Love is not only in tennis

In one of the most poignant awards banquets in local charity golf

tournament annals, the newlyweds toasted with a rather unusual gift

Monday in the third annual Costa Mesa Firefighters Association

Charity Golf Tournament on the Mesa Linda course at Costa Mesa Golf &

Country Club.

Last year through the event, co-tournament director Doug Wilson,

the captain at Fire Station No. 5 in Costa Mesa, helped arrange to

get two people back together, including colleague Chris Kudelka. It

led to an Oct. 1 wedding this year. Kudelka and his new wife,

Michelle, returned from their honeymoon just in time to participate

in Monday’s festivities. They changed their wedding plans in order to

return to the scene of their reunion.

“(Michelle) had taken up golf, so last year I told her she should

play in our golf tournament in October and maybe I could get her in

the group to play with Chris,” Wilson said. “She wasn’t able to play

in the tournament, but she came to the dinner and awards banquet and

they sat together at a table, and then started dating right after

that.”

Adding to Monday’s drama at Costa Mesa was the Crappy Golfer

Award, in which each of the players in the last-place group received

a plaque with the head of a club and a golf ball placed on a pile of

you know what. It was hilarious. And, of all people, the newlyweds,

the new Mr. And Mrs. Chris Kudelka, along with Kerri Turner and golf

rookie Greg LaFave, had garnered the honorable plaques by dinner’s

end.

Capturing top honors in Flight A was team captain Keith Jones and

his two sons, Zack and Trevor, along with Angelo Morgan. Jones shared

tournament director duties with Wilson.

Winning Flight B (mixed men and women division) was Bob Sihilling,

brother Terry Sihilling, captain Julie Evans and Scott McKenzie. The

Tina’s Trophies Babes Award went to Tina McCraw, Deanna Rich, Jerry

Brown and Debbie Adams.

The Costa Mesa Firefighters Association sponsors and supports

several charities in the city, including awarding two $500

scholarships each year to both Estancia and Costa Mesa high schools,

as well as donating to the athletic programs at both schools.

The CMFA Charity Fund, the beneficiary of Monday’s tournament,

also supports local Little League teams and the Costa Mesa Senior

Center. Last year, the association contributed to the New York Fire

Department 9/11 campaign relief effort. Local firemen flew to New

York to donate the check.

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Hansjoerg Maissen has been named general manager at Pelican Hill

Golf Club and Oak Creek Golf Club, the Irvine Co. announced

Wednesday. Maissen replaces Bobby Heath, the former Director of Golf

at Pelican Hill.

Maissen, however, has limited experience in golf. His expertise

and background is in the hospitality industry.

The Irvine Co., which owns Pelican Hill, terminated its

relationship with Western Golf Properties and is managing the golf

clubs on its own.

Maissen, who is fluent in five languages and has worked in the

five-star hotel industry in Monte Carlo, London, Athens and Geneva,

was president and managing director of Bachman Springs Hospitality in

Tombstone, Ariz., where he was heading the creation of a resort.