EVENT SCORES HOLE IN ONE; TOURNAMENT, COURSE GET THUMBS UP.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer

The Nissan Open at the Valencia Country Club ended Sunday a success all around, said organizers and spectators who marveled at how orderly the event ran.

``Just as smoothly as if we were at Riviera (Country Club),'' said tournament director Tom Pulchinski, referring to the traditional location for the competition. ``In some ways, it was better.''

Take traffic, for example. There wasn't any.

People parked at either Magic Mountain or College of the Canyons and took shuttle buses.

``It's been great. No problems,'' said Annette Ramirez, who drove down from Yosemite to witness the tournament. ``Security's been great. Everybody seems to know what they can do. The fans, from what I can see, haven't taken advantage, trying to get into areas they can't.''

Attendance has been standard, Pulchinski said. The 113,974 total for the tournament is similar to the Riviera crowds last year.

Pulchinski said that in some ways Valencia's layout was more conducive than Riviera's to the crowds that increased daily.

``For the fans, the logistics are better,'' said Steve Tatra, an Agoura Hills resident and a veteran of several Nissan Opens. ``Sunset Boulevard is so deep and slow. It's hard to get there.''

Tatra also said the Valencia course is more spread out, giving the fans plenty of space to watch their favorites.

``This is a great facility,'' Pulchinski said. ``There's no trouble parking. You're right off the freeway. The comments have been fantastic. They (fans) get here in five minutes.''

One reason for the organization was because Pulchinski has done this for six years, so he knows a thing or two about planning.

He knows one has to start with several committees determining all sorts of issues. One is where the main entrance should be. It can't be near the clubhouse because that area is set aside for VIPs and members. So the paying public entered off the 17th green.

Other committees figured out how to rope off the course, where to move the people, which areas could have heavy traffic, how to police heavy traffic, and where to put the vendors, booths and restrooms.

``The PGA (Professional Golfers' Association of America) has a feel for how the tournaments should be run,'' Pulchinski said. ``They said it's been running like an event that's been here before. They felt we were very well-organized.''

The tournament has been an inconvenience for some club members. They saw their club taken over by the PGA and the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce for the entire week. Then came the television people, followed by thousands of foot soldiers who invaded their territory, walking around their grounds.

One member loved it.

``I'm all for Valencia improving its PR, and this certainly will help us,'' Ed Lauter said as he sat in a members-only area just off the 18th green. ``It was exciting, probably one of the biggest things to ever happen here.''

Club pro Rick Smith said he hasn't heard anyone complaining, either. But he could have registered a complaint when a security guard at the members-only site entrance didn't recognize him and denied him entrance. He walked around and got into the clubhouse.

Smith was good-natured about the incident.

``He's just doing his job,'' he said.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Spectators line the bank of a water hazard around the 15th green Sunday to get a glimpse of Tiger Woods during the Nissan Open.

(2--Color) Tiger Woods acknowledges the crowd after sinking a putt.

(3--Color) David Knopf, 3, sits on the shoulders of his father, Dennis, for a better view at the Nissan Open.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News