Women's golf classic celebrates the 1950s
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

BLAST FROM THE PAST-Camarillo resident Donna Seckinger, left, and Nancy Schiffner of Thousand Oaks team up for the Sunset Hills Women's Golf Association annual Roadrunner Classic. They were dressed like the Pink Ladies from "Grease," and their golf cart's hanging dice were a reminder of the theme "Remember the '50s." More than 100 women participated in the tournament.

More than 100 women golfers from Woodland Hills to Camarillo and beyond strutted their stuff at the annual Sunset Hills Country Club Roadrunner Classic golf tournament in Thousand Oaks last week.

In keeping with a nifty '50s theme, the ladies sported poodle skirts, bobby socks and other duds reminiscent of the early rock 'n' roll era.

The Sunset Hills Women's Association sponsored the golf tournament, now in its eighth year. Mikki Sergus served as tournament chairperson.

The "Remembering the '50s" theme was woven through the day, with each "flight" or division of players named after pop female singing groups of the decade, including the Shirelles, the Marvelettes, the Teddy Bears and the Chordettes.

Symbols and icons of the era- Hula-Hoops, polka dot bikinis, a Thunderbird and Elvis, set the festive '50s mood for the players.

Prior to the shotgun tee-off, 104 women participated in a contest where they chipped golf balls into a Hula-Hoop, said Fran Brough, a member of the women's association who has assisted with its invitational golf tournaments as a member and organizer for the last 19 years.

"I have worked on several tournament committees and I always hope that the people who attend have as much fun as those who plan them," Brough said.

The ladies also competed in a Hula-Hoop endurance contest, won by Simi Valley resident Emily Link, who shimmied the hoop for more than 15 minutes.

Having accepted a $10 cash prize for her Hula-Hoop skills, Link joked that she can no longer compete as an amateur.

"It's like riding a bike," Link said of her ability to keep the hoop twirling for long periods of time. "You never forget."

Raymond Michael, a Moorpark resident and music teacher at Moorpark High School, provided the entertainment as an Elvis impersonator. Brough said Michael serenaded the women during lunch, advertised as a "blue plate special" on a sandwich board at each table.

Club members decked out in "itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow polka dot bikinis" sold raffle tickets during lunch for such prizes including a boat ride on Westlake Lake, complete with wine and hors d'oeuvres, a golf bag, a cosmetics

F P 16- basket, handmade jewelry, a week's stay in a Big Bear cabin, and a handmade afghan. The dining experience ended with hot apple pie la mode.

In addition to a display table of '50s memorabilia, each lunch table was strewn with bubble gum and set with bottles of bubbles for the women to take home as party favors. The ladies were also treated to CDs of popular music of the era.

The women who partnered for the tournament had their pictures taken in their poodle skirts with "Elvis" in front of a clas

sic 1956 Thunderbird, which a club member has owned since it was new. Even the photographer celebrated the '50s theme, wearing dark glasses and Elvis-style sideburns.

Brough said the theme "was especially enjoyable for me because it took a look back at a very familiar era."