Judy Salamacha
Picture provided by Garry Johnson: Original Board Members Ron McIntosh, Danmie Tope representing her father Tope, and Steve Carnes
The Central Coast Rotary Golf Classic is scheduled for Friday, May 20 at Morro Bay Golf Course. Nick Mendoza, a past-president of the Morro Bay Rotary Club and the tournament’s chairman, invited all to enjoy the outing plus dinner and prizes for the benefit of Morro Bay High School scholarships.
“The tournament format is an entertaining 9-holes scrambles on a get-away Friday afternoon with a shut-gun start at 2:30 p.m. Even non-golfers can play and enjoy,” said Mendoza. The cost is $70.00 and is limited to 72 golfers. There are cash awards for winners of the tournament. He advises registering as soon as possible. The club hopes to award at least $2,000.00 in scholarships in 2016 through Morro Bay Rotary’s Foundation.
The tournament bonus according to Mendoza is its “unique feature hosting the boys and girls golf teams from the Morro Bay High School to play at no cost to them. We pair them with different teams and its a fun way to get to know these kids. They in turn get to know a little about what Rotary does for their community and the world.”
Mendoza added, “The ECO Rotary Club is also a benefactor of the money raised by the tournament.” When John Weiss (the elected 2017-18 Governor for Rotary District 5240} revived the tournament, the ECO Rotary Club was just being formed as an affiliate club project during his president’s year serving the Rotary Club of Morro Bay. “We continue to help and they help with planning and manpower.”
In its heyday the Central Coast Golf Classic was the club’s major fund raiser averaging about $20,000 each year according to Chuck Clarke, treasurer for thirteen years and an active golf tournament committee member since the mid-1990s. Another long-time club and golf tournament volunteer, Matt Clevenger, recalled the tournament was conceived by John Lemons and Max Hill in the late 1970s.
“The most collected was $29,300 in 2007-08,” said Clarke. Former Morro Bay Police Chief, John DeRohan was the chair. Clarke became club president in 1995-96 then volunteered his financial oversight the following year. “I know that from 1996-97 through the 2008-09 the Central Coast Classic collected $259,791…(and) That fundraiser, along with a few others to supplement our annual income, permitted us to contribute annually about $15,000 to community activities, including college scholarships for Morro Bay High School students, and another $5,000 to our club foundation. Our foundation would invest portions of that income and also fund several college scholarships.”
Besides accounting for the funds, Clarke said he supported the efforts the tournament’s registration chairman, John Lemons, who recently passed away. The tournament was created for the serious golf competitor. “John would get the entry forms and come up with flights based on handicaps, assigning each golfer to a flight and foursome. I would prepare the score cards and enlist several Rotarians and spouses, including Liz (Clarke), to prepare the 144 “goodie bags.’”
In 2006-07 Police Chief John DeRohan agreed to chair the tournament. Now retired, DeRohan recalls, “I volunteered to take over as the Chairperson in 2006 because it was going to disband. I chaired it in 2006, 2007, and 2008. We raised the most money the golf tourney has ever raised due to a really hard working and dedicated committee. We changed the format from an individual play to a 4-person scramble in 2008. This was done to make the tournament more fun and to attract more players as we were struggling getting players. It became too competitive. We also simplified the scoring by using the gross score of each team. This format switch worked and we got more players and had a lot more fun. We also changed the start time to 8am with a real shotgun blast start. (Member) Rick Grantham used his loud canon.”
After a couple years without a chairman to guide it, John Weiss revived the scrambles style tournament holding it at Sea Pines for a few years before it returned tournament play to Morro Bay Golf Course in 2015. Weiss also developed the program sponsoring junior golfers. Jamie Boucher was his registrar and continues to be Mendoza’s “right arm” and will answer any questions regarding registration and potential sponsorship due by May 13. Call her at or Mendoza at .