The Seahorse Classic

It’s All Fore the Children
Since 1990, many South Bay golfers have gathered at Palos Verdes Golf Club to participate in the annual Seahorse Classic Golf Tournament, now impressively in its 32nd year. Run by the Peninsula Committee Children’s Hospital (PCCH), this popular little tournament by the sea has raised much needed funds over the years for the young patients at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

Teeing up the Idea
Since 1957, PCCH had been running the very successful annual Portuguese Bend National Horse Show —the year-long solitary focus of the committee and arguably the backbone of the group’s identity as a non-profit organization. In 1990, a few long-time Committee members called “sustainers” were looking for a project to keep themselves busy, since most of the major horse show duties were taken up by the newer “active” members. Lo and behold, they discovered that golf tournaments presented a relatively untapped fundraising option for the group and suggested that PCCH hold one run exclusively by PCCH sustainers to raise even more money for CHLA during the spring each year.

Worth a Shot
It’s no small surprise that the idea was initially met with some resistance, as it didn’t seem to fit into the group’s singular horse show tradition. But Suzie Farman and Sally Grischy, the drivers of the idea and two of the first golf chairs of the event, never gave up. “We were like salmon swimming upstream,” laughs Farman. “We had to work very closely with the board, and eventually everyone agreed that it was a great opportunity.”

A True Classic
The Seahorse Classic’s longevity is truly a testament to the dedication and hospitality of the entire PCCH membership (now actives and sustainers alike) who work tirelessly year after year to keep the event fun and fresh. According to PVGC head pro Jim Gormley, “There are no other charity events that have been in existence as long as the Seahorse Classic at PVGC. It is one of the most organized tournaments held here, and the amount of money raised for Children’s Hospital is amazing.”

It’s All in the Approach Shot
The ladies of PCCH are teeing it up again in 2022 and looking forward to holding the 32nd Annual Seahorse Classic on Monday, April 11th at the PV Golf Club. The traditional shotgun scramble format is back after the pandemic necessitated a switch to a tee time start last year, and returning tournament chairs Kelly Walsh and Sue Wilkinson, along with new chair Jacquie Leimbach, could not be more excited to return to the more efficient structure. Due to the positive feedback from last year, the trio is opting to host a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres like last year in lieu of the more formal sit-down dinners of the past.

For more information about the 2022 Seahorse Classic, to register for the tournament, become a sponsor or make a donation, go to www.pcch.net

An Ace in the Hole
The sustainers ramped up quickly, cleverly modifying their beloved horse show seahorse logo with a golf ball and greens flag and officially naming the annual event the “Seahorse Classic.” The first tournament was held at the Rolling Hills Country Club and featured a shotgun best ball format complete with a whopping $100,000 hole-in-one opportunity (courtesy of Prudential Bache Securities), as well as two enticing closest to the pin prizes sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales and American Airlines. “The first tournament was very homegrown.  Back then a lot of singles and doubles would enter requiring us to work out handicapping for the foursomes. There was no dinner or silent auction, but we ended with a fun cocktail party,” recollects Karen Learned, PCCH Archives Chair and two-time Seahorse Classic Chairman. By any scorecard, the inaugural Seahorse Classic was a tremendous success for CHLA that year and indeed proved that the forward-thinking ladies of PCCH had truly teed up a winner with a special golf tournament that was here to stay.

Not Just Par for the Course
Since 1992 the event has taken place at the Palos Verdes Golf Club (PVGC) and has been a staple there every April since. For several years in the 1990’s, tournament players and the public alike were dazzled by a golf clinic by the legendary Chi Chi Rodriguez, one of the PGA senior tour’s most winning and charismatic golfers. The Classic has also attracted local celebrities to play in the tournament including Ratt drummer Bobby Blotzer and Dodger greats Maury Wills and Don Newcombe. Local PGA tour player Mark Pfeil has been a long-time key component of the Classic, having manned the par 3 8th hole “Beat the Pro” drive challenge for years, as well as playing golf rounds with major sponsors as a coveted perk. A 25-year PGA tour member (including five years on the Champions tour), Mark and his wife Diana, who joined PCCH in 2000, helped to transform the tournament experience and its fundraising muscle via the addition of key elements including a sponsor appreciation party, live auction, kilted bagpiper tournament start, helicopter ball drop, Maui Jim sunglasses player gift, golf clinics, trick shot demonstrations and putting contests. A huge debt is also due to Wally Durham, husband of PCCH member Terry, who was a generous supporter of the tournament for years and the event’s major sponsor from 1998 through 2014.