Golf : Braemar Marathon Men Discover Stroke After 12-Hour Warm-Up

When Mike Reed and Kevin Norwall reached the 18th hole at Braemar Country Club last week in the rapidly fading light of dusk, they both had the same thought: The hole did not look much different than it had the first seven times they played it that day.

Of course, a lot had happened since their initial trip to the 18th tee at about 7:30 a.m. Reed, the club’s head professional, and Norwall, the assistant pro, each had taken more than 200 swings. They each had stood over more than 300 putts.

They had, in short, golfed themselves silly.

“It was tough,” Reed said. “We played 147 holes, starting at 6 in the morning and finishing at 8:45 at night. At about 3 p.m., after 100 holes, it seemed the novelty of what we were doing had worn off. My body started aching and my hands were aching and my feet were killing me.”

But then, a remarkable thing happened. After nearly 12 consecutive hours of golf, Reed and Norwall started playing better on the short, par-66 course. This would seem to be the equivalent of a pitcher’s fastball coming alive in the 16th inning. But golf, as any golfer will admit, is nothing if not occasionally ridiculous.

“Starting at 6 p.m., after 12 hours, Kevin and I had our best rounds of the day,” Reed said. “I shot a 61 and Kevin shot a 60 in one of the last rounds. I think what happened was that we stopped thinking and just kept swinging the clubs. I really believe you play your best golf when you stop thinking and just let your swing take over. After 120 or more holes, we certainly had our swings in the groove, and we just blasted away. I almost felt like a machine.”

When darkness finally came, Reed had finished at 12-under par for the 147 holes. Norwall was 9-under.

Reed and Norwall embarked on the 14-hour, 45-minute golfing marathon for charity. With pledges by Braemar club members for each hole the pair played, they raised $2,375, which will be shared by 13 charities, including the PGA Junior Golf Foundation, the National Golf Foundation, the National Amputee Golf Assn. and a drug-rehabilitation foundation headed by Nancy Reagan.

It was the fourth consecutive year for the all-day golf event. Last year’s effort raised $1,300.

“The worst part of the whole thing came the next morning when I tried to get out of bed,” Reed said. “I couldn’t. I didn’t have to be back at the club until noon, and I needed all of that. Everything hurt. I haven’t played any golf since.”

Reed, scheduled to play in next week’s Southern California PGA Championship at Brentwood Country Club, said that he most likely would not swing a club until the first day of the tournament. The event consists of 36 holes a day for four days.

“That should be a piece of cake,” Reed said. “It’ll seem like a walk in the park after what we just went through.”

And this year’s golf marathon might seem like a walk in the park compared to what the pair has in mind for next year.

“The Southern California record is 162 holes in one day,” Reed said. “They started at 4 a.m. and finished at 10 p.m. I guess we’re going to have to do that next year. Or maybe we won’t. But doing this just once a year won’t kill us. I’m just glad we have that year in between to rest.”

CSUN benefit: The ninth Matador Golf Classic to raise money for the Cal State Northridge athletic scholarship program will be held Aug. 22 at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley.

The tournament is open to the first 160 players to sign up, according to organizer Joe Buttitta. The $150 entry fee includes greens fees, cart, dinner and prizes. Long-drive and closest-to-the-pin contests also will be held.

The tournament format will be a Texas scramble.

Information: 818-885-3215 or 885-3208.

Notes: The Braemar Country Club will hold its annual 36-hole, member-guest tournament Friday and Saturday . . . A junior invitational tournament will be played at Calabasas Park Golf Course on Monday. Last year’s tournament attracted 128 golfers from throughout California. Information: 818-888-8811 . . . Paul Stankowski of Oxnard captured the 36-hole low-gross title in the 16-18 age group of the Simi Valley City Junior Championship at Simi Hills last week. Jason Pridmore of Ventura took the 18-hole, low-net title with a 69. Keith Early was the low-gross winner in the 14-15 age group with a 76 and James Weeks of Oxnard won low net with a 69. In the 13-and-under group, Mike Engle of Ventura won low gross with an 80 and Brian Puglise of Oxnard took low-net honors with a 78 . . . The Fillmore City Junior Championship will be played Thursday and Friday at Elkins Ranch Golf Course.