The answer was simple. Have the players and sponsors come on out for an appreciation brunch and a nice check presentation of $525,000 to Dallas CASA.

Did you just read that? Yup, this annual golf tournament’s participants provided over a half million dollars despite the fact they didn’t get to play one round.

That’s better than a hole in one any day. Just ask CASA.

If the rain does fall as the weather folks are promising, the tournament at The Tribute Golf Club in The Colony will take place on the following Monday, November 2. Personally, that sounds better. It’s the day after the time change, so the shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. won’t be quite as painful.

Now let’s just see if the host committee members can rearrange their schedules. That might be the big challenge with such movers and shakers as Troy Aikman, Blake Andrews, Tommy Armour, Lou Ann and Mike Corboy, Brill and Jason Garrett, Joe Girardi, John Grimes, Jan and Jim Hinckley, Kandis and Bill Hutchinson, Margo Keyes, Anthony Kim, Peter Kraus, Joyce and Larry Lacerte, Michael Lunceford, Laura and Jack Matthews, Lynn and Allan McBee, Peggy and Dan Meyers, Joe Oscar Neuhoff, Terence Newman, Rick O’Brien, Marian and Robert Petrie, Carol and Daniel K. Podolsky, Anthony Porcaro, Cheri and Pat Summerall, Spud Webb, and Kendall and Derek Williams.

BTW, tonight’s pre-event celebration is still on. Perfect timing. Watch the Cowboys game, take a nap, and head on over. You might want to bring your bumbershoot. It’s this season’s top accessory.

Still a child, Clayton died in 1995–but his spirit didn’t. His parents Shelby and Scott Dabney wouldn’t let it. Instead they created the Clayton Dabney Foundation for Kids with Cancer for the sole purpose of providing financial support for families of terminally ill children. The foundation steps in and pays for mortgages, food, transportation, everything possible, just so the families can be with their children during those final days.

Today, 14 years later, men and women who never knew Clayton are carrying the toys for the “very special little boy.”

One of those people was the center of attention last night at Bentley Dallas–ABC Channel 8’s Dale Hansen (pictured), who for the second year went “unplugged” for the crowd gearing up for the annual Clayton Dabney Foundation Golf Tournament (October 16).

Dale should either have his own talk show or be a television evangelist. No, forget that last one. He’s a little too R-rated. Highlights of the evening with Dale were:

• Dale’s being stumped by Doug Roach about the only other Dallas Cowboy quarterback to wear #12 besides Roger Staubach (Answer: Doug’s dad, John Roach);
• Dale’s description of his notoriously thrifty father on his death bed telling his son that he would call him from the other side collect;
• Mashed potato martinis looking more like banana fosters;
• Bentley GM Heath Strayhan smiling over the two Rolls recently sold in the past couple of weeks and relieved that he didn’t have to handle any “clunker” paperwork;
• Tournament Chair Blair Mercer admitting the foundation will face its largest number of families in need this year and will need to raise $400,000+; and
• Everyone high-fiving Regency Centers for its continuing support throughout the years.

Actually, Tuesday night is just a smidgen of “The Charity Classic,” which is the world’s largest multi-site charity golf and dining event, with participating clubs teeing up from California to New York. This year 140 of Dallas-based ClubCorp’s country clubs, private business and sports clubs and resorts will participate to raise money for nearly 100 charities.

The lucky local beneficiaries are Dallas Can! Academy, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and ClubCorp’s Employee Partners Care Foundation.

Participating golf clubs slated to hold tournaments for the causes are Oakmont Country Club in Corinth (October 2), Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco (October 9), and Shady Valley Country Club in Arlington (November 13).

It’s a great opportunity to sample the ClubCorp way of life and to help the three beneficiaries.