Boles was officially named general manager and head golf professional at the Fort Dodge Country Club on Wednesday. The 61-year-old is leaving the same position at MeadowCreek Golf Resort in New Meadows, Idaho — the state in which Boles is a native — to return to the area after a 13-year absence.

“I’m really looking forward to this,” said Boles, a graduate of the Arizona Golf Academy in Chandler, Ariz. “I’m a 20-year veteran of the Coast Guard, so I’ve traveled all over the country. I can honestly say the courses in central Iowa are among the best I’ve seen.

“I have friends in and around both Webster City and Fort Dodge, and I’m excited about re-connecting with them and re-establishing my roots there.”

Boles, a 22-year veteran of the business who is PGA certified, previously served as the director of golf at Briggs Woods Golf Course in Webster City and both the general manager and golf pro at the Webster City Country Club. He lived in Webster City from 2003 through 2006.

In addition to being a playing professional in Ohio from 1997-2001, Boles has also been a collegiate coach and either general manager or head professional at courses in Missouri, Arizona and Ohio. He returned to Idaho to take care of his parents, who have since passed away.

Boles has two sons and grandkids in Duluth, Minn., so being in Fort Dodge “puts me about 1,200 miles closer” to them now than where he is currently located.

“I got to know the Fort Dodge area not just as a player, but as a certified high school basketball official when I lived there before,” said Boles, who obtained the rank of Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard prior to his professional golf career. “I really enjoyed my time in Iowa. The Fort Dodge Country Club is a wonderful place to golf … rich in history and very highly regarded.

“I had a golf pro friend in Indiana first tell me about (the FDCC opening) when I indicated to him I was thinking about returning to the midwest. It was a case of perfect timing. I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity. It actually feels like I’m coming home.”

Boles has a bachelor of arts degree in golf complex operations and management and an associate of arts degree in applied business from AGA.

FDCC board president Tony Trotter confirmed Boles will start on June 18.

“We (the FDCC board) are all really impressed with the level of experience he brings to the Fort Dodge Country Club,” Trotter said. “We think he will be a great leader during this time of growth.

“We are working on upgrading amenities growing membership, adding youth programs, and continuing to provide one of the most well-maintained courses in the state.”

Eddie Doyle, the FDCC’s current clubhouse manager, announced his resignation in May. Doyle, a 2014 St. Edmond graduate, is moving to Florida to work as an insurance agent for Bankers Life in Jacksonville.

“I am more than thankful for the opportunity that was given to me. It has been a pleasure to serve the members and run the golf course I called a second home since I was a young kid,” Doyle said in an e-mail to the FDCC members.

Doyle plans on working at the FDCC through June. The 72nd Fort Dodge Amateur is June 21-23 this year.

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