Golf : Course Pros Plan to Make Rounds in a Staggering Marathon Benefit

Members of the Chevy Chase Country Club in Glendale might be a bit mystified June 30 when they see head professional Mike Reed and assistant Kevin Norwell carrying what appear to be large melons in their hands. But they will not be melons. They will be blisters.

Reed and Norwell will play as many as 14 consecutive hours of golf June 29th. They hope to raise about $1,500 for several charities in the golf marathon, which begins at first light and ends when the golf balls are no longer visible. It will be the third consecutive year the two have undertaken the challenge.

Last year they played 144 holes in 13 hours. Then they went to sleep.

“It’s a long day,” Norwell said. “Golf for 14 hours. Believe me, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds. I’d rather run in a marathon than play in this thing again. I just want to get it over with. Mike is different. He actually looks forward to it.”

Chevy Chase members and guests pledge 10 cents per hole for the marathon, plus 25 cents for birdies and $5 for eagles. The birdies and eagles come early or not at all, according to Norwell.

“After the first three rounds you’re pretty tired,” he said. “Then you get a second wind and that lasts another couple of rounds. But when that wears off, you start struggling. The last three or four rounds are pretty tiring. We take carts but just walking from the cart to your ball is brutal. Your legs feel like rubber. And then you start losing your concentration and playing worse. Putting is where you really notice that you’ve been out there too long.”

Some of the charities that will benefit from the ordeal of Reed and Norwell are the PGA Junior Golf Foundation, the National Golf Foundation, the PGA Scholarship Fund and the National Amputee Golf Assn.

Information: 818-244-8461.

Sponsors needed: The Western Amputee Golf Assn. is looking for more sponsors for its golf tournament, which begins Friday at River Ridge Golf Club in Oxnard. Spokesman Jim Polson said the organization, which was formed to help in the rehabilitation of amputees, needs sponsorships of $100 for holes and tees during the tournament.

Polson also said that some openings are still available in Thursday’s scramble tournament. The $50 entry fee, donations and sponsorships are tax deductible.

About 100 amputee golfers from several western states are expected to compete in the tournament, which runs Friday through Sunday.

Information: 818-342-8945.

Juniors tournament: Fifty-six junior golfers will compete in a 36-hole USGA qualifying tournament Monday at Wood Ranch Country Club in Simi Valley. The top four finishers will qualify for the USGA Junior National Championships to be held July 26-30 on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

Among those entered at Wood Ranch are Chris Zambri and Jerry Chang of Westlake Village; Roger Metz of Northridge; Paul Munsch and Tom Gocke of Glendale; Tim Powers of Oxnard; Darren Chini of Valencia; Brian Lamb, James Nello, Jason Tulley and Brendan O’Shaughnessy of Thousand Oaks; Justin Wright, Kelly Schlender and Charlie Wi of Simi Valley; and Dan Green of Camarillo.

Cal Amateur: The Valley area is well-represented in the championship flight of the California Amateur being played this week on the Monterey Peninsula. More than 20 local golfers survived the early qualifying rounds and began play Monday in a field of 200 at Cypress Point and Spyglass Hill.

Craig Steinberg of Van Nuys was among the early leaders in the 77th annual tournament, shooting an even-par 72 in the opening round. He was just a stroke off the lead. At 75 were Mike Haney of Glendale and Mitch Voges of Simi Valley. James Kim of Van Nuys and Rich Greenwood of Encino shot 77s in the first round and Mike Blewett of Westlake Village, Dave Berganio of Sylmar and Mike Turner of Van Nuys carded 78s.

Others in the field include James Jordan of Encino (79); Don Baker of Canoga Park and Robert Veeh of Glendale (80); Brad Johnson of Sylmar and Mike Flanagan of Toluca Lake (82); Paul Tanner of Sun Valley (83); Wayne Tyni of Van Nuys and Joe Nello of Westlake Village (84); Jimmy Chang of Westlake Village and Regan Bayless of Woodland Hills (87); Brad Tanas of Granada Hills (88); Craig Hurlbert of Van Nuys (94); and Robert Watts of Reseda (97).

The field will be cut to 32 golfers today with the final round scheduled for Saturday at the Pebble Beach Country Club.

A record 491 golfers entered qualifying tournaments in Southern California this year. The competition was open to golfers with handicaps of four or less.