COURSE OPERATORS CHALLENGE AREA GOLFERS TO BEAT THE PRO.

Byline: GREGORY J. WILCOX

Ever dream about watching yourself hit a tee shot close to the hole on a tough par 3 during the Sunday night sports highlights?

Or maybe even during Sunday afternoon, the prime time for golf? If you play Vista Valencia Golf Course on Saturday it could start happening as this weekend winds down.

The Santa Clarita Valley course, operated by American Golf Inc., is hosting a ``Beat the Pro'' contest as part of an area-wide competition to benefit the Santa Monica company's junior golf program.

As golfers reach number 17, a 156 par 3 with an island green, a film crew from KCBS Channel 2 will ask if they want to wager $3 that they can hit their tee shot closer to the pin than John Perkins, Vista Valencia's head pro.

The action will be recorded with the winner's shot being broadcast during Jim Hill's sports segment on the 11 p.m. news Sunday.

Proceeds will be fund scholarships for participants in American Golf's junior program.

The winner at each participating American Golf facility gets a golfing weekend at the Black Lake resort on the Central Coast and a chance to compete in the finals in August at Coyote Hills in Fullerton.

The overall winner earns a trip and golf outing for two at the Las Vegas Hilton Country Club.

And his winning effort is shown locally on Channel 2 after the conclusion of the PGA Championship, one of golf's four majors.

Perkins said that there will be a winner on Sunday even if no golfers knock their tee shot inside of his.

The contest set-up will follow the format used at Vista Valencia.

A film crew went to the course earlier this week and recorded Perkins' tee shot on the 17th hole. He used an 8 iron and left his ball about pin high, 19 feet, 3 inches from the hole.

``It's for charity so I wasn't trying to make it,'' he joked. ``It was the right distance but the wind got it and kind of blew it left.''

Contestants simply try to knock their ball closer. But if nobody does, the winner will be the closest to the hole.

This is the third year that Vista Valencia has participated in the charity event but the course's representative has yet to win the overall event.

Mike Nix, an American Golf regional director based at the Knollwood Country Club in Granada Hills, said that the number of scholarships awarded will depend on the number of participants in the ``Beat the Pro'' program. The company's junior golf program varies from course to course but basically includes discounts on greens fees, range balls, lessons and etiquette.

This is the sixth year that Channel 2 has participated in the program, senior sports producer Dan Noel said.

The film crews will get to the courses about 10 a.m. on a Saturday and stay between four to six hours.

``It's all about the golfer,'' Noel said of the program. ``It's about these local people who have dreams about trying to hit the right shot and win the prize.'' Sponsors in addition to American Golf and Channel 2 include Blue Cross of California, Pacific Bell Pure Digital, Lexus, Robinsons-May, Good Neighbor Pharmacy and American Airlines.

Here are the course and dates for the event. They will basically be held on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Participation is limited to amateur golfers who are playing a full round of golf that day.

June 14, Hartwell Golf Course in Long Beach; June 21, Simi Hills Golf Course in Simi Valley; June 28, Meadowlark Golf Course in Huntington Beach; July 5, Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena; July 12, Scholl Canyon Golf Course in Glendale; July 19, Shandin Hill Golf Club in San Bernardino; July 26, Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course in Irvine; Aug. 2, Skylinks Municipal Golf Course in Long Beach and Aug. 9, Mountain Meadows Golf Course in Pomona.

The rules rule: Golf may be a numbers game but knowing the rules could lower your score, or in the case of professionals or those involved in a money game on a regular basis, impact the bank account. Now you can point-and-click your way to some stroke-saving knowledge or just kick back on the couch and soak it up on television.

Dallas-based SportsWare Technologies this week released the official update to the Rules of Golf on video and interactive CD-Rom. It is the first update authorized by the United States Golf Association since 1988.

The company also says this is the first comprehensive video featuring all 34 rules and first time they have been placed on a CD-Rom.

The video is hosted by Johnny Miller and narrated by Dick Enberg.

USGA rules experts explain and demonstrate every rule's most common occurrence and frequently asked questions are answered.

The video also includes interviews with greats of the game, like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Patty Sheehan and Byron Nelson.

