Utah Athletics Announces Major Gift For New Golf Facility

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – University of Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan announced a $1 million gift from David Layton on Thursday for the golf program to build a new state-of-the-art golf training facility on campus.

The facility will be called the David S. Layton Golf Academy.

“First, I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in getting this project up and running,” Harlan said. “To our generous donors and the tremendous work done by Layton Construction, Beecher Walker and our development staff, you have helped enhance our student-athletes’ experience here at the University of Utah. This facility will provide our golf program with an elite training experience that will help continue their rise.”

This facility will provide our golf program with an elite training experience that will help continue their rise. Thank you to our generous donors and everyone who is involved in this project! https://t.co/kEi53kErHA

— Mark Harlan (@MarkHarlan_AD) June 18, 2020

The 7,000-square foot facility will be located across the street from the Spence and Cleone Eccles Football Center on Guardsman Way. The construction on the facility will be completed in October of 2020 with Layton Construction serving as the general contractor with Beecher Walker as the architect.

“We are very excited to see the indoor golf practice facility coming to fruition,” Layton said. “We look forward to the great benefits which will come to the student-athletes and the Ute golf program once completed. We are also honored to join with many other donors in this effort and recognize their commitment to the Ute golf program. Our desire is that this facility would be known as a Golf Academy because it is our hope that this will be a place for learning life skills, furthering academic pursuits, developing relationships and fostering teamwork, not merely practicing golf.”

“Through this endeavor, we’ve become close friends with (head coach) Garrett Clegg and we know that Coach Clegg shares our vision to mentor and teach young men rather than just coach golfers, and the academy should support his efforts to do so,” Layton continued.

The facility will include an indoor putting green that will stretch nearly 4,000-square feet with the Putt View System installed over the green. It will give the Utes the latest in player development technology.

“Thank you Dave Layton and all of our generous supporters to make this dream a reality,” Clegg said. “I’d also like to thank Mark Harlan for his support of our program and for helping us push this project forward. The David S. Layton Golf Academy has been in the works for four years and with construction beginning, there is a lot of excitement within and around the golf program.”

Also included in the facility will be two hitting bays that will contain accurate launch monitors that will help athletes develop their swings year round, with Gears Sports providing 3D motion capture technology in one of the bays to give the Utes the top swing analysis and club fitting software available.

The facility will have top of the line locker rooms and player lounges, which will be one of the premier golf facilities in the Pac-12.

“The building will be an outstanding training academy, an incredible team clubhouse, and will show the importance of golf within the state of Utah and our university community,” Clegg said. “As an alum of our golf program, I am thrilled to be a part of the growth of our program.”

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.