EL CERRITO — J-Sei’s 22nd annual Golf Invitational will be played at the picturesque and recently renovated Mira Vista Golf & Country Club in El Cerrito on Monday, May 14.
After a hiatus, J-Sei is returning to Mira Vista, which is known for its fabulous views of San Francisco Bay and its challenging but fair test. The course has recently undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation, and if you have not played the course recently, you will be in for a real treat.
Shotgun start is at 12 noon. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. A tee prize, lunch, snacks, awards, and a sumptuous dinner are included in the entry fee. Non-golfers are welcome to attend (separate fee). The tournament is one of the major fundraisers of the year for J-Sei and definitely a fun and memorable event. Last year’s throw mulligan proved to be extremely popular in its first year.
Based in Berkeley, J-Sei (formerly JASEB) is in its 41st year of operation. It was established to serve the Issei who had immigrated to the U.S. from Japan prior to 1924 and who were in need of affordable, language and culturally sensitive services as they aged. With the support of the community, it is now an organization that has grown to serve a multigenerational and multicultural community that has its roots in Nikkei traditions, culture, and history.
With the support of Union Bank, this tournament, originally named the Nisei Plastics Invitational Golf Classic with sponsors Shig Futagaki and Roy Matsuda of Nisei Plastics, dates back to 1979. The earlier tournaments, played from 1979 to 1990, were dedicated to raising funds for Eden Issei Terrace, an apartment complex in Hayward for low-income seniors.
During its two decades, the tournament has raised tens of thousands of dollars to help fund a variety of senior services and programs. Playing in the tournament is a great way to show support for the senior community and to have fun at the same time. Last year’s proceeds went toward J-Sei’s bilingual case management services and to earthquake/tsunami relief efforts in Japan. This year, the proceeds will be used to help J-Sei extend its home-delivered nutrition program for seniors to Oakland.
The tournament is unique in that it offers competition on two levels for the golfers. There will be the traditional two-person best-ball team competition where the lower of the two scores on each hole by the two player partners is recorded at the score for the team on that hole. This format can lead to some low winning scores. Last year’s winners were Akira Komine and Glenn Yamaguchi. Cash prizes are awarded for the top three places in the competition.
In addition, golfers compete on their individual score for the day in one of five flights, Men’s A and B, Women’s, Callaway for those without an established handicap, and a Super Senior flight. In each flight there are cash awards. Every year, one of the low handicappers turns in a great score to win the cash prize for field low gross.
To create some friendly competition among the J-Sei member organizations, the J-Sei Member Organization Challenge is being offered. It is a competition within the usual two-person best-ball competition. Each member organization is asked to organize four players to represent it in the challenge. Bragging rights and a cash prize are on the line!
In addition to the golf prizes, there will be an opportunity to win numerous drawing prizes, including dinner gift certificates, theater tickets, golf equipment and golf, at the awards dinner.
Early sponsor commitments (as of April 13) have been received from the following:
Platinum — Union Bank
Bronze — Buddhist Temple of Alameda; The Pasha Group
Patron — Roger J. Ota and Blaine Honda, DDS
Benefactor — Abacus Products Inc.; Ron Fujie, CPA; Law Office of Edwin R. Oshika; Richmond Country Club; Yorozu Law Group, PC
Tee Sponsor — Buena Vista Community Institute; CCI Financial & Insurance Solutions; Glenn M. Fujinaka, DDS; Hilton San Francisco Financial District; J-Sei Board of Directors; K & S Company; Mira Vista Golf & Country Club; Orinda Optometry Group; PSM Architects Inc.; Law Office of Robert Sakai; Sunset View Mortuary and Cemetery; Mas Takano; George and Jo Takata; Ted and Susan Tanisawa (in memory of Ben Tanisawa); Yocha Dehe Golf Club/Cache Creek Casino Resort
$10,000 Hole-in-One Sponsor — MIF Insurance Agency
Second Hole-in-One Sponsor — Nisei Plastics
To sign up or for more information about the tournament or J-Sei, call (510) 848-3560 or email laddie@j-sei.org. Individual tickets for the awards dinner are available for $50 each; cost for the raffle drawing is $10 per six tickets. The reservation deadline is May 4.