Still in the swing

Mathis Winkler

BAY KNOLLS -- The pros have barely left town and folks down at the

Newport Beach Country Club are still recovering from the excitement

surrounding this year’s Toshiba Senior Classic golf tournament.

But if Willy Reese has it his way, the fun has just begun.

The Bay Knolls resident -- Newport Beach is expected to annex the

neighborhood at some point next year -- chairs the Nation’s Cup Golf

Challenge. The annual golf tournament draws about 120 local players and

will be held for the third time Monday.

It benefits Royal Family Kids Camps, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit group

that organizes camps for abused and neglected children.

Reese became involved with the organization when his church, St.

Andrew’s Presbyterian, began sponsoring a camp about eight years ago.

A sixth-grade Sunday school teacher at the church, Reese was a

counselor at the weeklong camps, which include everything from swimming

to hiking, stargazing to chapel time.

“The camps are nondenominational,” he said. “But we try to have a ‘Say

yes to God’ message. Spirituality is something we try to foster in the

kids.”

A recruiter for a software company, Reese gladly took on the task of

gathering golf players to bring money to the organization.

Through sponsors and raffle tickets, the tournament raised about

$10,000 for Kids Camps last year, and Reese said he hoped to match that

amount this time.

The organization will use the money to help other churches around the

country set up camps. So far, about 70 camps exist nationwide, with most

of them in California and Washington, Reese said. The goal is to

eventually have a camp in every county nationwide.

To create a camp-like atmosphere on the golf course, as well, the

tournament will deviate a little from golf’s usual rules.

At each hole, for example, players are asked a trivia question,

ranging from who is Lindsay Davenport’s tennis coach to who does the hair

of Rep. Chris Cox (R-Newport Beach) to which restaurant wouldn’t allow

former President Richard Nixon to make reservations. (The answer to the

latter question is Newport Beach’s very own Crab Cooker. The reason? The

restaurant doesn’t take reservations.)

On the ninth hole, players may only use a nine iron. Along with raffle

tickets, players may buy mulligans, or extra shots, before the game.

With everything set and ready to go, the only one who might miss out

on the action is Reese himself. An 11-handicap player, he recently hurt

his shoulder and wrist while playing ice hockey and skiing, and said he

wasn’t feeling up to the challenge.

“We’ll see, though,” he said. “I might be playing.”

FYI

To learn more about the tournament, call (949) 722-7397. For

information on Royal Family Kids Camps, call (714) 438-0510.