Golf: LPGA Tour not coming to Mesa Verde

Richard Dunn

COSTA MESA - The LPGA Tour, which had discussions with Mesa Verde

Country Club about hosting the City of Hope LPGA Classic in April, will

announce today that the event will be played at Wilshire Country Club in

Los Angeles.

The event’s operating manager, the City of Hope, has reportedly

desired for several years to relocate the tournament closer to its

Duarte-based charity.

The City of Hope LPGA Classic was previously played at Wachesaw

Plantation East Golf Club in Murrells Inlet, S.C.

Mesa Verde hosted the LPGA Kemper Open from 1979-81 and the LPGA

Uniden Invitational from 1984-86.

Rob Neal of the LPGA Tour said Wilshire has “a lot of infrastructure

already in place” and could work fast to get the tournament ready for its

scheduled play April 12-15.

In 1995, Mesa Verde prepared in less than five months for the

inaugural Toshiba Senior Classic on the Senior PGA Tour, which has been

played at Newport Beach Country Club since 1996.

Under Mesa Verde golf committee chairman Bill Wallace, the Costa

Mesa-based equity-owned club successfully hosted Orange County’s first

Senior Tour event six years ago.

Prior to the LPGA Tour’s confirmation Sunday of the City of Hope

Classic moving to Wilshire, Mesa Verde head professional Tom Sargent said

his club was not going to host the event, mainly because of a busy 2001

agenda that includes a $7 million clubhouse remodeling project and

hosting the Western Regional Girls Junior America’s Cup matches Aug. 6-9.

Mesa Verde’s clubhouse renovation will begin in September or October,

Sargent said.