Santa Ana Country Club celebrates Dennis Paulson

Richard Dunn

SANTA ANA HEIGHTS - Dennis Paulson, who grew up playing Santa Ana

Country Club and is an honorary member of the oldest golf club in Orange

County, brought his clubs along Monday for a private exhibition.

Then, he indulged the intimate gallery of about 75 with jaw-dropping

tee shots in a two-team foursome that included head professional Mike

Reehl and club champions Chris Veitch and Marianne Towersey.

“Dennis is very inspiring, because you can’t hit it as far as he does.

You just sit back and watch it, then hope you keep the flies out of your

mouth when it’s open,” said Towersey, the long-reigning women’s club

champion at Santa Ana.

Towersey and Reehl formed one team in the two-player better-ball gross

format and shot 3-under-par 69, while Veitch and Paulson carded a 7-under

65.

Veitch, a four-time Santa Ana men’s club champion who has won three

straight titles, said he wasn’t nervous teeing it up in the members-only

exhibition.

“Not with Dennis Paulson as your partner,” said Veitch, who has played

with him before in rounds at Santa Ana. “With Dennis, you’re playing with

house money. Anything else is just gravy.”

Paulson, the Costa Mesa High product and former national long-drive

champion, flexed his muscles in a private show, following a morning

clinic. It was Dennis Paulson Day at Santa Ana Country Club, which

provided the golf course for the PGA Tour star when he was growing up

with his brother, Dean.

“It is fun to do (an exhibition) here,” said Paulson, who won the

Buick Classic in June for a $540,000 paycheck and his first PGA Tour

title. “This is why I’m a professional golfer, because of Santa Ana

Country Club and (former longtime head pro) Gerald Hall.”

For Paulson, who made five birdies, it was his first time on the golf

course in almost three years, the longest he has gone between rounds

there.

Paulson is enjoying a mini vacation before he plays in the Las Vegas

Invitational next month. Although he has won $855,193 this year, along

with his first title, Paulson said he hasn’t played well in 2000.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a few good weeks, but I’ve been bad as a

whole,” said Paulson, the first-round leader at the Masters this year

with an opening 4-under 68, finishing tied for 14th.

“Last year, I missed three cuts, and I’ve missed two cuts just in the

last month ... I got a win (in 2000) and played well in two majors,”

added Paulson, who carded three straight rounds under par at the British

Open at St. Andrews in July, finishing tied for 11th.

Paulson, who earned over $135,000 in the Masters and British Open

combined, has played in 23 events this year and made 13 cuts. He has

missed nine cuts. He withdrew after two rounds at the U.S. Open.

Paulson, who turns 38 on Wednesday, enjoyed a breakthrough year in

1999, finishing 37th on the PGA Tour’s money list from 317th in 1998.

Paulson considered giving up golf before playing on the Asian Tour in

the early 1990s.

He qualified for the PGA Tour in 1994 and ’95 and played on the Nike

Tour in 1997 and ’98.