RECREATION : Affordable Alternative to Prosaic Golf

Fed up with trying to get a tee time at a heavily traveled public golf course?

Rather tee it up at Wood Ranch Country Club in Simi Valley, one of the region’s best private tracks?

Ready to play a few rounds at posh country clubs such as Valencia, North Ranch, Woodland Hills, Calabasas or brand-spanking-new Spanish Hills?

Answers are probably yes, yes and yes.

And there are as many ways to accomplish the task, short of risking arrest by sneaking onto the course after the pro shop closes.

Players can shell out tens of thousands of dollars to join the exclusive clubs, they can develop a friendship with a member and tag along for a round or they can join one of the area’s new amateur associations.

A pair of area organizations, one of which will sponsor its inaugural tournament this weekend, have made it possible for John Q. Public to play tournament golf at exclusive courses at a price well within range of most players.

“There are thousands and thousands of golfers out there who don’t get a chance to play at these kinds of private country clubs,” said Keith Coburn of the Pacific Coast Amateur Golf Assn., which is based in Granada Hills.

“John Dudley off the street doesn’t usually have the opportunity to play at Calabasas Country Club. That’s what we help provide.”

Coburn’s group, formed this year, starts its 17-tournament schedule on Monday at Sandpiper Golf Course in Goleta.

Also included are tournaments at Spanish Hills in Camarillo, Industry Hills in Industry, PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta and Bear Creek in Murrieta.

The Amateur Golfers Assn. of America, formed in 1991, is a national organization that sells franchise rights to geographical areas. Southern California, in fact, has been divided into four regions. The Los Angeles region is based in Northridge.

The headquarters of AGAA are in Temecula, Calif., and the company has established franchises in several major cities, including in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Phoenix. A third group, called the Players Amateur Tour, is based in San Diego.

The AGAA has upcoming events at Industry Hills, Valencia, Woodland Hills and MountainGate, to name a few. The AGAA’s Central California region is sponsoring tournaments this summer at Wood Ranch in Simi Valley and North Ranch in Westlake Village.

“Their popularity has really mushroomed,” said Mike Peck, an official with the Southern California Golf Assn., which isn’t associated with either organization. “They’re real entrepreneurial guys.”

Both of the Valley-based groups require an annual membership fee ranging from $85-100, though the AGAA is offering a free 90-day trial period for new applicants. Membership entitles players to enter as many tournaments as they desire, with entry fees varying depending on the site of the event.

For instance, the AGAA tournament Friday at Malibu Country Club will cost $90 and includes green fees, electric cart, lunch and prizes. The AGAA has 2,000 members nationwide and approximately 300 in Los Angeles, according to Dwight Wilkes, director of the L.A. region.

Coburn said the total entry fee for 14 of his 17 events will be $100 or less.

In both organizations, play is conducted in several flights to give players of different abilities a chance to compete against golfers of similar caliber, gender and age.

“I don’t believe we’ve even scratched the surface,” Wilkes said. “There are players out there who don’t know about us that I’m sure would love to play at these courses.”

The groups attempt to simulate a PGA-style tournament as much as possible. Players’ names are announced at the first tee and a leader board helps keeps them abreast of tournament scores. The AGAA keeps track of cumulative points leaders in the flights, so players know where they stand over the long term. In both area groups, flight winners will be given scrip, which is redeemable at area pro shops.

Reviews from AGAA players have been positive. Kevyn Major Howard, an actor from Griffith Park who has appeared in films such as “Full Metal Jacket” and “Alien Nation,” played as a celebrity entrant in last year’s Los Angeles Open at Riviera Country Club and was spoiled by the treatment he received. Then a friend suggested that he enter an AGAA event in Palm Springs.

“As a public golfer, you go from course to course,” said Howard, 37, a 10-handicap player who started competing in AGAA events four months ago. “When I played in Palm Springs, it was a first-class event. It’s the experience of being a mini-tour player.

“All these little frills, it’s a thrill for any player no matter what the handicap.”

Even those in the golf industry offer positive feedback on AGAA events. “It gives you more than just being a member of a men’s club,” said Mike Vidal of Pasadena, who is the starter at Arroyo Seco Golf Course in South Pasadena and has a handicap in the low teens. “There’s more prestige and camaraderie.”

Vidal said he hasn’t missed an AGAA tournament this year. The lone negative for some, he said, is the cost. “I think it’s a little expensive,” said Vidal, 51. “But if they can line up a corporate sponsor (to help underwrite expenses), it would be dynamite.”

The courses themselves also make a buck or two. Many of the events are held on Mondays, generating revenue on a day when most private courses are closed. The clubs also make money in pro shop sales and on concessions.

Coburn, 27, who was raised in Calabasas, has much at stake since he isn’t backed by a national organization. In fact, he said he is required to leave deposits as high as $15,000 to secure the posh sites. He hopes his smaller organization will offer a more personalized touch.

“I’m not going to get rich from this,” he said. “I’m out on a financial limb, to a degree. I’ve just seen some things (in other groups) that I think I can improve upon.”

Coburn said that if this year’s 17-tournament schedule flies financially, he may expand to as many as 40 events in 1994.

“I think that when people see what we have to offer, they’ll like the concept,” Coburn said.