GOLFERS CAN PLAY TPC STARTING JUNE 27.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Community Sports

After years of development, the much-anticipated grand opening of the Tournament Players Club golf course is June 26.

Those interested in attending the opening can call for a reservation beginning May 28. Reservations are limited to 128.

For golf dates beginning June 27, the public will be allowed to reserve tee times seven days in advance.

``We're very excited about the opening of this golf course,'' director of marketing Marcus Slaton said. ``We've been getting inundated with phone calls, and we've been selling a lot of memberships.''

Three levels of membership are available: Charter members who live in Westridge can join for $23,000, which covers unlimited greens fees and allows discounts for guests; Invitational memberships are $27,000 for those living outside Westridge; and corporate memberships are $29,500.

Professional golfer Mark O'Meara, who helped design the course, is the club's PGA player consultant.

The course features a three-tiered practice facility of 65,000 square feet, complemented by a 10,000-square-foot putting green. The clubhouse includes a boardroom, banquet room, outdoor dining, men's and women's locker rooms and lounges, and a golf shop.

``The unique natural topography of the land within Westridge is a fantastic canvas. We've created a truly exceptional golf course,'' O'Meara said.

O'Meara, a former Masters and British Open champion, lent his expertise to all phases of the layout, but particularly on the greens, which he softened from the original plans.

``Even though this is a TPC course and there are going to be tournaments here, I want everybody to be able to putt on these greens,'' he said.

The final five holes are particularly noteworthy, with back-to-back par- 5s followed by a medium-long par-3 situated in a valley, a reachable 296- yard par-4 and an arduous par-4 home hole of 476 yards.

Information: [phone].

--There's more news from the Tournament Players Club. The club is hosting a community preview for the general public and members June 22. Women's professional Jennifer Folino will conduct a free golf clinic for children from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Folino is also the club's head professional.

Trick-shot artist Peter Longo is scheduled to appear. The Junior Golf Clinic is sponsored by PGA Tour Charities.

Meanwhile, the media will play TPC on June 12 - hopefully providing enough time for the course to recover in time for the opening.

--Hart High's career home run record appeared all but out of reach for Chris Valaika after a recent drought, during which he hit just homer in 16 games. But Valaika, a senior shortstop, has hit three in the past three games (including two in the regular-season finale against Saugus). Valaika's 17 career home runs, including nine this season, leave him one shy of Matt Friedrichsen's record of 18 (1998-2000).

Valaika has at least one more game since Hart qualified for the Southern Section Div. II playoffs. The Indians open at Westlake on Friday.

--Speaking of Hart baseball, whoever planned the team banquet wasn't very optimistic considering the date of the event is June 7, the same day as the Southern Section finals.

Perhaps the conflict is a good omen, according to longtime team statistician Mike Gaber. ``The same thing happened in 1999, and by the time we got to the quarterfinals or so, they moved the date of the banquet. We ended up getting to the final that year at Edison Field.''

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Beginning May 28, the Tournament Players Club will take reservations for its grand opening June 26.

David Crane/Staff Photographer