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Mark Ballif, PGA Pro, Course Architect, Owner of Sherwood Hills, Passes Away
Mark Ballif, designer, owner, and operator of Sherwood Hills Golf Course, and architect of other Utah golf courses, passed away Friday from lung cancer. He grew up in Ogden where his dad of the same name was a prominent athlete and coach. His most prominent design was Patio Springs Golf Course which is now Wolf Creek Resort, the site of many major Utah tournaments.
Scott Whittaker, Executive Director of the Utah Section PGA said, “Mark was a key leader in the establishment of the Central Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Section of the PGA. He was prominent in the early development of the section, and has been a great credit to Utah golf through his architecture and managerial skills,” he added. “For the later part of his life he did a great job with the design, construction, and management of Sherwood Hills Golf Course.”
In addition to Patio Springs he also designed and built the Bear Lake West golf course, the Green Valley course in St. George, the back nine holes at Glenmoor in South Jordan, and the front nine holes at Round Valley in Morgan. In 1973 he designed and built the Sherwood Hills Golf Course and has owned and managed it ever since.
“He designed some of my favorite golf courses,” Whittaker said, singly out “the great holes at Patio and the front nine at Round Valley.”
Bob Betley, the current pro and manager of Bear Lake West, was saddened upon hearing of his death. “We spent many hours together and like many others, he had a great influence on my life. We worked closely together on several projects, but especially Bear Lake West,” Betley said.
Funeral details and obituary can be viewed HERE