Agostini on Golf: Will tournament switch courses?

By Ron Agostini
ragostini@modbee.com

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am might replace Poppy Hills on its rotation of courses.

And there's a certain former homecoming queen at Downey High who thinks it's an exciting idea.

"We're always looking for new ways to enhance the tournament," said Cathy Scherzer, the Modesto native who has served as the event's marketing director for 20 years. "Our goals for charity fund-raising are getting steeper. We have to keep generating excitement."

The Monterey Peninsula Country Club's board of directors meets today to decide whether its renovated Shore Course — a former site for the tournament years ago — joins Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill for the AT&T.

The Shore course, which staged the 2007 California Amateur, has received rave reviews since it was remodeled five years ago by the late architect Michael Strantz.

Many of the holes were reversed in direction, greens and tees were rebuilt and irrigation and drainage were modernized. The course, open and scenic with gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, also was beefed up in difficulty with the addition of bunkers and about 600 yards. It now measures 6,914 yards and probably will play to a par of 70 for the AT&T.

The conventional wisdom cites major affection for the Shore over Poppy, a constant source of criticism by PGA Tour pros. Its awkward par-4s and par-5s and poor drainage were an easy hit for players such as three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin and others.

Most observers also agree that, in a perfect world, majestic Cypress Point would have been the preferred choice. Such a homecoming, however, will not happen. Cypress Point was replaced by Poppy Hills in 1991 after the PGA Tour — following the Shoal Creek controversy the year before — no longer conducted their tournaments at clubs with discriminatory policies.

Since then, Poppy Hills made several improvements but always paled in comparison next to its heralded neighbors. Tournament officials believe the addition of the Shore will generate new interest in a tournament that wasn't even completed in 2009. Dustin Johnson was declared the winner after rain wiped out weekend play.

Still, charity could become the big winner in the end. A better turnout of pros and celebrities would mean a spike in attendance. The tournament has raised more than $79 million for various charities since it arrived on the peninsula in 1947.

The valley has supported the tournament with droves of paying customers and contestants such as Modesto's Matt Bettencourt, the late George Buzzini Sr., Joey Rassett of Turlock and Kevin Wentworth of Manteca, along with local amateurs Bob Piccinini, Jeff Burda and David Halvorson. Spectator parking has been supervised for decades by Explorer Scouts from throughout Northern California.

AT&T, which celebrates its 20th anniversary with the event next year, wouldn't mind a pretty addition to its lineup. Then again, the essential question hasn't been asked: Will the change prompt the return of Tiger Woods, who's been absent since 2002?

The answer: Not likely, but a fresh venue couldn't hurt.

"I don't know what will happen," Scherzer said in reference to MPCC's imminent decision. "But change is difficult, and I know this would help us."

• THE SHAG BAG — The 27th Modesto City Golf Championship will be contested June 13-14 at Dryden Park and Creekside. Call 571-5123. ...Bob Higgins, general manager at Poppy Ridge in Livermore the past eight years, will assume the same duties at Saddle Creek in Copperopolis. He's also worked as director of golf at Poppy Hills and Princeville on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. ... Charles Barkley's odds to win the American Century Golf Championship usually run 500-to-1. His televised improvement has relaxed those odds — to 499-to-1. "I'm going down," Barkley said last week. The 20th anniversary of the popular tournament will be staged at Edgewood Tahoe on July 17-19. For tickets, visit celebritygolf.com.

• HOLES-IN-ONE — Greg Smith, Oakdale, 136-yard 16th at Oakdale CC, 8-iron. ...Van McCown, Jamestown, 125-yard 12th at Mountain Springs, Sonora, 9-iron.

Bee sports writer Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or 578-2302.