Birth date: Sep 5, 1940 Death date: Aug 20, 2017
Ronald Kenneth Scales PGA Pro Ronald “Ronnie” Kenneth Scales, age 76, of Milton, DE, formerly of Rockville, MD, passed away on Sunday, August 20, 2017 at his home. He was born on September 5, 1940 in Baltimore, MD son of the late Read Obituary
Just found out about his passing.
Taught me how to play, when I was a student. Gave me a job on the course. Always kind and professional. Got to Know his children from their days at the golf camps.
They don't make them like Scales anymore.
Mark Jones
Next to my Dad, I consider "Scalesy" the next biggest influence on my life - not only in golf but in life as well. Starting as a cartboy in 1979 and then joining the ranks as an assistant pro under Ronnie, he was my biggest mentor. A quick 10 minute "check-up" on the range would frequently last well over an hour. Even after I left MD in 1987, I would still look to him for assistance with my game at least once a year until he passed.
Too many stories and fond memories to tell in this format but I am forever grateful for his professional guidance and mentorship. I miss him dearly. RIP Ronnie!
John McCloskey
p.s. It was so nice reading all the other tributes below. Ronnie defined being a "Gentle Man".
Stevie, Ken and David
Our condolences to you all on the passing of a truly gentle man and friend. Ronnie, may you enjoy birdies and big fish forever.
Rest in Peace
The Zutant family
I am Lary Lynn Muller, Stevie's cousin in California. I am very sorry not to be there this weekend. I am there in spirit and want to share these memories of Ronnie.
One of my earliest memories is being at the club pool where Stevie was a lifeguard and watching her get very excited as Ron was coming up the nearby fairway.
Ron was a great dancer as revealed at weddings and at the New Year's Eve party we shared in Maryland.
Ron was so dear with our daughter, Lesley, when we visited Rockville when she was 8 months old. I have a photo of Ron holding her and letting her suck on his watch-guess it wasn't the Rolex.
I also love the photo of Ron reading to our grandson, Cole, at his first birthday party in Bethany Beach. Ron was tired and hooked up to oxygen, but neither he nor Cole seemed to care; just delighted in each other.
Tony has fond memories of fishing with Ron from the Ocean City bridge.
Ron helped me order the right golf club driver which Stevie also loved and ordered the same one. I just gave mine to a good friend as I can't golf any longer because of my back.
Ron was a calm, gentle soul whom we will miss but remember fondly.
If I was there I would toast Ron with a beer and a crab cake. Please do so for me.
Lary Lynn Muller
My condolences to the Scales family. Ronnie was a truly a great Man. I always enjoyed talking Golf with Him and feel fortunate to have known Him. He will be missed by everyone.
Rest in Peace
Bret Marshall
First, my condolences to Stephanie and Ronnie's children and grandchildren.
Whenever my gaze notices my University of Maryland (Class of 1974) diploma, memories always come flooding back to my days shared with Ronnie at the University of Maryland Golf Course. I was a ranch kid from northwest Texas and found myself a student at College Park after my tour in Viet Nam and discharge from the Marine Corps.
How I ended up at UofMd was simply a matter of Texas Tech suggesting I not come back to Lubbock after my brief athletic tenure there, and having become acquainted with some Maryland folks while I was attending The Basic School at Quantico.
I was obsessed with golf at this time, having only recently come to the game after my discharge. It was during this stage that my insatiable practice and play brought me into contact with Ronnie Scales, "Scalesy." I don't know if Ronnie had given me my first lesson, but I do know that he always went out of his way to help me and would never pass me on the Maryland driving range without offering some guidance. Rreonnie gave away more golf lessons than the thousands he was paid for, trust me.
Ronnie was all University of Maryland golf. He was an extremely proficient ball-striker and had a unique, longish waggle, long before Jason Dufner, he of the longest continuous waggle on the PGA tour, war s out of diapers.
In fact, there was a point in the mid-70's that all Ronnie could do was waggle! I can see him now, over a shot, waggle on extreme display, not able to "pull the trigger" and suddenly backing off with a chortle, chuckle or whatever that sound he made and saying to me, "Jesus Christ, Dog! I can't take it back!"
Then, there was the time, the Great White Hunter Ronnie, brought his shotgun to UofMd Golf Course one winter day with snow on the ground and desperately wanted to "bust a cap." I had been graciously given all the golf club repair work and was in the back working on clubs when I heard the distant, "thwack, thwack" discharge of his shotgun. He had blasted a couple of squirrels but had been using a higher-gauge shot so there was little damage to the squirrel, except for the fact that they were sure enough goners.
Now the fun began. Ronnie, having never killed anything to that point bigger than a cockroach behind one of the Macke machines came to me for help on dealing with his varmints. I had told him not to kill anything he didn't plan on making a meal of. Well, before you can cook game, you have to clean game. Having grown up hunting on 15,00 acre ranch, I was an old hand at skinning, etcetera, etcetera!. Next thing you know, I'm squatting on the ground in the snow next to the Dempsey Dumpster engaging in this age-old ritual and instructing Ronnie that I would show him how to do the first one but then he was on his on.
Not long into the "operation," I hear a mild thud and turned around to find Ronnie tumped over in the snow - the boy had fainted dead away. He did recover however; I finished the job for him and cooked up a tasty Squirrel Jambalaya and fried up the rest. Ronnie got the biggest kick out of serving the Director of Golf, Frank Cronin, a plate of "fried chicken!"
Mr. Cronin, having arrived well after the capturing and processing, was in his office and smelled the aroma. Ronnie could hardly contain himself when Coach Cronin remarked, "This is the best fried-chicken I've ever tasted!"
Henri deLozier was right when he named Ronnie one of the Old Guard of University of Maryland golf. Jimmie Foley, Frank Cronin, Tommie Sanzaro, and Ronnie Scales will always be part of that wonderful memory of my time in Maryland. I'm back where my roots began 6 generations ago on the same piece of Texas ranch land and Ronnie Scales is back with his deep Maryland roots.
Rest in peace Scalesy, and keep perfecting that waggle!
Ronnie was one of the old Guard at Maryland, people like Pete Rivera, Vern Novak, Frank Herrelko and Ronnie and Rod Meyers were the last and only Maryland ACC Golf Champs, the Coach then was Frank Cronin. Their 'motto' in the ACC which they won in about 1962 or 1963 was LTFF. Some people may know what that means. Ronnie made a double eagle at 13 (2 on par 5) followed by a hole in one at 14 (1 on par 3) using the same three wood, back to back. That would be two shots with a wooden 3 wood, steel dynamic shaft and balata ball into the hole from about 250 yards, back to back. . .
He conducted a wedge class when I was a Freshman where we learned to grip tight with the left hand. That lesson stuck with me all my life.
He up there now with James Foley, Tom Sanzaro, Frank Cronin and others looking down on us all.
Terrific guy one of the true Maryland Golf legends. Wonderful to have grown up with Ronnie.
Henri deLozier
Ron was a wonderful and caring person. I fondly remember the days at the University of Maryland Golf Course where we met and where he gave me many golf lessons which has helped my golf game ever since. I will miss such a great guy. Rest in peace.
Sheldon Kantrowitz
