golf briefs

Professional play begins Thursday in PGA Tour event

The first round of professional play begins Thursday in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin. The final round is Sunday, followed by an awards ceremony on the 18th green. Tee times are at 7 a.m. Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Grounds tickets allows access to the tournament grounds at TPC Summerlin. Daily grounds tickets are $20 if purchased online and $25 at the gate. Some of the best and most lively tournament viewing on the course is located at The Hill, a luxury 22,000-square-foot entertainment pavilion overlooking the 16th, 17th and 18th holes. Daily admission to The Hill is $30 online, $35 at the gate.

Tournament host Justin Timberlake will bring the Justin Timberlake and Friends Old School Jam back to the Theatre for the Performing Arts at Planet Hollywood Resort on Saturday at 8 p.m. Co-hosted by actor, comedian and singer Wayne Brady, this year's concert will feature performances by Earth, Wind & Fire, The Commodores, Charlie Wilson, Color Me Badd, Sugar Hill Gang, Sister Sledge, Vanilla Ice and Turbo B.

Tickets range in price from $100 to $500 plus applicable live entertainment taxes and may be purchased at the Theatre for the Performing Arts box office at Planet Hollywood Resort, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000.

The Oct. 1 concert is one of several events during tournament week that will benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children. For additional tournament information, log onto www.jtshrinersopen.com.

Golf tournament to support Chefs for Kids program

The inaugural Chefs for Kids golf tournament will be held at Painted Desert Golf Course on Oct. 23. Chefs for Kids, a joint effort of the American Culinary Federation Chefs of Las Vegas and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, is a nonprofit organization committed to eliminating malnutrition and hunger in children through education and awareness. The tournament is being sponsored by the BrownBlankfeld Group and will be an annual event.

Early registration for the tournament is $100 per player prior to Oct. 13 ($110 after). The format is a four-person scramble. Golfers can pick their own team or will be assigned to a team. The fee includes greens fee, cart, range balls, luncheon following, snacks on several holes and a team photo. Awards for winning team, longest drive and closest to the pin on par 3 will be presented.

To register or for questions, email harvey@brownblankfeld.com or call Harvey Blankfeld at 702-203-1165, Joel Stelzner at 705-595-5250 or Shelly Brown at 702-596-6330. The deadline to register is Oct. 17.

Patriot's Day Golf Tournament a big success at CasaBlanca

The second annual Patriot's Day Golf Tournament on Sept. 3 at the CasaBlanca Golf Club in Mesquite was more than a mild success considering its resounding comparison to the numbers from the inaugural event. A jam-packed field of 144 flocked to the CasaBlanca for the latest gathering, nearly double the amount that played last year.

Better yet, $1,300 -- also double the money raised in 2010 -- was raised for the families of U.S. Armed Forces veterans who have been killed or injured.

A national tournament founded by legendary golf professional Jack Nicklaus, Patriot's Day events are presented throughout the nation each Labor Day weekend to raise funds for the posteducational scholarships for families whose loved ones have been killed or disabled while serving the United States.

"This was a fantastic success," said Mary Ochs, a nine-year employee of Mesquite Gaming who is the head golf pro at the CasaBlanca Golf Club. "We had players travel from several states including Colorado, California, Utah, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to join several from Southern Nevada.

The Patriot's Day event had no competition winners.

"Our winners were drawn randomly," Ochs explained. "I pulled the names out of a hat and told everyone 'OK, here's the first-place winner, the second-place winner' and so on."

The never-ending promotional machine continues in Mesquite, especially on its golf courses.

"Our next charity tournament is the third annual Golf 4 Life event in January," Ochs said.

Last year's Golf 4 Life tournament attracted 108 competitors and raised $3,305 for the Mesquite Cancer Help Society. Further information regarding the next event can be found by calling Ochs at 702-346-6764 or by visiting www.casablancaresort.com.