Being involved in charity golf tournaments has been an absolute privilege for me over the years.
Of course, playing in them is always fun – and an adventure – but being on the board of directors is fulfilling as you are working to raise money for a good cause.
For the last 30 years I have served on the board with two tournaments in Pleasanton, and they have been two of the most well-known tournaments in the area. And both gained iconic status on multiple levels.
One was the George A. Spiliotopoulos Invitational, better known as GASIT, a tournament that raised scholarships for Pleasanton high school students. The tournament ran for 40 years and raised $1.1 million for Amador Valley, Foothill, and Village graduates.
It was also known for the social aspects of the tournament both on the course, then at the Alameda County Fairgrounds where the post-tournament BBQ took place, and sometimes for the hearty ones, in downtown Pleasanton.
In 2011 the GASIT board made the decision to end the tournament and go out on top.
My other involvement has been with the Hop Yard American Ale House Golf Scramble.
That tournament has worn different hats over the years, raising funds first for the “Ryan Comer Cancer Research Center at Valley Care,” followed by “Eric’s Corner”, an epilepsy resource center.
The beneficiary change came when Eric “Otis” Nostrand, the owner of the Hop Yard and the founder of the golf tournament, was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2010.
The tournament always benefited a great cause but was also a tournament that placed a premium on having fun, at times almost too much fun. Honestly, think Animal House meets the Hangover. That fun.
And it makes perfect sense. When the tournament initially started it was comprised of customers and staff from the Hop Yard.
Throw a golf tournament of brew pub regulars with a staff that loved to party, and it was exactly what you thought it would be – just short of a bacchanal golf celebration that was more about the party and less about golf.
“We were all in our 30’s when we started it,” said Nostrand. “We liked to have fun – and that’s what was happening.”
As is the case in life, all good things come to an end and that will be the case with the tournament.
The 30th and last tournament for what has been known recently as the “Eric’s Corner Golf Scramble” will finish with the May 8 tournament.
“It’s just time,” said Nostrand of ending the tournament. “It has just changed over the years. It’s not bad, but it has just gotten less rewarding. It’s just evolved, that’s it. I just thought I am too old for this.”
It may be the last, but what a ride we had.
Getting to work on the tournament alongside Nostrand, as well as others such as Julie Nostrand, Patty Powers, Shelley Despotakis, Kim Zamrzla, Ken Mercer, Rob Hildebrand, and Ron Capilla was a dream come true.
It was a mission of love as we were in it for two reasons – to support the charity of the tournament and to have a great time. Both were regularly accomplished.
When I spent an hour talking with Nostrand last week about the tournament, the stories flowed like they happened yesterday, with laughter accompanying each recounting.
Heck, as I sit here writing this, I keep laughing as so many memories come rushing back.
There were stories that are hard to believe happened unless you were there. There was even conversation about turning the stories into a book, combining the years into one big, hilarious piece of literature.
It was like Peter Pan and the Lost Boys were let loose once a year.
Let’s take a stroll through the history of the event, along with comments from Nostrand.
*The first tournament was in 1994 at the Sunol Golf Course. It lasted all of one year. To say it was a good time would be a tremendous understatement. First year and we were off and rolling.
“We didn’t get invited back,” said Nostrand.
*Next the tournament moved to Las Positas in Livermore. The on-course refreshments continued to increase, as when you own an ale house, your vendors get involved in your event, and donate a lot of beer. What follows is groups of four teeing off at the same time and the golf carts turn into entries in the Baja 500 racing across the terrain of the course. Perhaps a golf cart or two may have found a water hazard.
“We got through a couple years there,” said Nostrand. “Then Las Positas told us not come back.”
*That led to a one-time event at The Bridges. It was also the only time the post-tournament party was at the Hop Yard in San Ramon. The tournament had the worst weather, perhaps a sign from above.
“There was thunder and lightning on the course that day,” said Nostrand. “That was it for The Bridges.”
