Mesa Verde to serve as community catalyst

It is shaping up as a busy summer for Mesa Verde Country Club in

Costa Mesa.

In addition to the Tea Cup Classic and Jones Cup, the private club

will play host to a fund-raiser for Costa Mesa and Estancia high

schools.

On Aug. 18, the club will donate its course and much of the

tournament costs toward facilities improvements on the two campuses.

Tournament organizers expect more than 90% of the entry fees will

go directly toward the $7-million construction projects, spearheaded

by the Costa Mesa Community Athletic Foundation.

The project at Costa Mesa High features a 50-meter pool capable of

hosting CIF swim meets and water polo matches, while the vision at

Estancia includes a 2,500-seat stadium with a nine-lane track and

lighted soccer and football practice areas.

The golf tournament will act as the catalyst in the initial

fund-raising efforts. The Tea Cup Classic is July 25; the Jones Cup

is Aug. 1.

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Trailing by one shot with three holes to play, Jeff Bloom remained

steady and finished with a two-shot victory for his first Newport

Beach Country Club men’s championship Sunday.

After two consecutive rounds of 80, Bloom knocked off eight shots

in the final round to post a 72, beating second-place finisher Bruce

Bearer by two strokes. Bloom fired rounds of 73-80-80-72 (305), while

Bearer shot 73-73-82-79 (307). Toby Bogard (75-80-76-77--308) placed

third.

Paul Hahn, head golf professional at NBCC, will wait to hear back

from Bloom whether the newest men’s club champion will compete in the

Jones Cup. The Jones Cup pairs the club champion (or invited

dues-paying amateur) with a full-time staff member from each of the

four private clubs (Santa Ana Country Club, Big Canyon Country Club,

Newport Beach, Mesa Verde) in this newspaper’s circulation. The

tournament features a better-ball of partners format with two

foursomes teeing off back-to-back.

Big Canyon’s Will Tipton and Mesa Verde’s Steve Rhorer each

claimed their respective club championships last fall. Santa Ana

hosts its championship over five days later this month.

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Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast will host the 14th annual

Olive Crest Golf Tournament Monday to benefit disadvantaged children.

More than 140 golfers have each paid $750 to compete.

Singles can register beginning at 9 a.m. the day of the

tournament.

All proceeds from the event will go to Olive Crest Homes &

Services, which has served children and families for 30 years.

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Three Newport-Mesa golfers qualified for the 104th Southern

California Golf Association amateur championship June 27-29 at Torrey

Pines Golf Club in La Jolla.

Newport Beach’s Steve Conway, a second-team All-American as a

junior on UCLA’s men’s golf team, shot a 3-under 69 on the par-72

SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, one of the nine qualifying sites. He

finished two shots behind Greg Lopez, from San Juan Capistrano.

Costa Mesa’s Andrew Thomson was one of four golfers to tally a

2-under-par 70 on the Cottonwood at Rancho San Diego Golf Club in El

Cajon to qualify for the championship. Adam Petke, also from Costa

Mesa, shot a 73 on the par-72 El Camino Country Club course in

Oceanside to qualify. Newport Beach’s Michael Walker shot a 74 on the

par-72 Rio Bravo Country Club in Bakersfield, good for an alternate

spot.