As an annual fundraising event evolves into a tradition, it comes to resemble a great white shark — always hungry, predatory by nature and doomed to die if it loses momentum and stops moving forward.

There are a number of regional fundraisers that people still patronize, through belief in the charity and out of social habit; it would be boorish to name one, but I have no doubt that the local people in charge of corporate philanthropy will have at least three examples in their thoughts before they finish reading this sentence.

I do not know what inspired Judd Silverman, executive director of the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic, to broach the idea of Friday at The Farr, but he will look back in five or 10 years and recognize the idea as one that added dimension and excitement to the tournament he has operated since 1984.

At the PGA’s Phoenix Open, the 16th hole serves as a break from the dry decorum that simultaneously makes golf attractive to enthusiasts and as boring to everyone else. At the 16th hole, bleachers form an amphitheater filled with beer-drinking fans who cheer, boo, try to endear themselves to players and generally act like Larry, Curly and Moe at a high-society dinner. It is, in other words, loose and fun, words that rarely apply to golf spectatorship.

Silverman pitched the Phoenix concept to a group of young men that included entrepreneurs Stephen Vasquez and Franz Gilis. Vasquez and Gilis recognized the idea’s potential in Toledo, and stepped up to turn the concept into a reality. When they approached Toledo Free Press about being a media sponsor, Publisher Tom Pounds and I were immediately interested and enthusiastic. Firstly, we recognized the long-term possibilities the event offered to the growth of the tournament and our region. Secondly, we love injecting new, irreverent ideas into long-standing, old-school Toledo traditions and institutions, with an attitude mixing James Dean rebellion and Rodney Dangerfield maladroitness.

After some initial conversations, miscommunications and reinterpretations of purpose, the informal partnership was forged and we were off and running. I met with Vasquez and Gilis to pledge ad and editorial support and contribute the idea of a “Miss Klinger’s Club,” a public face for the event to appear in the ads and make TV and radio appearances. We needed someone eloquent, media savvy and cover-girl attractive, and since Vasquez, Gilis and I can collectively only offer two of those three features, we enlisted Toledo Free Press Star fashion columnist Lauren O’Neill, one of those rare women who could inspire a Prince song and a Dennis Miller monologue.

On Aug. 10, I accompanied a scholarly, stately group of friends to the par 3 14th hole at Highland Meadows. We all wore our Klinger’s Club T-shirts (high-quality gear produced by Image Group), crossed the course (the 14th hole was chosen because it was as far from my parked car as it could be and still technically be in North America — on many of the hills my companions could hear me huffing and puffing, “I think I can, I think I can”) and climbed to our seats in the bleachers. After 179 consecutive days of sizzling 200-degree weather, Friday at The Farr was launched on an overcast, drizzly day more suited for Rocket football than golf.

We greeted Vasquez, Gilis and O’Neill and settled in. The event could probably use an official presence to coach the cheering and keep the energy flowing, but the lack of such a presence created an atmosphere of spontaneity and edginess that veered from stretches of silence to wild group laughter. Farr officials later said 400 people filled the bleachers, with scores more hanging around the nearby beer tent — no other hole we observed Aug. 10 attracted as many spectators.

The Klinger’s Club crowd cheered great shots and good-naturedly booed poor shots (until an official admonished Vasquez to make the crowd substitute “ahhhhs” for “boos” — this caused a momentary panic when Vasquez  announced “No more boos!” and some in the stands thought he said “booze”).

Jamie Farr made an appearance, looking up at bleachers dotted with T-shirts bearing his face and leading some cheers. A highlight was when the crowd started chanting “Caddy race! Caddy race!” and some caddies raced down the fairway; not every caddy took the bait, but the ones who did earned great applause. Most of the LPGA golfers smiled at crowd references to their college alma maters, laughed at the pledges of love and lust (“Call me, maybe!” was a popular one) and played along with the spirit of the 14th hole, tossing autographed hats, gloves, club covers and balls to the crowd. One golfer tossed signed boxes of cookies. My favorite moment was when the crowd, watching a golfer searching for a ball that had landed in the rough, began calling out, “warmer … warmer … warmer.”

