Columnist Victoria Sun: New cable show good for golf

Victoria Sun is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Her golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or [email protected]

Plugging a product -- a new golf ball or set of clubs, for example -- just because a pretty packet full of detailed information shows up in my mailbox is not something I would ordinarily do in this space.

After all, with hundreds of golf products out on the market, I'm not here to give out free advertising.

But once in a while something interesting does deserve a nod. This time, it's a four-month old golf show called "From the Tee -- Golf in the Southwest."

The 30-minute program, which will be shown daily on Cox cable channel 48 from March 6-26 at 7 p.m., first aired on Nov. 1.

The show is the brainchild of Cox Communications' CableRep Advertising division and executive producer Tom Stipes.

Cox approached Stipes last summer to come up with something that would interest the communities of Las Vegas, San Diego, Orange County (Calif.), Santa Barbara (Calif.), Tucson and Phoenix.

"The opportunity that I saw was to create a unique golf show, not just one that focused on one resort or one golf course," Stipes said. "I wanted one that would keep the interest of all types of golfers.

"(It is) for those who aren't sure if they want to get involved with the sport, (from) beginners to professionals."

By all indications, Stipes & Co. are moving in the right direction.

The show has segments that include prestigious places to play, celebrity profiles, insider pro golf and innovations in the game.

Already, From the Tee has had guests including actor Samuel L. Jackson, singer Celine Dion and sportscaster Dick Enberg talking about their love of the game in the celebrity profile portion of the show.

"That keeps it hopping and makes people interested," Stipes said. "We try to have things that everyone would like to know about.

"Ultimately, the show is designed to showcase all good things about golf in the Southwest. We want to create more interest in the game."

The show takes a more humanized approach to covering golf by focusing on people and their love for the game.

Golfers can pick up tips from different pros, learn more about a course or resort they'd like to visit and find out about the latest golf products on the market.

The show is taped once every two weeks, and there will be a new time slot for the show in Las Vegas after March 26. Check your local cable listings for the new time.

In time, Stipes hopes the show will have the support of enough viewers to expand its coverage and perhaps gain national attention.

* HOT ROD GOLF: Even hot rod drivers slow things down a bit once in a while. National Hot Rod Association drivers Kenny Bernstein, Joe Amato, Gary Sceizi and Tony Schumacher will participate in the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals Charity Golf Classic at the Desert Inn Golf Club on April 6. The event will benefit the Speedway Children's Charities and D.R.A.W., an NHRA charity. Registration starts at 10 a.m. with a shotgun start time of 12:30 p.m. There are 25 spots available for the public, which will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $200 and includes golf, lunch, a shirt, a goody bag and other prizes. All entries are due by March 26. If you are interested, please pick up an entry form at the Desert Inn.

* JUNIOR GOLF PROGRAM: The OB Sports Junior Academy is conducting weekly lessons at Angel Park Golf Club and the Legacy Golf Club. The sessions are broken up into groups of beginning, intermediate and advanced golfers. Beginning sessions are one hour and intermediate and advanced sessions are 90 minutes. For information on the program at Angel Park, call 254-4653 and at the Legacy call 897-2187.

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