*At that point the tournament found a home – Castlewood Country Club. For all but one year, the tournament has been held on the incredibly scenic Hill course, where it will be held this year for the final time.
“They have been incredible to work with,” said Nostrand of Castlewood. “It has been the perfect match for us.”
*That must mean the hijinks slowed down once the tournament moved to a country club. Not exactly.
“I don’t know how Castlewood never asked to not come back,” said Nostrand. “They have been incredibly patient and supportive.”
*So, what exactly happened over the years at Castlewood? For starters, let’s remember the Golf Angels. The Golf Angels were a group of ladies that had a certain skill set that played up to the men in the tournament.
One year on our “martini hole” some of the Angels that were making the martini’s started recounting stories of their time as specialty actresses. The result was several foursomes backed up on the tee box all the while listening to stories like a group of kindergartners during story time.
That was also the year that Nostrand and I were called to the principal’s office the next week in the form of the legendary Ken Mercer. Mercer was the Vice-President of the Valley Care Charitable Foundation, the beneficiary of the tournament.
Mercer made it very clear that Valley Care did not like the image that the tournament was putting on the Foundation. Two grown men sitting there getting full on lectured about cleaning up the tournament. I don’t think either of us could make eye contact with Mercer.
“It was absolutely a Bob Hagler/Roger Dabney moment,” said Nostrand of two legendary Pleasanton school district administrators, known for their powerful demeanors. Mercer took it to a new level. “But those girls could sell some raffle tickets.”
*There was also the year there were labor issues at Castlewood, complete with protestors lining the first fairway, making noise, interrupting the golfers. Perhaps there were a few duck-hooked tee shots that day.
*Part off the lure of the tournament was the BBQ lunch before and the BBQ steak dinners that were part of the entry fee. Throughout the years people like Vince McNamara, Tony Macchiano, and Bob Molinaro ran the BBQ.
One year when McNamara oversaw the BBQ, he had to tow the huge BBQ from Castlewood down to the Hop Yard to prepare dinner. Not wanting to extinguish the BBQ only to have to start it again, McNamara made the decision to hook up the BBQ to his truck and move it while the coals were still hot.
“I understand it was a quiet a sight to see the BBQ on the freeway with the hot coals and sparks coming out of the back,” said Nostrand. “But I don’t know where we would have been without all those guys doing the BBQ.”
*There was the year we decided to put a perfectly legitimate massage chair/table on one of the tee boxes as another way to raise money. We set it on the 7th tee box, the long downhill par four. It had a deep tee box that was shaded, a perfect spot we thought.
Nope. If you have played Castlewood, you know the cart path right there between the 6th green and 7th tee is wide enough for one cart at a time. The result was another 6-7 group backup that brought the tournament to a standstill.
“Yeah, that wasn’t thought through enough,” said Nostrand.
*There were also a couple of years that litigation occurred after the tournament, involving people or groups involved with the tournament.
“Those were interesting,” said Nostrand. “We might want to leave the names out of this.”
*I can’t forget the one year we had the tournament on the Valley course. Instead of checking in down at the Valley course, we got our carts at the Hill, then drove down the windy road to the Valley track. Envision the downhill portions of the Tour de France, except with 60-plus golf carts taking up both lanes of the road.
“I still cringe when I think about that,” said Nostrand.
*The most emotional post-tournament moment came when Hildebrand, Capilla, and me announced to the packed Hop Yard post-party the change of the beneficiary to Nostrand and epilepsy with the creation of Eric’s corner. The new tagline was “this time it’s personal.”
“I was clueless,” said Nostrand of the change. “When you guys rolled that out it blew me away.”
Things had started to change with the tournament in March of 2020 when Nostrand sold the Hop Yard and shortly thereafter the COVID hit.
By the time the tournament came back to life in 2021, it was limited to 100 golfers, which filled up quickly.
“Everyone wanted to be outside,” said Nostrand. “We were not able have more than 100 golfers, but everyone was happy just to play again.