Michelle Wie threw a ball into the stands, which I, a lineman with fingers like buttered sausages, deftly caught and pocketed. Wie later said she really liked the energy of the 14th hole, and while I doubt every golfer shared her enthusiasm, I hope the majority did.

Friday at The Farr is a smart, fun idea. Toledo Free Press is committed to helping the event grow and congratulates Silverman, Vasquez and Gilis for their vision and the effort they contributed to make it a success.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Dennis Miller, Franz Gilis, Friday at the Farr, Highland Meadows, Image Group, Jamie Farr, Jamie Farr Toledo Classic, Judd Silverman, Lauren O’Neill, Lighting The Fuse, Michael S. Miller, Michelle Wie, Phoenix Open, Prince, Rodney Dangerfield, Steven Vasquez

This entry was posted on Friday, August 17th, 2012 at 8:18 am and is filed under Lighting The Fuse, Opinion.
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Nine Lives lead singer Jake Pilewski never pictured himself in a cover band. Turns out it’s been one of the most positive musical decisions he’s made.

“I got so into the writing that I said, ‘You know, I would never be in a cover band. I would rather play a dive bar the rest of my life making chump change a night just as long as I’m playing originals,’” Pilewski said. “Well, then reality sets in, and you start realizing, ‘Oh, I’ve got bills and I’ve got to do this and I’ve got to do this.’”

Formerly of local band Highland, which also featured Nine Lives members Mike Toth and Mike Haskins, Pilewski said he didn’t consider playing covers an option until he went to a music convention in Harrisburg, Pa., where Fuel vocalist Brett Scallions was speaking.

Nine Lives

“At the time he had just left Fuel, and he was telling this story about how Fuel was a big cover band all around Harrisburg, Pa., for years,” Pilewski said of Scallions. “And he said in Harrisburg, they were artsy, but still these places were going to hire bands to play what the bar crowd wanted to hear, which was cover music.”

That experience, as well as seeing Cincinnati cover band The Menus live at Put-In-Bay, was enough to convince Pilewski to give covers a shot. He and Haskins left Highland nearly three years ago to join Toth in Nine Lives, a move that proved to be fruitful.

It wasn’t long before Nine Lives was playing at some of Toledo’s bigger bars and events, including fundraisers at The Blarney Irish Pub and Mud Hens’ Opening Day.

“It definitely was worth it right off the bat when we started seeing the reaction from people,” Pilewski said. “It made the whole decision to start playing cover music a lot easier.”

Comprised of Pilewski, drummer Toth, lead guitarist Haskins, Tim Bauer (guitar/piano/sax/harmonica/vocals) and bassist Chad Singleton, Nine Lives will perform on Aug. 10 at the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic as part of the tournament’s Friday at The Farr festivities.

“We are absolutely stoked,” Pilewski said. “That’s one of those things that we’ve heard over the years, like, what a party it is.”

Pilewski and Nine Lives are particularly excited to play at the tournament given that it’s not their typical venue.

“We love the usual [venues],” Pilewski said. “That’s what keeps us going, but it’s great to play something completely different because there’s kind of a bit of mystery and mystique about the whole thing, that you go in not knowing what to expect.”

Part of what has helped Nine Lives find so much local success is its versatility. The band covers everything from 1950s era music to pop, classic rock, blues, dance, country and Top 40 hits.

“Whether they were born in the ’50s or they were born in 1989, I mean, we have a little bit of something for everybody,” Pilewski said. “They always say, ‘You can’t make everybody happy,’ but we come pretty close to it at least throughout the night, as long as people stick around the whole set.”

Friday at the Farr will take place during the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club, 7455 Erie St., in Sylvania.

Daily tournament tickets start at $15 and are available at the gate or Shawn’s Irish Tavern, which is also providing shuttle service on Aug. 10 from its Toledo location, 4400 Heatherdowns Blvd. Weekly tickets are $50 and are available at local Kroger stores. Kids 17 and younger get in free with an adult. More ticket information is available online at jamiefarrtoledoclassic.com.

After the final golfer finishes her round at approximately 7 p.m., Nine Lives will perform at the public pavilion at Highland Meadows as a grand finale to the Friday at The Farr festivities.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ninelivestoledo or facebook.com/KlingersClub.

Tags: Friday at the Farr, Jamie Farr Toledo Classic, Klinger's Club, Nine Lives, Shawn's Irish Tavern

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 31st, 2012 at 12:10 pm and is filed under Featured, In Concert, Jamie Farr Classic.
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What do you get when you mix the fun, festive atmosphere of Mud Hens’ Opening Day with a professional golf tournament?

You get “Friday at The Farr,” the 14th hole at the 2012 Jamie Farr Toledo Classic presented by Kroger, Owens Corning and O-I at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania.

On Aug. 10, the local Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament will introduce a new “party atmosphere” to its 14th hole in imitation of the famed par-3 16th hole at the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Waste Management Phoenix Open at Tournament Players Club Scottsdale. That tournament takes place in Arizona in February each year.

The hole will be called “Klinger’s Club,” after Toledo native Jamie Farr’s character on the television show “M*A*S*H,” and will be part of the Friday at the Farr festivities, which begin at 1 p.m. Aug. 10.

“We want it to be kind of like … (Mud Hens) Opening Day, where if the game is at three or even if it’s at five, people are Downtown partying in the streets at 12 o’clock,” said Stephen Vasquez, membership development manager at the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and one of the two event organizers. “It’s kind of turned into a Downtown Toledo holiday.”

The par-3 hole will feature bleacher seating for approximately 400 people, an electronic scoreboard and a large concession stand nearby with food and beverages. T-shirts will be distributed to create a “white-out,” like those at basketball and football games.

Lauren O'Neill is Miss Klinger's Club 2012.

Fans are encouraged to cheer, chant and sing at the golfers, like fans at the Waste Management (WM) Phoenix Open do, Vasquez said. According to the Klinger’s Club’s Facebook page, the goal is to make the 14th hole the “loudest and most exciting hole on the LPGA tour.”

Vasquez said “cheerleaders” and “cheat sheets” of player information are in the works to help make this happen.

“If you watch the Phoenix Open, [the fans] are really quiet, but as soon as the ball is hit, they scream like crazy,” Vasquez said. “We’re going to encourage cheering.”

Admission to Klinger’s Club is included in admission price. Daily tickets start at $15 and are available at the gate or Shawn’s Irish Tavern, which is also providing shuttle service. Weekly tickets are $50 and are available at local Kroger stores. Kids 17 and younger get in free with an adult. More ticket information is available online at the web site www.jamiefarrtoledoclassic.com.

Once the last golfer finishes her round at approximately 7 p.m. Aug. 10, the local band Nine Lives will play at the public pavilion as a grand finale to Friday at the Farr. Nine Lives is a cover band that plays everything from Journey to Eminem to The Temptations, said Franz Gilis, the other co-organizer of Klinger’s Club.

Vasquez said Klinger’s Club is an event that many people, not just traditional golf fans, can enjoy.

“If you don’t even like golf, who cares? Just come to party,” Vasquez said.

Toledo exposure

There were many motives behind the Klinger’s Club initiative, including simply offering a good time for fans and golfers alike, Vasquez said.

“It’s one of those things where [the tournament] is not quite at the level of (Mud Hens) Opening Day yet,” Vasquez said. “For most people, the Jamie Farr is … like ‘If I get tickets, I’ll go,’ but we want it to be ‘I’m going to the Jamie Farr this year!’”

The tournament’s net proceeds go to 10 area children’s charities, said Judd Silverman, tournament chairman for 27 years.

“It’s for a good cause,” Silverman said. “Since 1984, the Jamie Farr has donated $7.4 million to more than 100 Northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan children’s charities.”

Silverman said tournament organizers wanted to create a gathfranzering and networking spot for young business professionals and Vasquez and Gilis had the idea to model a hole after the WM Phoenix Open’s.

“What we’re trying to create is a special event for the business community to gather and have a great afternoon of watching golf, while also interacting with fellow business professionals from the area,” Silverman said. “The goal is to get the business community to take the afternoon off and come out and be a part of the hole’s festivities.”

