Tarzana : Golfers Tee Off for Transplant Patients

Under a sunny San Fernando Valley sky Monday, they gathered at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana to indulge in a favorite pastime--golf. More than a lazy afternoon round of 18 holes, the event was a benefit tournament to raise funds for an international group of organ-transplant recipients.

For a handful of the 96 golfers who turned out, the five-hour event was a personal one--five had undergone transplant surgery themselves. Tournament chairman Arthur Schoenberg received a new heart nine years ago and believes it may have even improved his golf game.

“Since then I’ve had three holes in one,” the 75-year-old Hancock Park resident said. “I certainly have not slowed down because of the effects of the transplant.”

Organizers collected about $20,000 for the Los Angeles chapter of the Transplant Recipients International Organization, Schoenberg estimated. The money will be used for research and donor awareness programs, he said.