Dispitus.com

Empowering change empowering Tech

On my last trip to Palm Springs I had the opportunity to participate in the annual Childhelp Celebrity Golf Invitational at Porcupine Creek and the Indian Wells Golf Resort held every January in the California desert.

Being an avid golfer, my friends and I formed a quartet that included actor, producer and soccer star Fred “the Hammer” Williamson for two days of fantastic golf action.

On the first day, our group was picked up from the Hyatt Grand Champions in Indian Wells, where we were taken to the private property of Oracle founder and billionaire Larry Ellison. Known as Porcupine Creek, this private golf course and farm is located on Rancho Mirage across the mountain. It is surrounded by the most beautiful grounds I have ever seen. In addition to a 35,000-foot private residence, the lot contains four guest houses, the smallest of which measures 4,000 feet. Needless to say, our day of golf at this unique property was like spending a day in the Garden of Eden.

Our second day of golf was played at the Indian Wells Golf Resort on the Celebrity Course. Known for its well-kept greens and serene atmosphere, this course is adjacent to the luxurious IW Club. The Club and the field were closed for the event, but I understand that it is normally open to the public.

Along with the two days of golf came the three nights of parties that were held at the Hyatt Grand Champions Ballroom. Our wives joined us for these festivities and the food and entertainment were second to none.

Baseball great Johnny Bench was the biggest celebrity winner over the course of the two-day event and I had a chance to speak with Johnny, who played with his son. In addition, there were a score of celebrities who participated in the event, each of them paired with a different team during the course of the two days of golf. Among some of the other daily celebrities I saw were baseball Hall of Famer Steve Garvey, soccer player and actor Ed Marinaro, KISS lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, Dancing with the Stars personality Tony Dovolina, All My Children actor John Callahan and lead singer of the rock group Loverboy Mike Reno. In addition to the golf awards, there were other honors that were extended to those who had been strong supporters of ChildHelp.

On the first night, donors such as Ron and Sherrie Auen from the Berger Foundation and “Wild Bill” Bill Laughlin were among those who were congratulated for their tireless work and generosity. There were also silent and live auctions that generated a lot of dollars to help the charity. The climax of that event came when “Wild Bill” donated $ 100,000 to help build an outdoor recreation center. It was amazing when their mouths fell open and their breaths gasped at the generosity that spread.

As the evening drew to a close, we were entertained by the soothing sounds of singer Jon Secada along with a variety of bands that played the last night, allowing guests the opportunity to show off their dance moves.

Overall, my group had a great time and you can be sure that this event is on my calendar for next season.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *