Columnist Peter Benton: Put Variety in your golf life

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004 | 8:51 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Entries are still being accepted for one of the most eagerly awaited charity tournaments Las Vegas has to offer -- the 29th annual Variety Clubs 4-man scramble.

This year's event is scheduled for a 1 p.m. shotgun start on Friday, Sept. 17 at the Boulder Creek Golf Club, and has an entrance fee of $250 per person. (This includes a pairing and party Sept. 16, which will begin at 6 p.m. at the Las Vegas Country Club.)

Information is available by calling Gene McCauliff at 314-7105 or Mary Butwinick at 383-8466.

Variety International began 78 years ago as a social club in Pittsburgh, originally for people in show business. This benevolent organization now has 51 "tents" in 13 countries and more than 200,000 volunteers who raise an average of $68 million annually.

Tent 39 is Variety of Southern Nevada. It does not serve any one population or fight any one particular disease. It does, however, support local organizations and children in need.

All funds raised here stay here, and Tent 39 serves more than 18,000 youngsters through its programs which are affiliated with 30-plus local nonprofit entities.

Since its founding here in 1954, the Variety Day Home Childcare Center has evolved into an organization with a $1.5 million budget, looking after the needs of approximately 250 children ages 6 months to 5 years. The Variety School for Special Education and the Miller School for the Handicapped are also beneficiaries of funds raised by Tent 39.

Variety also supports the "Sunshine Coach" program, which has 39 vans for use by the Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas and Henderson, Opportunity Village, New Horizons Academy, Nevada Children's Center and more than 15 other agencies.

If you would like to support this worthwhile cause and have a fun day out on the course, please call either of the aforementioned phone numbers.

It was the three-day 2004 Men's Golf Championship contested last week by members of the TPC Summerlin.

To nobody's surprise, the Dorian Grey of Southern Nevada golf, Brady Exber, waltzed his way to a convincing win in the championship flight after rounds of 72-64-72--208 over the par-72 layout. In second place at 220 (78-73-69) was Greg Horodesky and close behind at 81-68-72--221 was Bryan Waters.

In the A Flight, Mark Russell and his 80-74-80--234 also recorded a relatively easy victory, outdistancing Ponder Harrison and his 247. Third with 254 was Paul Casey.