Greg Hardwig: Four local clubs are catering to daughters

Four Southwest Florida golf clubs are participating in Play Golf America's "Take Your Daughter to the Course Week" beginning on Monday.

Hammock Bay Golf & Country Club and Riviera Golf Club in Naples and Vasari Country Club and Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs will have specials for juniors to play next week, and some of the clubs also will conduct special clinics.

Hammock Bay will offer free greens fees and cart fees for daughters, as well as sons, with a paying adult. Adults will be offered a member/guest rate of $40. Kids clubs can be used for free. The club also will have a free 20-minute lesson for children with a paying adult. Lesson rates are $50 for a half hour and $80 for a fulll hour. Call 394-4811.

At Riviera, juniors play free with a paying adult. There also will be free short-game clinics. Call 774-1081.

At Vasari, greens fees are free for all girls accompanied by an adult. There is a five-day junior clinic from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. The Friday clinic is free to all girls ages 5-17. Call 594-3959.

For more information on Bonita Bay Club's Take Your Daughter to the Course Week, call 498-2626.

Play Golf America is a cooperative effort in conjunction with the PGA of America to get more people involved in the game of golf. For more information, go online to www.playgolfamerica.com.

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The U.S. Pro Golf Tour has partnered with Donald Trump for four major Trump Championships with $10.1 million in purses starting in 2007. Many of the tour's players participated in the Trump Million Dollar Invitational recently that was televised on ESPN this past weekend.

Sites for the Trump Championships will be staged at four of Trump's golf courses, including Trump International in West Palm Beach.

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Bonita Springs' Peter Jacobsen leads a contingent of four Champions Tour golfers with Southwest Florida ties competing in the U.S. Senior Open, beginning Thursday in Kettering, Ohio.

Jacobsen won the tournament in 2004 in St. Louis. Others playing are part-time Naples residents John Harris and Wayne Levi, and Fuzzy Zoeller, who plays out of Naples National Golf Club.

On Sunday, Levi tied for 20th at the Greater Kansas CityGolf Classic. Harris, coming off his first career professional victory the week before, tied for 43rd.

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Rocco Mediate isn't on the PGA Tour for the third straight week, skipping the Cialis Western Open. Mediate said after the U.S. Open that he wasn't planning on playing again until the Buick Open, Aug. 3-6, in order to rest his back.

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Neither Naples' Kris Tamulis nor Bonita Springs' Catherine Cartwright are in the field for this week's HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship. Both players did not qualify for last week's U.S. Women's Open.

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Part-time Estero resident Chip Beck missed the cut by three shots at last week's Peek 'n Peak Classic on the Nationwide Tour. The tour is off this week.

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Ashley Prange, a part-time Fort Myers resident, won her second touranment on the Duramed Futures Tour on Sunday in Hammond, Ind. Earlier this year, Prange won The Golf Channel's reality series "Big Break V: Hawaii."

Meaghan Francella, who works with Naples-based instructor Tom Patri, tied for 35th.

Former Florida Gulf Coast University golfer Sarah Pesavento, who finished her collegiate career at Coastal Carolina, and Misia Lemanski, who works at Eagle Creek Country Club, both missed the cut. It was the tour debut for Pesavento.

Prange and Francella are in the field for this week's tournament in Bloomfield, Conn.

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A handful of junior golfers from the Rick Smith Golf Academy at Tiburón will be competing in the Florida State Junior Team Championship at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista from July 15-16.

Teams entered are: Boys 16-18 — Daniel Mazziotta, Ross Padgett, Brandon Pena, Daniel Martin, Adam Stavich, Rob Thorngate, Tyler Johansson, Jack Schroeder and Loren David; Girls 16-18 — Lisanne Schmidt, Alexandra Schmidt, and Taylor Church; Boys 13-15 — Jonathan Novatt, Samuel Murphy, Emilio Mariconda; Girls 13-15 — Stephanie Carlozzi, Sarah Carey, Emma Smyser.

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Eric Johannson shot a 76 to win the boys overall division, and Kelsey McGregor had a 90 to win the girls division of the Gulf Coast Junior Tour event at Grey Oaks Country Club on June 30.

Other division winners: Boys Championship — Tanner Hoban 78, *Jack Schroeder 81; Boys 14-15 A — Alex McMahon 78, Matthew Lawrence 84; Boys 14-15 B — Ian Connors 99, Robby McGinnis 101; Boys 12-13 A — Nik Susnjara 77, Geoffrey Stephenson 81; Boys 12-13 B — Matt Taylor 79, Travis Manning 103; Girls 12-18 —* Megan Riley 94, Kelsey O'Donnell 94. * won scorecard playoff

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Naples' Alex McMahon's placing was incorrect from the South Florida PGA Junior Tour event held at Bonita Bay Club, published Wednesday, June 28. McMahon did not play in the 12-13 age group, but instead played up a division, in the 14-18 age group. The information provided by the South Florida PGA was incorrect.