The spirit of the tournament, while still alive, had certainly diminished. There are a couple of reasons as to why this was the case that Nostrand and I dissected.
“We all got older, and I guess we matured,” said Nostrand. “It started with customers just out having fun. We honestly did try to have some restraint but that didn’t always work out.”
The tournament was such a Pleasanton thing. Each year you would see the same faces, with some people that had moved away, traveling back to play each year.
It was an event you had circled on your calendar each year and was the chance to hang out with people from your hometown and tell some lies.
There are friends who have passed away like Mike Rounds, Scott Kinney, and Chris Wayne who have been toasted by friends each year, and I know the will this year as well.
having fun, at times almost too much fun. Honestly, think Animal House meets the Hangover. That fun.
And it makes perfect sense. When the tournament initially started it was comprised of customers and staff from the Hop Yard.
“We got through a couple years there,” said Nostrand. “Then Las Positas told us not come back.”
*That led to a one-time event at The Bridges. It was also the only time the post-tournament party was at the Hop Yard in San Ramon. The tournament had the worst weather, perhaps a sign from above.
“There was thunder and lightning on the course that day,” said Nostrand. “That was it for The Bridges.”
*At that point the tournament found a home – Castlewood Country Club. For all but one year, the tournament has been held on the incredibly scenic Hill course, where it will be held this year for the final time.
“They have been incredible to work with,” said Nostrand of Castlewood. “It has been the perfect match for us.”
*That must mean the hijinks slowed down once the tournament moved to a country club. Not exactly.
“I don’t know how Castlewood never asked to not come back,” said Nostrand. “They have been incredibly patient and supportive.”
*So, what exactly happened over the years at Castlewood? For starters, let’s remember the Golf Angels. The Golf Angels were a group of ladies that had a certain skill set that played up to the men in the tournament.
It was an event you had circled on your calendar each year and was the chance to hang out with people from your hometown and tell some lies.
There are friends who have passed away like Mike Rounds, Scott Kinney, and Chris Wayne who have been toasted by friends each year, and I know the will this year as well.
We have seen our families become part of the fabric of the tournament over the 30 years.
My daughter Paisley worked the putting contest from when she was in college through becoming a parent. The tournament meant so much to her, one year she brought her three-month old daughter out to the course to run the contest.
Nostrand’s daughters Carly and Maggie were always fixtures at the post-tournament, selling raffle tickets.
In short, for years it was a Pleasanton reunion every tournament. Talk to 100 people that have played in the tournament and you’ll get 100 different stories as to which was their favorite moment.
That has been missing, largely because of the pandemic and the sale of the Hop Yard. It is still a great cause, and it is huge to be able to donate to a deserving charity.
SideTrack Bar and Grill and owner Todd Utikal have stepped in admirably to host the post tournament event. It’s honestly as close to a place you can find that embellishes what the Hop Yard was to the tournament.
But the spirit of the event has diminished, and it has been tougher to raise funds. People get older and the level of responsibility changes, be it with family or business.
“Part of the reason I am hanging it up is that we had gotten away from that feeling,” said Nostrand of the old school Pleasanton event. “Also, everything has gotten so expensive that we are killing ourselves to make money.”
And that brings us to this year’s tournament. The 30th and last tournament. We are going down with what figures to be an epic last tournament. There will be laughs and some tears for sure.
It is going to be an appropriate send off for something was a monumental moment/event in our lives for 30 years. There are people that will be back that have not participated in years.
“I have gotten some calls from people that want to play in the last one,” said Nostrand.
The cost of the tournament this $250 per golfer as the prices have continued to increase. We used to save money on donations for the lunch/dinner portion of the tournament, but now are locked into using Castlewood’s services.
For more information or to signup please go to www.ericscorner.org.
It promises to be a great sendoff.
Personally, I have adopted a line from a Toby Keith song as the motto for this year’s tournament.
“I ain’t as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.”
Hope to see many of you out there May 8!
By Dennis Miller