Bob Hope Chrysler Classic - La Quinta, CA

The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic is a professional golf tournament played each January in California's Coachella Valley. Part of the PGA Tour's early season West Coast Swing, this tournament is well known for its celebrity pro-am, as well as having five daily 18-hole rounds of competition vs. the PGA Tour standard of four rounds. Currently, "the Hope" is the third event on the Tour's annual schedule, and is also part of the Tour's FedEx Cup competition.

Founded as the Palm Springs Golf Classic in 1960, the tournament evolved from the Thunderbird Invitational that was held in Palm Springs from 1954 to 1959. Its format remains unique among PGA Tour events, being played over five days and four different courses. From 1960-62, the tournament was played at Thunderbird Country Club and Tamarisk Country Club, both in Rancho Mirage, California; Bermuda Dunes Country Club in Bermuda Dunes, California; and Indian Wells Country Club in Indian Wells, California. Bermuda Dunes has been used every year of the event and Indian Wells every year until 2006, but the roster of courses from which the event has chosen the other two courses to be played has evolved over the years. In 1963, Eldorado Country Club, also in Indian Wells, California, replaced Thunderbird Country Club. From 1964 until 1968, La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California replaced Tamarisk Country Club, but in 1969 Tamarisk Country Club rejoined the event and alternated annually with Eldorado Country Club until 1986 (Tamarisk Country Club's last turn being in 1985).

An evolution towards courses more suited to modern professionals began in 1987. From 1987 until 1994, and again from 1998 to the present, a course at PGA WEST in La Quinta, California (the TPC Stadium Golf Course in 1987 and the Arnold Palmer Private Course thereafter) became a permanent member of the roster; from 1995-97, Indian Ridge Country Club in Palm Desert, California replaced PGA WEST. To make room for a new permanent member, Eldorado Country Club and La Quinta Country Club alternated from 1987-89 (Eldorado being used in 87 and 89), after which Eldorado Country Club was dropped from the roster. From 1990-2003, Tamarisk Country Club and La Quinta Country Club followed a "1-2" alternating arrangement, where Tamarisk was played the first year and La Quinta CC the next two; this pattern was deviated from when Tamarisk was used in 2004 (a La Quinta CC year by the pattern), although the 2005, 2006 and 2007 events were then played at La Quinta CC. In early 2005, a local charitable foundation gave its new course, The Classic Club in Palm Desert, California, an Arnold Palmer-designed track, to the tournament, making the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic the only event on the PGA Tour that owns its own facility; The Classic Club took the place of Indian Wells in 2006.

The 2008 course rotation will consist of SilverRock Resort in La Quinta, La Quinta Country Club, the Arnold Palmer Private Course and The Classic Club.

The tradition of choosing the tournament's "Classic Girls" from among the area's collegiates began in those early years, with the earliest tournaments having a celebrity dubbed "Classic Queen." The earliest titleholders included Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell and Jill St. John. The queens of the 1970s included Barbara Eden and Lynda Carter.

The Classic's biggest draw, both then and now, was the celebrity pro-am competition which attracted some of the era's biggest celebrities. According to the BHCC official website, those celebrities included:

Bing Crosby
Burt Lancaster
Kirk Douglas
Phil Harris
Desi Arnaz (one of the founders of the aforementioned Indian Wells Country Club)
Ray Bolger
Hoagy Carmichael
Dwight Eisenhower (the first US President to play in the pro-am)
The first tournament was won by Arnold Palmer with a final score of 338, or 22 under par. The record would stand for the next twenty years.

Bob Hope, who was possibly Hollywood's greatest golfer, added his name to the tournament in 1965 and became the Classic's Chairman of the Board.

The 1970s saw stars like Frank Sinatra make their debuts. Gerald Ford played his first pro-am in 1977, making him the second former president to play in the tournament.

History was made at the tournament in 1995 when the pro-am team of Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Bob Hope and defending champion Scott Hoch teed up for the tournament's opening round. The event marked the first time a sitting president - Clinton - had played during a PGA tour event and perhaps the first time three presidents had ever played together.

For 2007, the purse and 1st prize are $5,000,000 and $900,000 respectively.

Its long history has made the event synonymous with golf in the Coachella Valley. Additionally, the allure of Hope's name, even after his death, has convinced the Hope estate, tournament organizers and corporate sponsor Chrysler to include the legendary entertainer's name on the tournament for as long as a substantial portion of its proceeds are given to charities.

The tournament's format is also a tough sell for many players, such as Tiger Woods, who has never played there. It takes place over five days, four of which include celebrity players. That means rounds take far longer and the presence of so many spectators out to catch a glimpse of their favorite TV, film or music star, can turn even an early round into a far more informal endeavor, which many golfers don't appreciate.

If you are planning a large golf outing in California, be sure to contact the golf course to see if they have enough golf rentals to accomodate your group. Otherwise, all California golf club rentals and California golf equipment rentals can be delivered directly to the hotel prior to your outing. Contact a golf club rental company to reserve rentals for your tournament.