McMahon had a 158 total, playing from a longer distance than those in the 12-13 age group did.

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The Gulf Coast Junior Tour will have its Adult/Junior Golf Tournament on Saturday, July 29 at Vineyards Golf & Country Club in North Naples. The tour also will have its awards luncheon on that date.

There is no charge for junior tour members, and a $25 entry fee for adults age 21 and over. The tournament has an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. The entry deadline is July 10. The luncheon is from approximately 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. For more information, call Cindy at 597-6858.

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The Fort Myers Miracle will have a Golf Giveaway Night on Friday, Aug. 11. Gates open at 6 p.m., with the Miracle's game starting at 7.

Hundreds of free rounds of golf will be given away during the game. Among participating courses are: Fort Myers — Beachview Golf Club, Colonial Country Club, Cross Creek Country Club, Eagle Ridge Country Club, Fort Myers Beach Golf Club, Heritage Palms Country Club, Hideaway Country Club, Kelly Greens Country Club, Lexington Country Club, Myerlee Country Club, Pelican Preserve Golf Club, Shell Point Golf Club, Terra Verde Country Club, The Dunes Golf Club, The Landings Country Club, Whiskey Creek Country

Club; Naples — Bear's Paw Country Club, Countryside Country Club, Cypress Woods Country Club, Eagle Creek Country Club, Forest Glen Country Club, Foxfire Country Club, Golf Club of the Everglades, Glen Eagle Country Club, The Rookery at Marco, Moorings Country Club, Olde Cypress Golf Club, Quail Village Country Club, Stonebridge Country Club, The Strand Country Club, Valencia Country Club, Vineyards Country Club, Quality Inn/Suites Golf Resort; South Lee County — Bonita Fairways Golf Club, Pelican's Nest Country Club, San Carlos Golf Club, Stoneybrook Country Club, Vasari Country Club, Worthington Country Club; Cape Coral — Coral Oaks Country Club, Palmetto Pines Country Club; Lehigh Acres —Westminster Country Club; Mini Golf — Castle Golf, Greenwell's Family Fun Park, Jungle Golf, Smugglers Cove

For tickets, call 768-4210 or go to www.miraclebaseball.com.

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The seventh annual Miracle Baseball Golf Classic will be on Sunday, Aug. 13 at Pelican Preserve in Fort Myers. The event benefits the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Registration is at 7:30 a.m., with an 8:30 a.m. start for the four-person scramble. The entry fee is $125, or $550 per foursome, including hole signage. Registration includes tickets to the Aug. 11 Miracle game. For more information, call 768-4210.

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Other upcoming golf events follow:

• Executive Women's Golf Association — League play every Monday at Arrowhead ($22), 596-1000, or The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club ($25), and Thursday at Tiburón ($35), 594-2040. Upcoming events: Aug. 12, Florida Sectional Championship, Lely Resort; Nov. 2-4, EWGA National Conference, Palm Beach. For more information, go online to naplesewga.com.

• Tournament Players Association — Upcoming event: Cape Coral Summer Championship, July 15-16, Cape Coral Country Club, $100 entry fee, stroke play. For more information, call Doug Oselett at 458-0754.

• Arrowhead Twilight Scramble — Each Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Started on April 19. The entry fee is $25 for the four-person scramble. There will be a blind draw for groups. Call 596-1000 by 2 p.m. each Wednesday.

• Collier County Women's Golf Association — Remaining schedule: Cedar Hammock, Aug. 11; Vasari, Aug. 18; The Glades, Sept. 8; Glen Eagle, Sept. 22; Vanderbilt, Sept. 29; Stonebridge, Oct. 13. Those interested in joining can contact Doris Roberts at 793-0644 or Helen Nulse at 353-6944.

• 22nd annual International Junior Golf Classic — July 7-12 at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. Practice rounds will be July 7-8, with the adult/junior tournament on July 9. Tournament play will have 8 a.m. shotgun starts on July 10, 11, 12.

Age divisions are: 8-and-under (4 holes, July 10-11), 9-10 (9 holes each day), 11-13 (18 holes each day, white tees), 14-15 (18 holes each day, blue tees), 16-17 (18 holes each day, blue tees), 18 (18 holes each day, blue tees).

The overall boys winner will receive a berth in the Junior Orange Bowl Invitational.

The entry fee is $120, except for ages 8 and under it's $75. The entry deadline was July 3. Players ages 11-18 must carry or pull their own bags. For more information, call 261-2222.

• South Florida Junior Tour — Conducted by the South Florida PGA Section. Juniors must join the tour by going to http://sflorida.pga.com and clicking on Junior Golf. Remaining tournaments — July 19-20, Hammock Creek, Palm City; Aug. 1-2, Doral Resort & Spa, Miami; Oct. 7-8, The Club at TwinEagles, Naples; Nov. 11-12, Martin Downs Country Club, Palm City.

