Daley comes on strong

BRYCE ALDERTON

Pete Daley has come under the radar once again this week.

The man who won four consecutive men’s club championships at Mesa

Verde Country Club from 1998 to 2001 finished in a six-way tie for

19th place at the 26th annual Southern California Golf Association

Senior Amateur Championship completed Tuesday at The Farms Golf Club

in Rancho Santa Fe.

Daley, 63, who began playing golf when he was 41, carded rounds of

77 and 80 (a 13-over-par 157) in the two-round tournament. John

Olive, playing in his hometown, won the tournament for the third

consecutive year when he defeated Ron Ramsey in a two-hole playoff.

Olive and Ramsey both finished 36 holes at 147 (3-over-par).

Daley played in the first three Jones Cups, including winning the

inaugural tournament in 2000 with partner and Mesa Verde head

professional Tom Sargent.

In this week’s Senior Amateur, Daley carded six birdies, only two

less than Kemp Richardson, the leader in that category with eight.

Richardson won the 49th United States Golf Association Senior Amateur

championship two weeks ago.

Two other Newport-Mesa players competed in the Senior Amateur

championship. Newport Beach’s David Cornett shot a 14-over-par 155

(77 -- 81) to finish 25th while Costa Mesa’s Francis Crinella shot

consecutive 82s (20-over-par), good for 36th place.

Fellow Costa Mesa resident Dennis Iden placed sixth (155), eight

shots behind the winner, William McKechnie, in the super senior (65

and older) division. Iden had rounds of 81 and 74, respectively, and

tallied the most birdies of anyone in the field with seven.

*

The driving range at Santa Ana Country Club has been closed since

Aug. 18 and two holes are getting face-lifts.

Crews have leveled the range’s tee box, converting the stage from

two tiers to one. The whole range will be re-sodded and three

additional target greens will give golfers five areas to shoot at

when the range hopefully re-opens Nov. 1, Geoff Cochrane, Santa Ana’s

head golf professional, said.

The back tees on No. 3 are scheduled to move back 10 yards from

their current location and work on the fairway and greenside bunkers

has begun.

Cochrane said the fairway bunker on the right side of the hole

will be moved slightly to the right.

The back tees on No. 7 will also be moved back about 10 yards and

the two fairway bunkers on the left side will be taken out and a

large fairway bunker on the right will be added.

“It will force you to hit your tee shot to the left side of the

fairway,” Cochrane said. He added that the lake that fronts the green

will come more into play.

“There was a feeling among the membership that the seventh hole

should be the signature hole because it has all the facets of a hole

you could want: elevation change, tree-lined fairways ... .”

The seventh hole has been closed since Aug. 18, but the third hole

has been open for play, sometimes with a temporary green.

With the construction, Santa Ana is playing two strokes lower --

par 70 -- than it normally does. Golfers are playing a 75-yard, par-3

to the left of No. 8 while the ninth hole has been shortened to a

350-yard par-4 instead of the typical par-5 status.

Cochrane hopes the construction to the range and the two holes

will be completed by Nov. 1.

The changes are part of the club’s master plan adopted five years

ago. Noted architect Casey O’Callahan, who led the re-design of the

clubhouse and driving range at Mesa Verde Country Club, has been

working with the Green Committee of Santa Ana Country Club, on the

changes.

“It’s mostly to modernize the golf course,” Cochrane said.

*

Paul Smolinski, head coach for UC Irvine’s men’s golf team, and

partner Craig Plumley birdied 14 holes en route to shooting a

14-under-par 57 in the Pro-Pro Scramble on the Zaharias Course at the

Industry Hills Golf Club.

The run of birdies included eight of nine holes on the back nine,

where they carded a 27. Smolinski rolled in four putts of more than

20 feet.

The three-shot victory over Paul Holtby and Wayne Case earned the

duo $1,500 to split.

*

The second annual Bistango/Bayside charity golf tournament will be

held Monday at Mesa Verde Country Club.

Tournament registration and putting contests begin at 8:30 a.m.

with a shotgun start commencing at 10 a.m.

The day will also include wine tastings, lunch and refreshments

provided by the club and a post-tournament dinner party catered by

the Bistango/Bayside Catering Company.

A hole-in-one contest will also be featured where golfers can win

a 2003 Mercedes Benz C230K Coupe provided by Fletcher Jones

Motorcars, among other prizes.

Tickets are $170 and can be purchased at Bistango or Bayside

restaurants, online at www.BaysideRestaurant.com or by calling (949)

721-1222 or (949) 752-5222. A portion of the proceeds will benefit

Hillview Acres Children’s Home.