Golf: A simple plan for Newport Beach’s Brascia, Hahn

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan, or so

says the world’s financial planners and investment bankers.

While Vinnie Brascia of Newport Beach Country Club might adhere to the

aforementioned proverb, it’s unlikely you’ll see him tinkering with a

plan to change his golf game.

“I never practice,” said Brascia, who won his first Newport Beach

men’s club championship in early June, shooting 73-76-72--221 in the

54-hole stroke-play championship.

“My game’s just pretty simple,” Brascia added, “and it just all came

together (during the club championship).”

After two years of finishing second, Brascia “finally” captured his

title, winning by six strokes ahead of runner-up Jim Whitaker, a

four-time winner.

Still, Brascia isn’t about to subscribe to the latest golf magazine,

surf the most hip golf Web sites and watch The Golf Channel on cable,

while trying to come up with the perfect golf swing in his spare time

away from the office and home.

“I enjoy playing golf a lot with my fellow members, and, if I get a

chance to go to the golf course, I’d much rather play than practice,”

Brascia said. “For me, it makes sense. And I’m the king of arriving five

minutes before a tee time.”

Brascia, who learned good golf habits growing up, operates his own

financial services business, Brascia Investment Management in Newport

Beach, and lives in Aliso Viejo with his wife, Ann, and 19-month-old

daughter.

“That’s why I don’t play golf anymore,” Brascia said. “If I get out

once a week, that’s pretty good. I try to make time every Friday. I force

myself to try to get out there.”

A 1-handicap golfer and Newport Beach member for 4 1/2 years, Brascia,

33, said he “developed the right fundamentals” as a kid playing golf at

Friendly Hills Country Club in Whittier.

Brascia, who played in the Southern California PGA junior program and

later at Cal State Fullerton, is the fourth different Newport Beach club

champion in four years, following Whitaker (1998), Joe Stafford (‘99) and

Bob Kraft (2000), who played in last year’s inaugural Jones Cup with

hosting head pro Paul Hahn.

In Jones Cup II, Brascia and Hahn will form Newport Beach’s pro-am

team in the better-ball of partners format at Santa Ana Country Club at 1

p.m.

They will face the defending Jones Cup champions from Mesa Verde

Country Club, head pro Tom Sargent and Pete Daley, as well as Big Canyon

Country Club’s Director of Golf, Bob Lovejoy, and Ron Maggard and Santa

Ana Country Club Director of Golf Mike Reehl and Gregg Hemphill.

All four amateurs are reigning men’s club champions at their

respective clubs.

Jones Cup II, organized by Fletcher Jones Motorcars/Daily Pilot Club

Championship Series officials, features two foursomes teeing off

back-to-back, with galleries following each group. A pre-event drawing is

held to decide which two clubs play in a group.

In Jones Cup I last year, Hahn chipped in for birdie from 30 feet on

No. 9, and, two holes later, drained a 40-foot birdie putt to provide

some of the most exciting moments of the first event.

Also, on the par-3 No. 17, Hahn recovered for par with a remarkable

chip shot from the hilly, upper-left rough onto a tricky, two-tiered

green with the pin on the top shelf, a dangerous spot.

Hahn, 47, has developed a reputation at the club as an excellent

instructor, with six-time women’s club champion Debbie Albright among his

pupils.

Hahn grew up in Central California and was an all-around athlete at

Paso Robles High, before earning a golf scholarship to San Jose State.

Later, a broken shoulder threw a wrench into his golf game, all but

ending his PGA Tour ambitions.

For 13 years, Hahn and a partner operated Mountain Meadows Golf Course

in Pomona, until a new concessionaire came in and left Hahn in the woods.

Hahn, who became a member of the Southern California PGA in 1982, was

hired by former Newport Beach Country Club head pro Monty Blodgett on

Aug. 8, 1989, and has enjoyed his job ever since.

The Jones Cup is considered the ultimate community pro-am, involving

the four private clubs in this newspaper’s circulation.