Ocean City -- "Golf, by and large, is like watching paint dry," says stand-up comic Tom Dreesen. Unless, he quickly adds, you can identify with the person playing.
And Mr. Dreesen says anyone can identify with the players on the Celebrity Golf Association Tour, which comes to Ocean City May 12-15.
"A lot of golfers are 7, 8, 9 handicaps. When they see us, they live vicariously through us," says the comedian, himself a 6-handicap player.
Mr. Dreesen is only one of the 32 celebrities who will tee off during the weekend at Eagle's Landing Country Club. The CGA is now in its fourth year, and has expanded from one tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nev., in 1990 to six cities this year.
It's the first year the tour has come to Ocean City, and local organizers are pleased to be included.
"To associate with this caliber of celebrity adds an incentive both those who are planning on coming to Ocean City and those who are thinking of getting a head start on summer," says Scott M. Warren, the city's special events coordinator.
The event has attracted national sponsors, Mr. Warren says, including NationsBank (the Ocean City tournament's official name is the NationsBank Celebrity Golf Classic), TWA, MCI and Mollison Golf, a national chain of golfing supply stores.
And Mr. Warren is hoping local golf aficionados will turn out to fill the gallery at Eagle's Landing.
"Past tourneys have sold 5,000 tickets in their first year," Mr. Warren says, and he's hoping for at least that many in Ocean City. Daily admission is $10 for adults, and $5 for children under 12, he says, or a three-day pass is available for $20 for adults, $10 for children.
Among the celebrities scheduled to play in Ocean City are Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, former Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt, hockey players Pierre LaRouche and Mike Eruzione and former Orioles pitcher Dave McNally. Players will compete for a $100,000 purse in Ocean City; the total prize money on the tour exceeds $1.4 million.
The tour's commissioner is Jim Karvellas, and the tour is a joint partnership between Karvellas Communications, NBC Sports ventures, SMTI and Sports Minded. Cable's Prime Network will tape parts of the tournament in Ocean City for later broadcast, Mr. Warren says.
Mr. Dreesen will arrive in Ocean City for the tournament after some concert dates with Frank Sinatra. The two performers will appear at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Aug. 29, but Mr. Sinatra won't be in the gallery in Ocean City, the comic says, because of an entertainment commitment in Pennsylvania. Mr. Dreesen also will play in the Orlando, Fla., leg of the tour that precedes the Eagle's Landing stop, and says he is looking forward to the tournament coming to Maryland.
"If you would let me, I'd play 54 holes a day, seven days a week," says the former caddy. He says his regular partners when he's home in California's San Fernando Valley are Frankie Avalon and Joe Pesci.
What will he do in Ocean City besides play golf?
"First I'll find out where the nearest Italian restaurant is -- a ma-and-pa type, not a fancy one," Mr. Dreesen says. Told that Maryland is famous for its seafood, he says, "I'll get shrimp marinara."
CELEBRITY PLAYER LIST
1. BOBBY ANDERSON, former Denver Broncos star running back
2. DICK ANDERSON, former Miami Dolphins All-Pro safety
3. DONNIE ANDERSON, former Green Bay Packers All-Pro running back
4. CHRIS BAHR, former NFL top scoring placekicker
5. STEVE BARTKOWSKI, former Atlanta Falcons All-Pro quarterback
6. JOHNNY BENCH, baseball Hall of Fame catcher
7. EARNEST BYNER, Washington Redskins All-Pro running back
8. CHUCK CECIL, Phoenix Cardinals All-Pro safety
9. AL DEL GRECO, Houston Oilers place-kicker
10. TOM DREESEN, comedian
11. MIKE ERUZIONE, 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team captain
12. ROLLIE FINGERS, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher
13. BOBBY GRICH, former Orioles second baseman
14. PIERRE LAROUCHE, former NHL all-star center
L 15. CHIP LOHMILLER, Washington Redskins All-Pro place-kicker
16. NEIL LOMAX, former Phoenix Cardinal quarterback
17. JACK MARIN, former NBA All-Star forward
18. ED MARINARO, former football star, actor
19. DAN MARINO, Miami Dolphins superstar quarterback
20. GENE MAUCH, former Major League baseball manager
21. DAVE McNALLY, former Baltimore Orioles All-Star pitcher
22. DAN QUINN, NHL center
23. SHANE RAWLEY, former Major League baseball All-Star pitcher
24. RON REED, former major league baseball All-Star pitcher
25. RICK RHODEN, former Major League baseball pitcher
26. "TRUCK" ROBINSON, former NBA All-Star forward
27. MARK RYPIEN, former Washington Redskins quarterback
28. MIKE SCHMIDT, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman
29. BILLY JOE TOLLIVER, Atlanta Falcons quarterback
30. JACK WAGNER, actor/recording star
31. PETER TOM WILLIS, Chicago Bears quarterback
32. To be named
A view of Eagle's Landing
1. Par 4, 408 yards: Eagle's Landing opens with a short par 4, giving the golfers a chance to get their rounds off to a good start. Large fairway and plenty of room to the right. A good drive will leave a short iron to a gentle rolling green.
2. Par 4, 430 yards: Slight dogleg to the right. Tee shot should be placed left of center for a good view to the green. Trouble right off the tee and a water hazard just short of the green on the left.
3. Par 5, 592 yards: In the wind can play as the toughest hole on the course. Native grasses line both sides for tee shot but safe once cleared. Reachable in two with the wind but trouble right and long for your third shot. Reachable in two if related to Big John Daley.