Below is a list of the host golf courses for this years golf tournament in La Quinta, California.

The Classic Golf Club
Silver Rock Golf Resort
La Quinta Country Club
PGA West

Planning a Golf Vacation

Planning a Golf Vacation

Planning a golf getaway? Maximize your time on the course by taking a few simple steps.


Call on-staff golf pro in advance.
The key to traveling comfortably is traveling light. You don't need to bring along every club you own. Instead, research your course ahead of time, and decide which clubs you can't live without.

Rent top-of-the-line clubs.
You can also try renting golf equipment. Renting gives you the opportunity to try out the latest models and technology. Many specialty golf rental companies will deliver the clubs to the airport of your choice.

Reduce back strain with wheeled bag.
When traveling by air, keep your clubs as protected as possible. Opt for a hard side travel bag, preferably with wheels. If you're shipping your clubs in advance, choose a company that specializes in shipping sports equipment.

Use golf travel packaging company.
For stress-free travel planning, let a golf packager do all the work. They can set up lodging, transportation and tee times, and leave you free to focus solely on your swing.

Reference:
Fine Living

Sony Golf Open - Honolulu, Hawaii

The Sony Golf Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii since the event's modern-day inception in 1965. Starting in 1971, the tournament was held in either January or February. Currently, it is held in January, the second overall event and the first full-field event on the PGA Tour schedule.

The Sony Golf Open in Hawaii attracts 144 of the world's greatest golf professionals to the Waialae Country Club on the island of Oahu. The event is the largest charity event in Hawaii and has raised over $7 million dollars for the local non-for-profits since 1999.

In just ten years, the Sony Open has emerged as a leader in charitable giving in the state. With a significant start of generating $256,000 for 43 charities in 1998, tournament charity proceeds now surpass the $1 million mark annually benefiting more than 100 not-for-profit organizations. In 2008 the charity is poised to hit $8 million in total charity grants benefiting over 250 charities.

Global impact of the event reaches over 450 million homes in some 200 countries via multiple national and international broadcast networks, and contributes an estimated $100 million in marketing and economic impact to Hawaii’s. One of the most international events on the PGA TOUR schedule, the Sony Open showcases international golf talent and camaraderie against the backdrop of Hawaii’s natural beauty to the world. In 2007 the Sony Open debuted live event coverage to China and India, and distributed the telecasts to over 150 other countries around the world, making it one of the most internationally-televised golf events in the world!

For information on where to stay for this tournament, here is a link to the Hilton Hotel & Golf Resort. All golf club rentals and golf equipment rentals can be delivered directly to the hotel prior to your outing. Contact this golf club rental company to reserve rentals for this tournament.

The Story of the Waialae Golf & Country Club

The Golf Course was opened for play on February 1, 1927.

The Royal Hawaiian Hotel and Waialae Golf Course were built by the Territorial Hotel Co. as part of a promotional program to develop luxury travel trade to Hawaii. Matson Navigation Co. built the luxury passenger liner Malolo as part of this program. The hotel and golf course lands were leased from the Bernice P. Bishop Estate.

Mr. Seth Raynor, world famous golf architect, and his associate, Mr. Charles Banks, designed and supervised the building of Waialae. Their outstanding work is reflected on many of our holes.

The par three 13th is designed from one on the Biarritz Course in France.
Waialae's 8th hole is paterned after the famous Redan hole on the North Berwick Course in Scotland.
Our unique 16th hole is similar to the 6th hole of the National Course at Southhampton, Long Island.
The 10th Hole introduces features of the 17th or Road hole at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Local players were able to use the course, and by payment of annual fees for play became "privilege card holders" in the Territorial Hotel Company's Waialae Golf Club. In 1930, a group of these Waialae players formed a private club within the Waialae Golf Club which they called Waialae Country Club. Waialae Country Club dates from September 29, 1930 when this group was formally organized and By-Laws were adopted. It enlarged a small service building close to the main clubhouse, installed showers, and had its own clubhouse where the swimming pool is now.

The great depression of the 1930s severely reduced travel and resulted in bankruptcy of the Territorial Hotel Co. Matson took over the obligations and interests of the Territorial Hotel Co. which included the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, the Moana Hotel, and Waialae golf Club. During these years play on the course was mainly by local privilege card holders, most of whom were members of Waialae Country Club.

In August of 1941, fire destroyed the Waialae Pavilion which was used by Waialae Golf Club for dining and dancing, and Matson decided to turn the golf course and remaining buildings over to Waialae Country Club. Before this plan was consummated, the United States had entered World War II, the military had requisitioned the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and numerous military defenses had been installed along Oahu's coastline including the golf course at Waialae.

Waialae Country Club was incorporated on September 30, 1942 and became lessee of the golf course acreage and a small section of land owned by Matson on which the old Isenberg home (later The Pavilion) had been located. The military built a replacement for the Pavilion because of the heavy use of the course by military personnel during the war.

