Golf: UCLA hooking up with Newport Beach CC

Richard Dunn

The Bruins are coming, the Bruins are coming.

It won’t quite have the color and pomp of a Rose Bowl game, but UCLA

Bruins will be in full force April 29 in the second annual UCLA Orange

County golf tournament at Newport Beach Country Club.

The UCLA Club of Orange County and the UCLA Chancellor’s Associates of

Orange County are the event hosts in a fund-raiser for scholarships.

John Vallely, an ex-UCLA basketball star under legendary former coach

John Wooden, will be the guest speaker during the dinner/awards banquet.

The tournament features an 18-hole scramble, lunch, silent auction,

Bruins prizes and dinner.

“We are looking forward to bringing UCLA alumni, friends and family

together for an exciting event to benefit a good cause,” said Jeff Wine,

one of three tournament chairs. “This year, we hope to exceed last year’s

total contributions of $30,000.”

Vallely, of Newport Beach, was a star at Corona del Mar High and

Orange Coast College before attending UCLA, where he played with such

greats as Lew Alcindor, Sidney Wicks and Curtis Rowe. Vallely also played

in the NBA with the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks.

The UCLA Club of Orange County raises money for merit-based

scholarships for academically superior students, while the UCLA

Chancellor’s Associates, the preeminent donor group on campus, raises

funds for academic programs deemed critical by the chancellor.

Organizers of the UCLA Orange County golf tournament are hopeful of

keeping the event in Newport Beach. Details: (949) 760-6709.

Kimberly Kolstad of Newport Beach shot 83-80-77--240 to finish ninth

Wednesday in the Ladies’ Division of the Francisco Grande Golf Classic,

hosted by the U.S. Challenge Golf Tour, at Francisco Grande Resort and

Golf Club in Casa Grande, Ariz. Christina Monteiro of Las Vegas won the

event in a playoff.

Mary Arnold (Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club), Michael Davis (Pelican

Hill) and Ryan Davis (Mesa Verde Country Club) are participating in the

Play Golf America program, a nationwide initiative sponsored by the PGA

of America and Golf Digest that offers free lessons to amateur players

during the month of May.

Richard Dunn’s golf column appears every Thursday.