Golf: Saluting one of SACC’s all-time greats

Richard Dunn

A cheer and a toast and wishes for luck’s boast to Costa Mesa’s

Phil Arnold, who has been enduring various physical ailments of late that

have kept him away from the golf course at Santa Ana Country Club.

Over the years, Arnold, the inventor of the outdoor gas barbecue, has

been smoking at Santa Ana Country Club, and not just because his house is

along the eighth fairway.

Arnold was the club’s 2000 Exclusives Champion and won the Bob

Fernandez Memorial trophy that same year, after winning the President’s

Cup for the third time in 1999 (after 1992 and ‘94).

A two-time seniors champion at Santa Ana, Arnold captured five

Seniors’ Old Crow Division titles and, in 1989, won the Seniors’

Renaissance Division.

Hats off to one of Santa Ana Country Club’s all-time great winners.

Defending Newport Beach Country Club men’s club champion Vinnie

Brascia, who played in the Jones Cup last summer with head pro Paul Hahn,

said Wednesday his final day as a member at Newport Beach is May 25 and,

thus, will not play in this year’s club championship.

Brascia, who lives in South Orange County, moved his office from

Newport Beach to Mission Viejo, and, with a second child on the way,

opted to stay closer to home and is ending his membership.

The Newport Beach men’s club championship, which concludes June 2, is

the fourth and final championship to be decided to set the lineup for the

third annual Jones Cup on July 26 at Big Canyon Country Club.

Danny Lane (Big Canyon), Pete Daley (Mesa Verde Country Club) and

Gregg Hemphill (Santa Ana) have already locked up club titles heading

into Jones Cup III.

With Brascia clearing the way, others expected to contend for this

year’s Newport Beach men’s club title include new member Jeff Wright,

four-time champion Jim Whitaker (1990, ‘93, ’95 and ‘98), two-time winner

Joe Stafford (1997 and ‘99) and Kent Pfeiffer.

The Jones Cup, created out of these pages, features a better-ball of

partners format with the four clubs in the Daily Pilot circulation

serving as host of the event on a rotating basis.

Jimmy Adams of Lido Isle captured the recent North American Senior

Tour event at Temecula Creek Inn, firing a 36-hole total of 141 to win

$1,000.

Keith Wyrick, the affable starter at Newport Beach Golf Course, placed

second at Temecula Creek with a 142, earning $700. Mike Kruger (Redlands)

and Nobu Nishikori (Temecula) tied for third at 144 and pocketed $450

each.

The Orange County Chapter of Childhelp USA will host its 20th annual

Celebrity Golf Classic Tuesday at Pelican Hill Golf Club with former

All-Pro Los Angeles Rams center Rich Saul serving as celebrity host.

Medhi Eftekari of the Four Seasons Hotel and theater magnate Jim

Edwards of Newport Beach are the co-honorary chairmen of the event, which

raised about $165,000 last year for Childhelp USA. Details: (949)

829-6922.

The Estancia High Eagle Classic is set for June 10 at Costa Mesa Golf

& Country Club (Los Lagos course) with a buffet dinner afterward at

Newport Rib Company.

Prizes will be awarded to winners on three skill levels, as well as

closest to the pin. A long-drive contest, raffle, drawing and no host bar

will accompany the ensuing rib feast. The format is best-ball scramble.

Details: (949) 645-2581.

Newport Beach Country Club hosted a U.S. Open local qualifying

Wednesday for the third year in a row. The 102nd U.S. Open Championship

is June 13-16 at Bethpage State Park (Black Course) in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Brian Lindley of Corona del Mar and Gabriel Armendariz of Costa Mesa

earned alternate spots in the 91st California Amateur Championship June

17-22 at Pebble Beach Golf Links and The Links at Spanish Bay.

Lindley shot 1-over 73 at Los Coyotes Country Club, where 94 golfers

were competing for five spots, while Armendariz carded an even-par 72 at

the Southern California PGA Members’ Course, where 97 played for five

spots.

Richard Dunn’s golf column appears every Thursday.