The CD-Rom is comprehensive. It includes the entire text from two books, ``The Rules of Golf'' and ``Decisions on the Rules of Golf.'' Sixty minutes of video and 550 to 600 still photographs are also included.

The products will be available in pro shops and golf retailers. The suggested price for the video is $29.95 and the dual CD set is priced at $34.95. Orders can be placed directly with the company by calling [phone].

This could put a 15th club in your bag.

``While a titanium driver may be a dream gift for golfers who want to get more distance on the ball, knowing the `Rules of Golf' might actually go further in improving their game,'' said Bill Kassul, SportsWare Technologies president.

THIS WEEK

PGA TOUR

Kemper Open Dates/Site: Today-Sunday at Potomac, Md.

Course: TPC at Avenel (7,005 yards, par 71).

Purse (Winner's Share): $1.5 million ($270,000).

Television: CBS (Saturday, 1-3 p.m.; Sunday, Noon-3 p.m.).

Last year: Steve Stricker won his first tour title, closing with a 3-under 68 for a three-stroke victory. Stricker, also the 1996 Western Open winner, had a 14-under 270 total.

Last week: Fiji's Vijay Singh won the rain-shortened Memorial at Dublin, Ohio, on Monday, finishing off a 5-under 67 for a two-stroke victory over Greg Norman and Jim Furyk. Singh had a 14-under 202 total.

Notes: Tiger Woods is skipping the tournament to prepare for next week's U.S. Open at nearby Congressional. . . . John Daly is making his second tour start following a two-month layoff for alcohol rehabilitation. Daly, who had rounds of 76, 71 and 80 in the Memorial, set the tour record for driving distance in the 1991 tournament with an average of 331.4 yards for eight measured drives. . . . Ed Sneed served as the player consultant on the TPC at Avenel.

LPGA TOUR

Oldsmobile Classic

Dates/Site: Today-Sunday at East Lansing, Mich.

Course: Walnut Hills Country Club (6,191 yards, par 72).

Purse (Winner's Share): $600,000 ($90,000).

Television: ESPN (Today-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1-3 p.m.).

Last year: Michelle McGann won the first of three 1996 titles, holing an 18-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff with Liselotte Neumann. McGann and Neumann closed with 7-under 65s for 16-under 272 totals.

Notes: Sorenstam, the money leader with $696,079, also won the Tournament of Champions, Hawaiian Open and Longs Drug Challenge, and took the unofficial LPGA Skins Game two weeks ago with $220,000. The two-time U.S. Open winner has nine top-10 finishes in 11 starts this year. . . . Beth Daniel set the tournament record of 20-under 268 in 1994. . . . The Edina Realty Classic is next week at Maple Grove, Minn., followed by the Rochester International at Pittsford, N.Y.

SENIOR PGA TOUR

BellSouth Senior Classic at Opryland

Dates/Site: Friday-Sunday at Nashville, Tenn.

Course: Springhouse Golf Club (6,783 yards, par 72).

Purse (Winner's Share): $1.3 million ($195,000).

Television: NBC (Saturday, 10 a.m.-Noon; Sunday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.).

Last year: Japan's Isao Aoki closed with a 2-under 70 for a one-stroke victory over Graham Marsh and Jay Sigel. Aoki had a 14-under 202 total.

Last week: Gil Morgan won the Ameritech Senior Open at Long Grove, Ill., for his third senior title in eight months. The seven-time PGA Tour winner had a 6-under 210 total for a one-stroke victory over Hale Irwin.

Notes: Irwin has a tour-high four victories this year and tops the money list with $891,231. Morgan is second with $754,342. . . . Lee Trevino won the inaugural tournament in 1994 with a record 17-under 199 total. . . . Johnny Miller plans to make his first senior start July 25-27 in the Franklin Quest Championship at Park City, Utah. The 24-time PGA Tour winner turned 50 on April 29. . . . The du Maurier Champions is next week at Etobicoke, Ontario, followed by the Nationwide Championship at Alpharetta, Ga.

CAPTION(S):

Box

Box: THIS WEEK (see text)