Head golf pro for the city of Idaho Falls stepping down after 46 years

IDAHO FALLS – Although Tim Reinke says he’s never had a bad day in his 46-year career, he’s calling it quits.

The 65-year-old Idaho Falls man has been the manager of all golf operations at Pinecrest, Sand Creek and Sage Lakes Golf Courses. He was also promoted to Head Golf Pro of Pinecrest in 1984.

In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Reinke says the reason for his retirement isn’t tied to anything in particular. He just feels now is a good time to step down.

“I love it (my job). I could easily do it another 10 years, but I decided, as long as I’m healthy, I might as well go and do some other things I haven’t had a chance to do,” Reinke says.

Reinke didn’t mention anything specific he plans to do in retirement, but he says he’s spent a lot of time away from home on weekends through the years and would like to spend more quality time with his wife.

Reinke’s last day with the city will be on April 30. A retirement celebration will be held at Pinecrest Golf Course on April 25.

Replacing him in the role is Sean Thomsen, who previously worked as the city’s assistant golf professional.

Coming to Idaho Falls

Reinke started working for the city of Idaho Falls in 1979. He was 18 then, but had been working around golf courses since age 9. Reinke and his family moved to Billings, Montana around that time. It was here that his dad joined a golf club.

“I thought he was crazy when he did it. I thought, What are you doing, dad? That just sounds so dumb,” he says.

It wasn’t long before Reinke picked up a club and fell in love with the sport. He eventually started working at the same golf club where his father played.

Mike Taylor was the club’s PGA professional. Taylor started working as the professional golfer for the city of Idaho Falls in 1975. That’s how Reinke ended up here.

“I’d worked with him in Laurel (near Billings),” Reinke explains. “When I turned 18, my mother told me I had to get a summer job so I came out to Idaho Falls.”

There were only two golf courses in town back then. The courses were consistently packed and Reinke remembers turning about 400 people away on a daily basis during his second year of employment.

Sage Lakes Golf Course was built several years later.

Reinke enrolled in the Professional Golfers Association early on so he could start teaching golf. He remembers scoring 98 out of 100 on the test — the highest score in the nation at the time.

“I got a national award,” says Reinke. “I think there were about 34,000 applicants for the test. It was quite a nice honor, but I laugh about it now because … most of the applicants hadn’t even opened the textbook (after a weeklong course). The test is about what’s in those books.”

Four years after moving to Idaho Falls, Reinke became the head golf pro at age 23 when Taylor took a job in Arizona. More than four decades later, Reinke is thrilled with how things turned out and to call Idaho Falls home.

‘I’ve enjoyed every minute’

Reinke has received multiple awards during his tenure. He was named the Golf Professional of the Year in the Rocky Mountain region three times. Golf Digest named him one of the top golf instructors in Idaho twice.

“Reinke … has been the low scoring professional many times in pro-am events, as well as winning the Senior Division of the Idaho Open in 2012,” according to a news release from the city.

Reinke was inducted into the Rocky Mountain Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2021.

Although Reinke is honored with all the awards, he says it’s the people that have made it a worthwhile career. It’s those interactions he’s going to miss most.

Even in retirement, Reinke says he isn’t going anywhere and is still planning to stick around as a golf instructor.

“I’m going to continue teaching. I’ve got thousands of students that I’ve given lessons to throughout the years. Retiring will give me more time to give lessons without worrying about the shop every day,” he says.

He has nothing but good things to say about his successor and wishes him the best in his new role.

“I truly have had zero bad days here,” says Reinke. “It’s been a seven-day-a-week job. I probably average 16 hours a day … and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”

In a news release, Mayor Rebecca Casper praises Reinke for his contributions to the city’s golf courses over the years and wishes him well in his retirement.

“Tim has been a huge driving force in making Idaho Falls golf courses the success they are today,” Casper says. “More importantly, Tim has helped teach and share his love of the game with countless generations over the years. He’s been a true steward of the sport — not just in our City, but in golf communities nationwide. He will be greatly missed, and we wish him well in his retirement.”

The public is invited to Reinke’s retirement celebration on April 25. It’s happening from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Pinecrest Golf Course.