The old Waialae Country Club clubhouse was destroyed by fire in 1952, but through the ingenious conversion of the military structure into kitchen and dining facilities, and the building of new locker rooms, Waialae was again in full operation within twenty-four months after the fire.

Tennis courts, swimming pool and added parking units were completed in 1958 and Waialae became a Country Club in fact, as well as, name.

No major physical changes were made in the golf course layout until 1954 when the 15th hole was lengthened from 320 yards to 435 yards.

However, in the early 1960s major reconstruction on the front nine was necessitated in order to provide beachfront areas for the Kahala Hilton Hotel and the Kahala Beach Apartments. Holes number 1 and 9 were relocated completely from the green, hole number 2 retained the same green but the hole played from mauka to maki instead of along the coast, and a new tee was required for number 3.

At about the same time the Bishop Estate withdrew land where the 7th hole and much of the 6th hole were located for the Kai Nani subdivision, and this required a realignment of the 5th, 6th and 7th holes. The 7th hole had originally run along the beach in a Diamond Head direction but as a result of the subdivision was relocated inland.

Along with the golf course work, a new Pro Shop and a new golf cart storage building were built on the mauka side of Kahala Avenue.

The First PGA Tour Hawaiian Open Golf Tournament was held in the fall of 1965. Hawaiian Opens (under various sponsorships) have been held at Waialae since 1928.

Extensive work continued on the golf course between 1965 and 1970, with the conversion of all greens from bent grass to tifdwarf, and the installation of an automatic sprinkler system throughout the golf course.

During this period much time was spent in finalizing lease agreements with Bishop Estate and with Sheraton Hotels who had in 1959 acquired Matson's hotel interests and two acres of Matson land where the swimming pool and tennis courts are located. Long-term lease agreements were concluded in 1970.

The Club was now in a position of being able to develop plans for a new clubhouse. Construction work commenced in the summer of 1971, and the new clubhouse was opened on September 1, 1972. Financing was through purchase by members of transfer certificates.

The main Clubhouse was renovated in 1980, and in 1981 renovations were completed at the Golf Pro Shop. The expansion and renovation of the Men's Grille were completed in June of 1983.

On December 19, 1983, a fire completely destroyed the cart shed/club storage building located next to the Golf Pro Shop. Fortunately, the Golf Pro Shop itself sustained only minor damage. A modern and spacious cart shed/club storage building was constructed during 1984 with many fire-safety features.

Numerous capital improvements to the various Waialae facilities over a ten-year period (1984-1994) were projected, and therefore the membership approved an assessment of all members in February of 1985 on the basis of their access to Club facilities and in relation to the dues structure. One of the first capital improvement projects undertaken was the installation of a computerized irrigation system for the golf course, with accompanying reservoir and pump facility. Omnicourt surfacing was installed on the tennis courts in October of 1985, and renovations to the tennis shower and locker rooms as well as swimming pool were accomplished.

The Waialae golf course is a par 72 championship course with yardage of 7,125 from the back tees. The course rating is 72.1 from the regular tees.


Reference:
http://www.sonyopeninhawaii.com/index.html

Mercedes-Benz Golf Championship - Maui, Hawaii

The Plantation Golf Course • Kapalua Golf Resort, Maui

The Mercedes-Benz Championship is the opening event of golf's PGA Tour season. The field is restricted to golfers who won an event on the Tour in the previous season. It is played the first weekend in January, and has been at Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii, since 1999. The event was played in Las Vegas, Nevada from the event's inception in 1953 until 1968, first at The Desert Inn Golf & Country Club until 1966, and then at Stardust Country Club. After that, it began a 30-year relationship with La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, which lasted until the event was moved to its current location in Hawaii.

The par 73, 7,411-yard Plantation Course, is the course of the champions, site of the PGA TOUR Mercedes-Benz Championship each January featuring an elite field of previous year's PGA TOUR winners. The field has included golf greats such as Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, Ernie Els, Davis Love III and many more. The grand scale of the course designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore unfurls across natural geographic formations and pineapple plantation fields that take your breath away.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua is a great luxury golf resort to stay at while attending the tournament. All golf club rentals and golf equipment rentals can be delivered directly to the hotel prior to your outing. Contact this golf club rental company to reserve rentals for this tournament.

For Tee Time reservations before and after the tournament visit http://www.kapalua.com/hawaii-golf/plantation-golf-course.php

The tournament schedule is as follows:

Monday, January 1, 2007
Practice Round - Day 1

Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Practice Round - Day 2

Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Pro-Am

Thursday, January 4, 2007
First Round

Friday, January 5, 2007
Second Round

Saturday, January 6, 2007
Third Round

Sunday, January 7, 2007
Final Round



Blog reference:
http://www.kapalua.com/hawaii-golf/pga-tournament/

http://www.bizzspotlight.com/2007/06/kapalua_resort_in_maui_hawaii.html