to play,” said Andres Gonzales, part of a wave of elite players that included Ryan Moore and Michael Putnam.

Gonzales, 43, recently named the head golf coach at UNLV, grew up in Olympia but gravitated to the Lakewood area to play with Moore and Putnam. Gonzales, who played for Oregon State and UNLV, earned his first PGA Tour card in 2015 and would earn $2.67 million. His most lasting legacy was his spirited personality, earning him the nickname, “Half Man, Half Amazing.”

Moore, 43, who went to Puyallup’s Cascade Christian High and UNLV, is far and away the most successful. As an amateur, he was a four-time All-American, Hogan Award winner (2005), and U.S. Amateur (2004) champion. He earned his Tour card in 2005, won five times in 454 starts, with 74 top 10s, earning more than $34 million. He won the crucial clinching single match for the U.S. team at the 2016 Ryder Cup.

Moore also is a notable businessman, giving back to his home area. In 2011, he helped his family take ownership of three south Puget Sound courses: The Classic Golf Club, McCormick Woods Golf Course and Oakbrook Golf Club. In 2010, Ryan and his brother Jason also started True Linkswear, a successful golf shoe and apparel company.

Michael Putnam, 43, is part of one of the most illustrious golf families in the state, that includes his PGA Tour-playing brother Andrew Putnam (and brothers Joel and Nathan). Michael went to Tacoma’s Life Christian Academy, was three-time All-American at Pepperdine, won the Byron Nelson Award (2005) and was elected to the school’s Hall of Fame (2016). He turned pro in 2005, won three times on the Web.com Tour, and earned his PGA Tour card five different times. He had 134 starts with two top-fives and 17 top-25 finishes, winning $2.6 million.

“The three of us used to travel together,” Gonzales said. “We’d get two queen beds and a rollaway when we played junior golf.’’

What connected these local elite players as they matured was the Tacoma Country & Golf Club, right in the middle of Lakewood on the shores of American Lake.

“The Tacoma Country & Golf Club is a huge part of that. They have an unbelievable practice facility,” Gonzales said. “Once we got on the tour, it was easy to stay there because it’s a great family course with the lake.”

When the course was revised in 1987, the old No. 2 was dedicated just to wedge work from 130 yards and the previous No. 17 and No. 18 were converted into a huge driving range. Interestingly, renowned Northwest course designer John Harbottle helped with TC&GC renovations until his death in 2012. Harbottle was raised in Lakewood and went to Bellarmine Prep.

When Gonzales and Michael returned to TC&GC during the summer, they turned their attention to helping the next generation, such as Andrew Putnam, five years younger than Michael, and youngsters R.J. Manke and Joe Highsmith.

“I gravitated toward R.J. and Highsmith when they were about 10 years old. Michael did the same thing,” Gonzales said. “They would be able to see how we practiced and what we did. It almost inspired them to think, ‘it’s (PGA Tour) not that far away.’ It seemed attainable.”

Manke, 27, born in Lakewood, went to Bellarmine Prep, Pepperdine University and University of Washington. He was part of Pepperdine’s 2021 national championship. He transferred to Washington for the 2022 season and still holds the school’s single season scoring average (69.32). He’s building his professional career.

Highsmith, 26, also born and raised in Lakewood, was Manke’s teammate at both Bellarmine and Pepperdine, turning pro in 2022. He won the 2025 Cognizant Tournament, had three top-10 finishes last year and has won more than $4.4 million. He finished T8 at the 2025 PGA Championship.

Andrew Putnam, 37, went to Life Christian Academy, was a three-time All-American at Pepperdine and currently is inside the top 60 on the PGA Tour money list. He won the 2018 Barracuda Open, has finished second five times with 27 top-10 finishes. He has won more than $19 million on Tour.

Another standout from this mini golf community is Kyle Stanley, out of Gig Harbor and Canterwood Country Club. He’s another Bellarmine product.

“He’s the same age as Andrew and has the same competitive attitude as Andrew,” Gonzales said of Stanley. “He was good enough to be No.1 in country as a collegiate player. Both were highly recruited.”

Andres Gonzales

Andrew Putnam

Joe Highsmith

Kyle Stanley

“The common denominator are the golf courses — Fircrest, Tacoma Country & Golf Club and Canterwood,” Young said. “I know a lot of them got started at Tacoma Firs, now closed.”

— Ryan Young, head golf professional at Chambers Bay

Stanley, 38, who went to Clemson, turned pro in 2011 and won twice on the PGA Tour with 12 top fives and has more than $17 million in winnings. He’s attempting to re-establish his professional career.

At this point in the revolving array of local players, Andrew Putnam, perennially among the top 10 putters on the PGA Tour, is “the guy.”

“Right now, it’s Andrew. We can say that’s the guy from my state. He’s our representative on Tour right now,” said Ryan Young, the head golf professional at Chambers Bay.

Young, 37, who grew up in Mill Creek and played for Whitworth University, played junior golf with and against the Putnam brothers.

“The common denominator are the golf courses —Fircrest, Tacoma Country & Golf Club and Canterwood,” Young said. “I know a lot of them got started at Tacoma Firs, now closed.”

Lakewood’s Meadow Park was also part of the mix and have menu items named after these gents.

Young gravitated to teaching and has been at Chambers since 2016. He began working under Brian Moog, who went to Lakes High School and was named among the top 50 instructors in the nation. This past January, Young was named a PGA of America National Award Winner for Player Development.

“That was my mission when I started the academy in 2016. We wanted to be a hub for growing the game here,” Young said. “We’ve become that. We’re one of the best in the country. I’m proud to say that confidently.”

The community has also produced two of the top caddies in the country, Greg Bodine and Michael Greller.

Bodine, 38, was born in Lakewood, went to Life Christian Academy and played golf for Biola University. Cousin to the Putnam brothers, he is the No. 1 tendered caddie at Chambers. He caddied for Andrew Putnam as an amateur, then carried the bag for Tony Finau for six years. He now carries for Bryson DeChambeau on the LIV Golf Tour.

In 2022, Bodine, Andrew Putnam and former Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse — another Lakes High School graduate — became business partners in the Evergreen Golf Club in Redmond. Based on the Redmond success, in 2024 they opened a second indoor studio in Fircrest, just a couple miles from Chambers.

Greller, 48, was born in Michigan, went to high school in Iowa, played golf for Northwestern Iowa College and now lives in Gig Harbor. He picked up a bag for Justin Thomas at the 2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers. Thomas then recommended that Jordan Speith use him for the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur at Gold Mountain. It led to him leaving his middle school teaching job to be a full-time caddie. Greller has been on the bag for all of Speith’s 13 career victories, his three majors, including the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers. He has earned more than $8 million in the process.

“Both Bodine and Greller are very kind people,” Gonzales said. “When he (Greller) picks up the bag for Jordan Spieth, one of our generational talents, it just goes to show how good his character is. He’s a phenomenal human being and well respected by everyone.”

It’s not one player or one course or one instructor that’s responsible for this pocket Hamlet community to have such a mighty impact on the national game. It takes a village of unheralded, unnamed and unsung instructors to get all these lads on their way. With more on their way.

Gonzales summed it all up: “It’s a fun fraternity to be a part of, that’s for sure.”