In The Wood
OOH la la! The Bon Ami, Konishiki golf tournament at Ko Olina Nov. 4, will close this year's French Festival. Konishiki and friends
golf for local kids
The tourney will benefit the Konishiki Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization that sponsors a cultural exchange program to Japan for Hawaii students.
The French festival draws many visitors from Japan and a number of them play golf. A links event with sumo Grand Champion Konishiki that benefits a kids' exchange program to Japan is a natural.
Besides Konishiki, some of his celebrity pals in the tournament include Benny Agbayani, actor Cary Tagawa, Continental Airlines' Ron Wright and all-star chefs Sam Choy, Russell Siu, Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong.
Entry is $250 per person, with $195 tax deductible. Corporate sponsorships are available for teams of four at the Ozeki level for $1,000 and the Yokozuna Grand Champion level at $2,500.
The tourney is sponsored by the Ko Olina Resort Association. Call Nancy Maeda at Ko Olina, 680-7680, for more information.
DAVE MILLS, who runs the city golf courses and who is a die-hard Notre Dame football fan, celebrated his birthday yesterday. He said it was Dan Marino's birthday, too. "Me and Dan, two Pennsylvania boys," Dave said.
Jarinn Akana and Merv Lopes played golf at Rancho Mirage Country Club in Los Angeles recently. Hawaii's Billy Olds, who operates the course, said both islanders "were doing Big Man Basketball Camp stuff."
A GOLF TOURNEY to benefit the toys for Tots holiday giving program will be held at the Kaneohe Klipper course Oct. 11.
All of the proceeds will go to purchase toys for Hawaii's needy children during the holidays.
Entry is $75 for civilians. There is a sliding fee scale for military personnel. Registration deadline is Sept. 26. Call Ruben Villarreal, 257-1077 ext. 233 for more info.
Toys for Tots, started by the Marine Corps 54 years ago, has distributed more than 15 million toys to 6 million kids. In Hawaii last year, 26,000 children received 53,000 toys.
Ben Wood, who played his first round of golf at Ala Wai
50 years ago, vows to learn how to play the game well even if
it takes another 50 years. E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com.