The par-3 17th hole at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course will be a lakefront paradise for sports fans at next week's 19th American Century Celebrity Golf Championship.
Birdies, Barkley and boats will come together in perfect harmony along the shore of Lake Tahoe during the July 11-13 competition for 80 celebrity pro athletes and entertainers.
"It's the absolute party hole, and it's not a bad place for a cocktail," said Phil Weidinger, in his 17th year doing public relations for the event. A disc jockey will play theme music personalized for each player during the first round.
Michael Jordan, John Elway and Jerry Rice will join Charles Barkley as part of the usual cast of retired sports superstars. Barkley, the NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst, will be honored on his first tee with a plaque, proclamation and tree-planting for his $100,000 donation last year to victims of last summer's Lake Tahoe wildfire.
Active sports figures will be plentiful as well. Want to congratulate Ray Allen on his recent NBA championship? Wish Aaron Rodgers good luck taking over for Brett Favre in Green Bay? Ask Jason Taylor about his dance moves or impressions of Bill Parcells? Allen, Rodgers and Taylor are scheduled to play.
If actors pique your interest, Brian Baumgartner (Kevin on NBC's "The Office"), Kevin Nealon, John O'Hurley and Ray Romano will provide plenty of laughs.
Soccer star Brandi Chastain is the lone woman in the field and certainly could use some support.
Practice rounds and celebrity pro-ams Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will provide fans with unequaled access.
"That's easy pickin's" for die-hard autograph seekers, Weidinger said. "You might see a few dollars change hands, too."
Small cameras are being allowed for the first time this year during the Friday-Sunday tournament.
One-day tickets are $15 Tuesday-Thursday and $25 Friday-Sunday ($22 at Raley's and Bel Air supermarkets through July 10). A pass for the week is $60.
Roseville's Welch in final twosome
Kim Welch didn't have any idea about the roller coaster ride on which she would embark when she was picked to be one of 12 contestants on the Golf Channel's "Big Break: Ka'anapali" reality show.
After seven months of ups and downs, the Roseville resident is ready to disembark. Her wild ride ends with Tuesday night's broadcast, when she squares off in an 18-hole match against European Tour player Sophie Sandolo to determine the show's winner.
"It was two weeks in Hawaii in December," Welch said of the show's taping. "I thought I would meet some new people and have some fun."
Welch said she didn't know the kind of exposure she would receive from 11 one-hour episodes while surviving the playing tests and negotiating the cattiness inherent to the show. Web sites are filled with comments about her polished looks and cool demeanor. People she doesn't know approach her to tell her how much they're rooting for her. "My sister calls me a D-list celebrity," she said.
The show's winner gets an exemption into the Navistar LPGA Classic, her entry fees into 2009 LPGA Futures Tour events waived, a BMW Z4 Coupe and an Adams Golf endorsement contract that includes $10,000 in cash.
Welch knows the outcome, of course, but hasn't told a soul, she said. That would violate her contract with the Golf Channel and lessen her own fun. "It's more fun for me watching everyone squirm and try to get it out of me," she said.
Twilight zone
Filling the tee sheet on hot summer afternoons is a challenge for course operators everywhere. Discounts abound for players who can handle the heat.
ClubCorp Golf, which manages Empire Ranch, Teal Bend and Turkey Creek in the Sacramento area, is taking an aggressive approach by beginning its twilight rate at noon for July and August at the three courses.
ClubCorp also is offering a six-round pass good after 11 a.m. weekdays in July and August for $180. The pass provides a three-hour window of discount from rack rates.
"Anything at 95 degrees is 100 to most people," Empire Ranch general manager Sean Silva said. "And at 100, most people say, 'I'm not going to play.' We're trying to give them a reason."
Call The Bee's Steve Pajak, (916) 326-5526.