• Southwest Florida Junior Golf Association — Ages 8-18. Remaining tournament schedule — Today, Port Charlotte CC (18 holes), TBA (9 holes); July 10, Shell Point CC (18 holes), Summerlin Ridge (9 holes); July 21, Worthington (18 holes), TBA (9 holes). The Nolan Henke/Patty Berg Junior Masters Invitational, July 24-29, Cypress Lake Country Club. July 31, Adult/Junior, Golden Gate Country Club. More information at swfjga.com.

• U.S. Kids Naples Local Tour — Ages 4-12. Schedule: July 13, The Forest; July 20, Club at Renaissance; Aug. 7, Naples Grande; Aug. 12, Golf Club of the Everglades; Aug. 26-27, Tour Championship, Club at TwinEagles. More information: 1-888-3USKIDS or www.uskidsgolf.com.

• Rick Smith Golf Academy Junior Golf Camps — Remaining session dates are July 17-21, July 24-28, July 31-Aug. 4, and Aug. 7-11. Registration deadlines are three days prior to the first date of each session. Camps are for ages 7-17. Entry fees are $250, plus tax. Sessions are from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Family members can attend Friday's awards barbeque for an additional $15.

For the advanced junior golf camps, remaining session dates are July 17-21, July 24-28, and Aug. 7-11. There is a limit of 20 juniors for each session. Camps are for ages 7-17, with sessions from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. each day. A mini-tournament with trophies is held on the Thursday and Friday of each session. For more information, call 593-1111.

• WCI/Mercedes-Benz of Fort Myers Junior Golf Tour — Remaining schedule: July 18, Gulf Harbour (18 holes), Pelican Preserve (9 holes), $25 entry fee; Aug. 1, Pelican Marsh (18 holes), Tiburón (9 holes), $25 entry fee; Tournament of Champions, Aug. 12, Hammock Bay. Junior golfers must also become members of the tour in addition to the tournament entry fee. For more information, go to www.wcijrgolf.com or call 498-8040.

• X-Factor Junior Golf Tour — Upcoming tournaments: July 15-16, Don Shula's Golf Club, Miami; July 29-30, Miromar Lakes, Estero; Aug. 5-6, University of Florida, Gainesville; Aug. 19-20, Hammock Bay, Naples; Sept. 2-4, Orange Lake, Kissimmee; Sept. 30-Oct. 1, Lake Jovita, Dade City; Oct. 28-29, Bonita Bay Club, Bonita Springs; Nov. 18-19, PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie; Dec. 31-Jan. 1, 2007, Tour Championship, World Golf Village, St. Augustine. For more information, call Karen Hannaford at 822-8590 or visit www.x-factorjuniorgolf.com.

• Cypress Woods Golf Academy — Remaining three-day camps, July 18-20 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Fee, $90 per student. Monday Junior Camp: July 3, 10, 17, 31 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fee, $25. Weekend Junior Camp: July 8, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., $30. Call 592-7860 or e-mail golfpro@cypresswoodsgolf.com.

• Faldo Golf Institute/Kids Golf 4 Free — The new program allows adults and kids to play and learn the game together. Juniors age 15 and under can golf for free with a full paying adult after 3 p.m., and free lessons for juniors age 15 and under with full-paying adult. The program also is available at The Rookery at Marco. For more information, go to www.marriottgolf.com.

• LPGA Girls Club of Collier County — At Arrowhead Country Club on Mondays at 10 a.m. on July 10, 17, 24, and 31, and Aug. 7. Girls ages 7-18. High school girls grouped together. Same with middle school and elementary school girls. Call 450-1165.

• Naples Grande Golf School — Remaining sessions, Tuesday through Friday, July 11-14, Aug. 8-11 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Players of all skill levels welcome. Ages 7-17. Entries limited to first 20 players. Fee, $150 per student per week or $40 per day. Deadlines for the remaining sessions are June 27 and July 25, respectively. Call Mark Durland at 784-2208 or e-mail him at m(underscore)durland@msn.com.

• Vasari Country Club — Remaining sessions, July 10-14, Aug. 7-11 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Ages 5-17. Fee, $100 per child for five days or $25 per child per day. Call 594-3959.

• Vineyards Junior Camps — Remaining sessions: July 11-14, July 18-21, Aug. 1-4 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fee, $150 per child per week. Call 353-0505. Junior golfers also are encouraged to check with their local club.

• Joel Ingersoll Memorial Golf Tournament — Sunday, July 16 at Pelican Marsh Golf Club. Registration is at 7:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m., and lunch and an awards ceremony to follow. Sponsorships are available for $100, $500 or $1,000. The entry deadline is July 5. The player entry fee is $125.

Johnson & Wales University will match the net proceeds raised in the tournament. As of last year, over $85,000 had been raised through the scholarship fund for scholarships to Collier County students to attend Johnson & Wales. For more information, contact Lori Ingersoll Jaffee at 591-3528.

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For more golf information, including instruction, please go online to www.naplesnews.com/npdn/sports. To submit an item for the golf column, send a fax to 263-4816 or e-mail gshardwig@naplesnews.com.