Vasquez said a successful Friday at the Farr will mean more exposure for Toledo, which will help the area attract future events and sponsorships.

“It would be cool if we got a lot of people to come out to this,” Vasquez said. “Even if we increase Jamie Farr’s attendance by one or two thousand, all that stuff builds up and puts Toledo on the map … and shows we can really rally around an event and support it.”

Vasquez said this will show Toledo can support major sporting events and may even help give the area the opportunity to host higher-level events, like the PGA U.S. Open.

“Those events don’t just decide in October to come here in August. They’re planned a few years out,” Vasquez said. “There’s a lot of factors that go into that decision.”

Among the factors are city infrastructure, potential company sponsorships and a supportive fan base, Vasquez said.

Vasquez said Klinger’s Club will also promote the tournament, the LPGA and the sport of golf in the Toledo area, complementing an LPGA initiative to build its brand.

“Over the course of the last five or six years [the LPGA has been] trying to get its golfers out there more to build more of a brand, like a Tiger Woods or a Phil Mickelson,” Vasquez said. “Fans will then come out to LPGA events to follow their favorite golfer and not just to follow golf.”

Player participation

The WM Phoenix Open’s 16th hole has often been referred to as “a party where a golf tournament breaks out.”

However, the party began with humble beginnings.

Tom Altieri, 2013 WM Phoenix Open tournament chairman, said the Phoenix Open moved to Scottsdale in 1986, and the lively atmosphere developed naturally when fans, especially college students, started congregating by the hole and nearby beer stand.

In 1997, Tiger Woods hit a hole-in-one on the 16th, which Altieri said created an electric atmosphere that has grown into a vacation destination that attracts 16,000 people and the world’s top-tier performing artists. One hundred and fifty corporate skyboxes sell for $40,000 each, Altieri said.

What has made the WM Phoenix Open’s par-3 “party hole” so successful is the players’ willingness to embrace it, Altieri said.

“The players themselves have really embraced the energy and atmosphere of the hole and that has really helped it grow,” Altieri said. “In order for it to succeed the players have had to embrace it, and they have, … and they tend to do better on that hole.”

Altieri said players pass out merchandise to the crowd while it sings the fight songs of the golfers’ alma maters, for example. One golfer even encouraged noise from the crowd.

“We had one player who didn’t want quiet. He was egging the crowd on to make noise,” Altieri said. “The crowd obliged and it was pretty cool.”

Chris Erblich, an attorney from Phoenix who attended the WM Phoenix Open in 2005, said even though he is not a golf fan it was exciting for him to witness the events on the 16th hole.

“As soon as the ball is in the air, the crowd screams, or boos in the case of a bad shot. It’s a loud, party-time atmosphere,” Erblich said. “Some golfers think it’s great, while some have complained the expectation is unnerving, but it’s cool and fun and different.”

Altieri said other tournaments have asked about creating a similar experience he tells them that a controlled environment with communication to players is vital for a successful “party hole.” Altieri said he suggests talking to the LPGA and its players about the idea ahead of time.

“I wish there was a magic formula, but there’s not,” Altieri said. “We’ve worked hard to keep an energy … and make sure the fans understand that these are professional golfers out there trying to earn a living. Fans have to be respectful of the players.”

Vasquez said Klinger’s Club organizers plan on reaching out to golfers through Facebook, Twitter and other connections to let them know what’s coming and ask them to get involved.

Sponsors for the event include Nemsys, The Image Group, Wholehan Marketing and Shawn’s Irish Tavern. Media sponsors are Toledo Free Press, NBC24, 101.5 FM The River and 92.5 KISS FM.

For more information on Klinger’s Club, visit www.facebook.com/KlingersClub.

Tags: 101.5 FM The River, 92.5 KISS FM, Franz Gilis, Friday at the Farr, Jamie Farr, Judd Silverman, Klinger's Club, Mud Hens, Nine Lives, Phoenix Open, Shawn’s Irish Tavern, Stephen Vasquez, Toledo Free Press

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 19th, 2012 at 3:58 pm and is filed under Featured, Golf, Jamie Farr Classic, Sports.
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