A little bit of comfort in Newport

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT BEACH -- Life on the road can be tough for professional

golfers -- not a lot of time to take care of essentials such as laundry

and haircuts.

For golfers at the Toshiba Senior Classic, which is underway on the

Newport Beach Country Club links this week, special treatment such as

haircuts is par for the course.

Tournament Director Jeff Purser said the extra perks keep the players

coming back year after year.

“These guys play on average 22 to 25 events [a year]. They pick the

ones they want to play,” Purser said. “If you can make it easy and

enjoyable for them to come to your tournament, then you’ve got a good

shot at getting good support and a good field.”

This is the first year that haircuts are available. Purser asked

Ashlee Anderson-Dahl, the daughter of two veteran Toshiba volunteers, to

provide the hair-care services. And he is picking up the tab.

Anderson-Dahl said she is working on familiar clientele because she

helped out with the tournament while she was growing up.

“I’ve known [the golfers] since I was a little kid, so standing behind

them and cutting their hair, you see a different perspective,”

Anderson-Dahl said. “They usually have some pretty scary experiences

getting their hair cut in random places.”

Like the time one of the golfers ventured up to Fashion Island and

paid $60 for a haircut, only to come running back to Anderson-Dahl to fix

it, she recounted.

Golfer Hale Irwin, one of the favorites to win this year’s event, said

he appreciates the chance to have his tresses trimmed at Toshiba.

“I don’t have a lot of time when I go home for a haircut, so the

little things are very nice,” Irwin said.

Anderson-Dahl also provides hair styling and waxing for the players’

wives. Next year, she hopes to bring a shampoo bowl so she can offer

full-service hair-care.

Haircuts are just one of the services provided to make the golfers,

who are on tour from January to October, feel at home. Other amenities to

keep them loose and limber include physical therapy, chiropractic service

and a workout coach.

In the morning before heading out to competition, many of the golfers

visit the two fitness trailers for an aerobic warmup and stretching.

While golf is not an aerobic sport, it requires a good deal of stamina to

walk the courses every week, said Jeff Booher, physical therapist.

Aerobic conditioning “plays a vital role, especially when you get to

the end of the year,” Booher said. “A lot of time, the players in the

best shape perform better at the end of the year.”

After their rounds of competition, the players return to the trailers

for some more workout and injury treatment. Booher said the most common

ailments affect the spine, shoulders, elbows and wrists.

And at the end of the tournament, all the players receive a luxurious

souvenir of their experience -- a tee gift that includes a bottle of

wine, body lotion and bath oil. And the tournament champion takes home a

sparkling, crystal container with the Toshiba logo on it.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .

For more Toshiba Senior Classic coverage, see Page 3 and Sports, Page

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