COUPLES FOUND AT LOST CANYON.

Byline: GREG WILCOX Golf

SIMI VALLEY - Boom Boom always knew how to pick his spots.

If that huge chunk of the calendar between January and October proved unkind, the short days of late autumn and early winter beckoned. Health permitting, he's always an A-list invitee to those lucrative limited-field events after all the year's official record-keeping is complete but the bank account isn't.

He has understated flair in abundance, once finding a patch of Velcro on a slippery Augusta National slope during the 1992 Masters and career opportunities everywhere.

Now Fred Couples, one of the sport's most popular practitioners, sees a big one in the city known as Coptown, USA. He's putting up a big chunk of his money, as well as his name, on the proposition that Simi Valley will also become known as a premier golf destination.

It could be a new career in the making, too.

Couples is the ``course consultant'' at Lost Canyons, the new 36-hole complex being molded into the wilds at the north end of Tapo Canyon Road. It is a Pete Dye project, but there is a little bit of Couples in it, too.

He'll provide input on how it should be played.

Of course, not many will be able to play either of the 18-hole layouts like Couples.

Dye asked him some pointed questions that would indicate trouble for the recreational players who will pay more than $100 a round to test their games. For example, does Couples like 480-yard holes uphill into the wind, and tough par 3s? The theory is longer is better.

And we all know Boom-Boom has no problem with length. But that is from the professional's perspective. Couples says the complex will also suit the recreational player. The course will show them the way.

``What (Dye) is trying to make you do is to go in a direction where it is safe and if you hit a really horrible shot, you are going to pay the price,'' Couples said.

``Fairways look narrower, especially with the mountains on the Shadow Course, but you can hit a really horrible shot and kick it back into play.''

Couples is known for his relaxed demeanor, but he is also a smart businessman, evident by his Cadillac-sponsorship deal. And he associates himself with winners.

So it is with Dye.

For Couples, this association is like being atop the leaderboard at the end of Sunday afternoon.

``You're looking at being able to work with Pete Dye, who I think is the world's number-one designer,'' Couples said on a recent tour of Lost Canyons, which is scheduled to open in November. ``Right now I couldn't be any more thrilled to be here.''

His main contribution will be deciding how the course should be played and then passing that knowledge on to the forecaddies, who will lead players around. And he can't wait to play Lost Canyons, especially since Dye has already said it will rank among his most notable projects.

``With Pete, I feel like I've been thrown in there with a great starting quarterback like Steve Young or Joe Montana. He just asked me a bunch of questions and that is how we got to this point. Basically, Pete designed this and I've just had real quick input on it,'' Couples said.

``What he's done here is build a remarkable golf course with some really incredible views.''

This might turn out to be a new career for Couples, but there is some unfinished businesses on the regular tour.

The season is pretty much over except for the postseason events, which will include Couples' appearance in the annual Skins Game.

He is already looking ahead to next year and his goal is to once again get in the winner's circle - where the money is official.

So far this year, Couples has played 17 events and won $889,915. His last win came at the 1998 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, which makes the competitive juices flow a little quicker.

``I like doing this, but I still want to pay attention to what I am doing golf-wise,'' he said.

That will involve practice, some of which will be done be done at Los Canyons after the facility opens. Once again Boom Boom thinks he found a winner.

``I think this place is a gold mine. And I've put my money on it,''

ON THE GREEN

PGA TOUR 

Bell Canadian Open 

at Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Course: Glen Abbey Golf Club (7,112 yards, par 72)

Schedule: Today through Sunday

Purse: $3.1 million, $558,000 to winner

TV: ESPN (today and Friday, 1-3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.)

LPGA TOUR

First Union Betsy King Classic

at Kurtztown, Pa.

Course: Berkleigh Country Club (6,231 yards, par 72)

Schedule: Today through Sunday

Purse: $800,000, $120,000 to winner

TV: The Golf Channel (Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.)

PGA SENIOR TOUR

Comfort Classic

Indianapolis, Ind.

Course: Brickyard Crossing (6,197 yards, par 72)

Schedule: Friday through Sunday

Purse: $1.25 million, $187,500 to winner

TV: ESPN (Friday, 11 a.m.-32 p.m. and Saturday, noon-5 p.m.) and ABC, (Sunday, noon-3 p.m.)

DRIVING DISTANCE

PGA

1 John Daly 300.7

2 Tiger Woods 296.4

3 Casey Martin 289.7

4 Scott McCarron 288.4

5 Sturat Appleby 286.7

LPGA

1 Caroline Blaylock 268.3

2 Wendy Doolan 264

3 Jean Bartholomew 262.3

4 Sally Dee 262

5 Sophie Gustafson 258.3

PGA SENIOR

1 John Jacobs 285.4

2 Terry Dill 284.7

3 Gil Morgan 283.8

4 Jim Ahern 282.2

5 Dana Quigley 280.5

SPOTLIGHT

LEE TREVINO

While he's not playing in the Bell Canadian Open, Trevino is a big part of the story. And the story, this year anyway, is anytime Tiger Woods shows up at a tournament. Trevino's distinguished career resume includes a ``triple crown'' for winning U.S. Open, British Open and Canadian Open in 1971. He's the only golfer to accomplish this feat. Woods likes keeping this kind of company.

``Lee has taught me a few things in this game,'' Woods said Wednesday. ``It would be nice to share something in common with him.''

CAPTION(S):

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Box: On the Green (see text)