Inducted, 2002

For three decades Joe Bernolfo was one of Utah's most significant amateur players. He was one of only a handful of players to win both the Utah Open and the Utah State Amateur.

He won the Utah Open in 1949 at The Country Club in a four-way playoff involving George Schneiter, Bill Korns, and Jack Koennecker. The field included Lloyd Mangrum and Bud Ward.

In 1957 he won the Utah State Amateur title by default when Ralph Johnson withdrew in the final round because of back trouble. He defeated defending champion Lou North in the semifinals that year by shooting a four under par round at the Ogden CC.

In 1961, at the age of 49, he became the oldest player to ever win the State Am by defeating Arnie Ferrin at the Alpine CC, 4 and 2.

Bernolfo was also runnerup in the State Am to Bill Korns in 1946 and 1950, both times at The Country Club, where Bernolfo was also club champion 20 times. Bernolfo and Korns also shared a State Am record of playing in 42 matches, but that has been exceeded recently by Doug Bybee who has played in 43 matches.

Bernolfo advanced to the fourth round of the 50th U.S. Amateur Championship at Minneapolis Country Club. He won the International Amateur in Switzerland and played in the U.S. Open.

He was an organizer of many community activities and was the chairman of the 1947 Western Open at the Salt Lake Country Club that was then part of the PGA Tour and attracted Ben Hogan, Sammy Snead, Lloyd Mangrum, and Jimmy Demaret to Utah.

Bernolfo was born September 3, 1911 in New York City and died at the age of 77 in 1988. He graduated cum laude in engineering at Northwestern University where he also lettered in football, basketball, track, water polo, wrestling, and was an All American swimmer. He became a world class pigeon shooter, winning the Grand Prix Cote de Azur in France. He was also an avid skier, fly fisherman, and horseman, a true Renaissance Man.

He was very active in community affairs. He was president and chairman of Bamberger Investment and Exploration and served 12 years on the Board of Regents and Institutional Council at the University of Utah and also served on the board at Westminster College. He was a director and member of the executive committee of Zions Bank. He was active in charitable fund raising.

He married Marie Odel Bamberger, and they had three children, Joseph E. Bernolfo III, David Bernolfo, and Gloria Rothwell.