PGA tourney honors military with free admission, more; Edwards civilians get discount

  • Published
  • By Laura Mowry
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  To honor local service members, the Northern Trust Open golf tournament will provide all active-duty, retired, guard and reserve military personnel and their dependents free admission to the grounds on all competition days.

The NTO will be held at the Riviera Country Club, located in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Feb. 15-20, with competition days scheduled Feb. 17-20.

To receive free admission, each participant 18 years of age and older must show a valid military ID. There is no cost for those 18 years and younger.

All civilians who work at Edwards can purchase tickets for $30 through Ticketmaster and receive a two-for-one deal. To purchase tickets at the discounted rate, log on to Ticketmaster.com, select the date you wish to attend and enter coupon code EDWARDSAFB1. Each ticket purchased is valid for one day only.

A Professional Golfers' Association Tour Military Appreciation Barbeque will kick off the week-long military tribute Feb. 15. Attendees will receive an evening of complimentary food and entertainment. Also included in the barbeque are giveaways for all, autographs, lessons on golf skills from PGA players and a visit from former Los Angeles Lakers star Jerry West, who is the NTO executive director.

The first two rounds of the tournament will be held Feb. 17-18 beginning at 6:30 a.m., while the third and fourth rounds are scheduled for Feb. 19-20 with an 8 a.m. start time. The grounds open each morning to the public at 6 a.m.

Participants are responsible for transportation to and from the event, with the exception of the tournament's Military Appreciation Day, Feb. 19. Two 55 passenger buses have been allotted for round-trip transportation, for military and civilian participants.

In addition to grounds admission, military attendees can take part in a picnic, a golf exhibition for veterans and have free access to the Patriot's Outpost hospitality venue.

The Patriot's Outpost will welcome service members with a climate controlled facility, military décor, private restroom facilities and a complimentary food and beverage service. From the venue, individuals will have access to up-to-date scoring via ShotLink and views of the course.

For Military Appreciation Day, the Patriot Outpost will host the following schedule of events. At 7:55 a.m., military tee announcers will be at the first and 10th tee boxes. Mr. West is scheduled to visit the Patriot's Outpost at noon. There will be a flyover at 3 p.m., accompanied by the National Anthem, Honorary Tee Shot and Color Guard.

The Patriot's Outpost is an outreach program established through the Birdies for the Brave foundation. Originally established in 2005, when Phil Mickelson and his wife began donating $100 for every birdie and $500 for every eagle to service members wounded in combat; it now encompasses a variety of outreach efforts, including the Patriot's Outpost for PGA tournaments, such as the NTO.

The NTO, which began in 1926, is the fourth longest-running PGA Tour event. Although it had been played on several courses throughout the Los Angeles area, in 1973 the tournament found its permanent home at the Riviera Country Club.

For more information or to register, please contact Public Affairs at 277-8707. The last day to sign up is Feb. 10.