Product Guide

SITE

SEARCH

GOLF COURSE SEARCH:

GOLF CALENDAR

submit your event here
May 2012
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
293012345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
272829303112
3456789

Founders' Note

Untitled Page

Honorable cause

The idea of the Ben Hogan foundation joining forces with Riviera Country Club is a venture that sounds too good to pass up.

By Rob Lyon and Eric MarsonPublished: September, 2008

Inside this month’s issue, you’ll read about the Ben Hogan Foundation, a charitable organization started less than a year ago by Hogan’s great-niece, Lisa Scott. By any barometer, the foundation is a good idea, since part of its mission is to preserve the legacy of one of golf’s legendary names and to raise money for sick and financially disadvantaged youths.

Like we said: a good — no, make that great — idea.

And here’s another great idea: what about holding a Ben Hogan Foundation charity golf tournament at Riviera Country Club?

While the foundation is based in Fort Worth, Tex., there are three solid Southern California connections: Its founder, Scott, is a Pacific Palisades resident; one of the charities it plans to support is Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles; and, Ben Hogan and Riviera are as inextricably linked as Babe Ruth and Yankee Stadium.

They don’t call it Hogan’s Alley for no reason. Riviera was the site of two of Hogan’s three Los Angeles Open wins (1947 and 1948), his 1948 U.S. Open win and his legendary return to tournament golf in 1950.

Tournaments figure to be a huge part of the Ben Hogan Foundation’s fund-raising strategy, Scott told Southland Golf. And Southern California is a logical place for one. But, as of early August, no conversations had taken place between the foundation and Riviera about such an event.

While a tournament organized by the foundation created in his honor would be welcome at any Southern California course, it seems to us that the historical connection between Hogan and Riviera is too golden an opportunity to miss.

And while we’re sure we won’t be privy to any conversations, negotiations or decisions if the two entities do agree on a tournament, we thought we’d take this opportunity to not only voice our enthusiastic support for the idea, but also to offer a couple of ideas we think could make a Ben Hogan charity golf tournament at Riviera Country Club even more special.

One idea is to involve former and current PGA Tour players with ties to Hogan and Southern California. This could include our choice for honorary chairman, Ken Venturi, who knew Hogan as a mentor, playing partner and friend for many years. Other prominent names include Billy Casper, Gene Littler, Al Geiberger, Dave Stockton, Corey Pavin and Phil Mickelson, who are all winners of the Colonial Golf Tournament, the PGA Tour event in Fort Worth that Hogan won five times, and which he served as unofficial ambassador to after retiring.

What about getting Callaway Golf, which bought Ben Hogan Golf a few years ago, in the picture?

And let’s not forget Hollywood. There’s already a sizeable Hollywood presence at Riviera, and maybe someone can broker a night at a major Hollywood theater for a screening of “Follow The Sun,” the 1951 movie based on Hogan’s life, as a fund-raiser.

These are just musings from the peanut gallery, but we think this is a match made in golf paradise and hope the right people get in touch for what could be a very special tournament.

Readers Feedback:

Super idea! Where do I sign up?
Comment at 5/6/2010
And I was just wondeinrg about that too!
Comment at 8/18/2011
czpASw , [url=http://gmfvvnksfnhk.com/]gmfvvnksfnhk[/url], [link=http://idkvenijbfuq.com/]idkvenijbfuq[/link], http://gevnujblqgkx.com/
Comment at 8/20/2011
IMdzHk , [url=http://gudpbfffadiv.com/]gudpbfffadiv[/url], [link=http://hifdiwwbiypb.com/]hifdiwwbiypb[/link], http://vyfmypmxwkxn.com/
Comment at 8/30/2011