Classic brings more than just golf fanatics

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Last November, Greenlight ruled the town. Less than

three weeks from now, the city’s real and honorary Irish folks will bring

out everything emerald to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

But for the next seven days, the manicured greens at Newport Beach

Country Club will command the city’s attention as the seventh annual

Toshiba Senior Classic golf tournament returns to town. And if event

officials have it their way, they’ll match last year’s record-setting $1

million-plus donation to Hoag Hospital, which functions as the

tournament’s organizing charity.

“We’re in great shape,” said Jeff Purser, who directs the tournament

for Hoag. “We’re ready to roll.”

GOING ON UP WITH HOAG IN THE BACKGROUND

Proceeds from the event to benefit the hospital have risen ever since

Hoag came on board in 1998. That year, the hospital’s cancer center

received $700,001. In 1999, $828,500 went to Hoag’s heart institute. The

most recent tournament raised more than $1 million, breaking all records

set by any senior tour event before. Proceeds in 2001 will benefit Hoag’s

new Women’s Pavilion, expected to open three years from now.

Other charities set to receive money include the Orangewood Children’s

Foundation, the Southern California PGA Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes

Research Foundation International and the Toshiba Classic Scholarship

Fund.

But just a few years ago, with the Classic barely established as a

major event on Newport Beach’s social calendar, things didn’t look that

great at all.

International Sports and Event Marketing, a since defunct company, had

set up a nonprofit organization to organize the event. But the Internal

Revenue Service never approved the tax-exempt status for Classic

Charities of Orange County, and officials for the Newport Beach Country

Club, who had hosted the tournament since 1996, were ready to back out

after the company lagged behind in payments and gave relatively little

money to charity.

When Hoag -- a part of the community for 50 years and organizer of

other successful local golf tournaments -- stepped in during the summer

of 1997, things took a decided turn, making the Newport Beach event one

of the most successful among the 18 stops on the senior tour.

For kicks, just a few numbers. During the tournament, 78 players will

gather to compete. An estimated 1,100 volunteers will help out with

everything ranging from keeping score to driving shuttles. The shuttle

vans alone, by the way, cost around $45,000, said Purses. And golf balls?

They’ll have 6,000 on hand, just for practicing.

BOOSTING THE CITY’S ECONOMY

When players and thousands of golf enthusiasts flood into town, it’s

clear the city’s businesses benefit as well.

Golf shops, of course, have their moment and restaurants and hotels

can’t complain, either, said Richard Luehrs, the president and chief

executive officer for the Newport Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce.

But as far as he’s concerned, the short-term gains are nothing

compared to the national exposure the tour brings to town.

It’s the television broadcasts -- with their repeated shots of the

city’s beaches and soothing weather that make people in snow-covered

areas think about visiting, or even moving to Newport Beach -- that

count, Luehrs said.

“It just really sends out a stunning picture with the coastline,” he

said. “The economic impact happens months and months and years later on,

when people remember the broadcast and come to Newport Beach, because

they want to spend some time here.”

Mayor Gary Adams, who’s laid his own clubs to rest due to a lack of

time, said that the Classic is simply a great event for the city.

“It’s a unique event that brings prominence and prestige to Newport

Beach,” he said.

Even the city’s biggest event, the chamber’s annual Christmas Boat

Parade, probably doesn’t have the same economic boost as the Classic,

despite drawing about one million visitors compared to the 80,000 or so

who come to watch golf.

While the parade’s boat rentals and dinner reservations were “nothing

to sneeze at, either,” the power of television clearly gives the Classic

an edge, he said.

For the first time, CNBC will carry most of the television coverage on

the event, expanding air time from five to six hours. On Friday, Pax-TV,

partly owned by CNBC’s parent company NBC, will take over the broadcast.

NOW IT’S UP TO THE WEATHER

Purser, who works on preparations for the weeklong event all year

long, said Friday that he and his colleagues were finishing up on a

myriad of details.

Final travel arrangements for player had to be made, cars to transport

everyone needed to arrive and 130 radios were plugged in to chargers to

be ready, he said.

But while tournament officials have taken precautions such as

installing heaters in sky boxes, the sky above still has the final say,

as it did last year when the final day’s event was cancelled.

On Sunday, weather forecasts predicted rain through Wednesday with the

potential for funnel clouds, water spouts and hail Tuesday, followed by

cloudy skies for the rest of the week.

“It’s the one thing that we can’t control,” Purser said. “If it’s

raining a little bit, we’ll still play.”