HOCKEY PLAYER ENJOYING GOLF CAREER; NEW GENERAL MANAGER HAS LONG-RANGE PLANS FOR SIMI HILLS GOLF COURSE.Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer Sitting in the cafeteria in the small clubhouse, the new general manager of the Simi Hills The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range in Southern California. Geography Simi Hills is located on the western edge of the San Fernando Valley, United States. They run east-west and they extend 26 miles east-west, and 7 miles north-south. Golf Course looks like any young golfer waiting for a tee time at the course. But Kelly Sorensen, who took over the job last month, is just as comfortable in a jersey, heavy pads and skates on the ice as he is in golf shirt and shoes on a freshly manicured golf course. Before turning to golf-course management full time four years ago, Sorensen, 28, juggled a minor league hockey career with his part-time management duties at a golf course in Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, resort city (1990 pop. 393,069), independent and in no county, SE Va., on the Atlantic coast; inc. 1906. In 1963, Princess Anne co. and the former small town of Virginia Beach were merged, giving the present city an area of 302 sq mi (782 sq km). , Va. He said that although he still likes to take on pickup ice hockey ice hockey: see hockey, ice. ice hockey Game played on an ice rink by two teams of six players on skates. The object is to drive a puck (a small, hard rubber disk) into the opponents' goal with a hockey stick, thus scoring one point. games - he took to the ice for the first time in six months last week at a local rink - his life is now focused on golf. ``My first love is hockey, but you need to prepare yourself for the rest of your career,'' he said. ``Your life span in as physically demanding a sport as hockey is about four or five years. You grow too old for the sport. But you can manage a golf course until you're 80 years old.'' Sorensen said he now plays golf one or two times a month at Simi Hills - an 18-hole course developed by the Rancho Simi Rancho San José de Nuestra Senora de Altagarcia y Simi is one of the land grants in California by the Spanish government. The name derives from Shimiji, the name of the Chumash village here before the Spanish. Recreation and Park District in 1981, and operated under contract by the American Golf Corp. Officials of the park district said they were pleased with Sorensen's vision for the future of the course but would not comment on his performance since he'd only been on the job for a few weeks. ``It's too early to make too much of a judgment of what his capabilities are,'' said Rick Johnson Rick Johnson may refer to:
Sorensen came to the course from his general manager post at Paradise Knolls in Riverside. He said the transition to Simi Hills has been more than just a geographic one. While the course in Riverside sees approximately 50,000 rounds annually, Simi Hills tallies more than 90,000 rounds in a year; and while he managed a staff of 24 people at Paradise Knolls, he oversees the work of 68 people in Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. . Sorensen said that he has long-range plans for the golf course, but it will remain to be seen how much can be done and at what pace. Among the items on his wish list are a new clubhouse and a two-level driving range. ``In order for Simi Hills Golf Course to grow and flourish, and eventually get a good clubhouse and all that good stuff, we need to develop a good relationship with the (park district),'' he said. ``We need to keep them up to date with what's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. , and keep the neighbors happy, as well.'' Sorensen's more immediate plans are to increase the drive for tournaments, while stressing the importance of tee times so that residents still have an opportunity to play. The move from Paradise Knolls, which also is operated by American Golf, was the latest in a string of advances Sorensen has made in the pursuit of his dual loves, hockey and golf. Sorensen was born in a small town near Toronto. And like nearly all young Canadians Young Canadians (originally The K-Tels) were a Vancouver punk rock band active for just under two years. The YC's were influenced not only by the other punk bands in town at that time such as D.O.A. and the Pointed Sticks, but also by the Dolls, Stooges, and 60s garage rock. , he was introduced to hockey when he was a child. Golf came into his life at 16, when he took a job in the kitchen of a Toronto golf course. ``I fell in love with the game,'' Sorensen said. ``And hockey and golf are a good mix because they are summer and winter sports. I'd play hockey in the winter and play golf all summer.'' As a teen, he played nine holes before work each day. He was ultimately able to combine the two sports when he got a hockey scholarship at Ferris State University Ferris State University consists of eight colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Services, Optometry, Pharmacy, Technology, and Kendall College of Art and Design. Ferris grants doctorate degrees via its Optometry and Pharmacy colleges. in Big Rapids, Mich., which was known for its golf-course management program. In 1992, Sorensen was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. minor team in Virginia Beach, where he also took a part-time job at the Honey Bee honey bee called also Apis mellifera. See also bee sting. Golf Club. When he retired from hockey in 1994, he was made assistant manager of the course, which by then had been purchased by American Golf. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (Color in Simi Edition only) Kelly Sorensen, 28, is the new general manager of the Simi Hills Golf Course. Phil McCarten/Daily News |
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