4. Par 4, 422 yards: Trouble left finds a huge waste bunker and a certain bogey. Green has many undulations making your putts difficult.
5. Par 3, 178 yards: Two clubs either direction when the wind comes into effect. Large bunker right and out of bounds spells a lost ball.
6. Par 4, 435 yards: Nicknamed "the hole from down under" this difficult par 4 finds a drive over the water followed by a second shot requiring a long iron or more into the green. An errant tee shot left finds a wet ball. Two tiered green with a grass hollow right.
7. Par 5, 528 yards: The Golf Pro's traffic jam hole . . . unreachable in two unless you have an illegal ball. Be smart and fire across the marsh with an iron, lay-up the fairway, and fly the second marsh carry to the green and putt for the birdie. A high, soft third shot to hold this shallow green is recommended. Ball drop areas across each marsh area.
8. Par 3, 157 yards: Guarded by woods on three sides with a marsh pond to the right. Easy shot with pin in front. Two-tiered large rolling green makes long putts tough.
9. Par 4, 394 yards: Not a driver from the tee. Marsh on left and fairway bunker can come into play on the tee shot. The second shot requires a short marsh carry. Plenty of room in front of green for short shots. Long second shots find trouble into a shallow green.
10. Par 4, 310 yards: The shortest par 4 on the course. Reachable off the tee for the big hitters but no bailout surrounding the green. Plenty of landing area right off the tee. Requires short carry of marsh off the tee.
11. Par 5, 562 yards: Par 5 reachable in two. Requires good tee shot to generous landing area toward the freeway bunkers. Be careful not to pull or hook from the tree. Water runs up three-quarters of the left side of the hole. You can carry second fairway bunker for an easy third shot. Green surrounded by plenty of sand. Be careful of water on right of green.
12. Par 3, 161 yards: Short par 3 with a very large two-tiered green. Trouble right with a waste bunker and water. Could be a 3 club difference depending on pin placement and wind.
13. Par 5, 558 yards: Wooded up the entire left side of the hole. Elevated tees make a good view of the hole. Takes three shot to reach this green. Don't be fooled by the looks of the green when set up for the third shot. Fairway undulations play tricks on the eye for yardage. A small green well protected with little bailout left and behind the green.
14. Par 4, 465 yards: Longest par 4 on the golf course. Don't feel, there's five sets of tees on this hole. Generous, large landing area enables you to cut loose off the tee. Long iron or fairway wood into a large, rolling elevated green. Guard against lake to right of green.
15. Par 4, 418 yards: Slight dogleg left. Water right and marsh pond can come into play with a long drive left. Second shot to a kidney-shaped green. You can only roll the ball to the green on the right-hand side as the rough approaches the green from the left-hand side.
16. Par 4, 366 yards: Beautiful view on the tee shot when the colors are here. Short par 4 with plenty of landing area. Be careful, too far left finds the second shot in the waste bunker shot of the green. Trouble long left on the second shot.
17. Par 3, 207 yards: Breathtaking par 3. Beautiful views of the marsh, Sinepuxent Bay and Assateague Island make this hole an adventure. Middle iron to the largest green on the golf course. Plenty of room right and short of the green for the bailout. Large grass bunker in front and a sand bunker to the back left of the green. Tom's boat makes this a perfect photo opportunity from the tee or the green.
18. Par 4, 393 yards: Welcome to the "Beast of the East." One of the toughest and scenic finishing holes in golf surrounded by the salt marshes. A small landing area of the tee. A good drive with an iron from the tee leaves 160 yards to the green. No bailout surrounding the entire green. This beast bites back.
Details on tournament
The NationsBank Celebrity Golf Classic is one of six stops on the CGA tour this year. The Ocean City tournament will be played at Eagle's Landing Golf Course, 12367 Eagle's Nest Road, Berlin, Md. Phone: (410) 213-7277 The course is owned by the town of Ocean City and is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There will be a celebrity-amateur competition on Friday, May 13. The celebrity tournament will be played Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15, in a best-ball scramble format, with a purse of $100,000.
Tickets for the gallery can be purchased through Ticketmaster, including the Ticketmaster outlet at the Convention Center box office in Ocean City. Ticket prices are $10 for a one-day adult pass, with children under 12 paying $5. Three-day passes are also available at $20 for adults and $10 for children under 12. Tickets can also be purchased at Eagle's Landing after the tournament begins.
*
For those of you looking to unwind on the links, here is a partial list of several other nearby courses:
* Pine Shore Executive Golf, 11285 Beauchamp Road, Berlin, (410) 641-5100. 27-hole course, snack bar, driving range, open to the public. Call for hours.
* Beach Club Golf Links, (410) 641-4653 or (800) 435-9223 for tee times.
* River Run, (410) 641-7200 or (800) 733-7786 for tee times. Open daily to public.
* Peninsula Golf Center, Route 589 (Racetrack Road), (410) 641-5442. Driving range and miniature golf course. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
* Ocean City Golf and Yacht Club, 11401 Country Club Drive, Berlin, (410) 641-1778 or (800) 442-3570 for reservations. Thirty-six-hole course, open daily.
* Ocean Pines Golf and Country Club, 1449 Ocean Pines, Berlin, (410) 641-8653 for reservations. Eighteen-hole course open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to members of any private PGA-recognized country club.
* Bay Club Golf Course, Libertytown Road, (410) 641-4081 or (800) 229-2582 for tee times.