GOLF BRIEFS
Turtle Bay Championship raises $80,000 for charity

Advertiser Staff

Last year's Turtle Bay Championship raised $80,000 for 21 O'ahu community service agencies. The money was distributed last week by Friends of Hawai'i Charities.

The total is twice as much as last year. The Champions Tour, along with the PGA and Nationwide tours, generated $72.4 million at 2002 events.

Friends of Hawai'i was formed in 1998 to "provide funding for health education-oriented projects directed toward women, children and youth." Among the groups that received money were Aloha Ke Akua High School, Hawai'i Fi-Do Service Dogs, Ko'olauloa Educational Alliance Corp., North Shore Lifeguard Association, Save the Sea Turtles International and Victory Ohana Prison Fellowship.

The third Turtle Bay Championship will be Oct. 10 to 12 at the Palmer Course. Defending champion Hale Irwin and Craig Stadler, who has won on both the Champions and PGA tours this year, have committed.

For tournament and volunteer information, call 545-1588.

SHORT PUTTS: Hilo's Reginald Elvenia won a trip to Orlando from The Golf Channel. Elvenia is one of 27 viewers flown in to play golf, meet other network fans, take a private lesson from troubleshooter Dean Reinmuth and appear on national television. ... The Aloha Academy of Golf at Ko'olau is offering a workshop Sunday designed to help swing mechanics, mental aspects, flexibility, strength and injury prevention, and provide equipment information. The workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Ko'olau. Cost is $60, for instruction and lunch. Call 236-4653 ext. 240 for more information. ... Entry deadline for the 30th Waikoloa Open is Sept. 12. The tournament is Sept. 25 to 28. For the first time in 30 years, the tournament will be co-hosted by Waikoloa Beach Resort and Waikoloa Village. Pros will play for $25,000, seniors for $5,000 and the Pro-Am purse is $5,000. For information, call 883-9621 on the Big Island. ... Ko Olina has re-scheduled its course aerification to Sept. 29. The course will be closed that day, but the range will be open and there will be limited access to the putting greens. There will be a reduced rate schedule from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6, with rough and sandy conditions on the course.