By John Dade

The weekend was set, the anticipation was high, and Cedric The Entertainer and Spanish Hills Country Club delivered!

As one who was fortunate enough to have been invited to participate as a “Tee” Sponsor for the Cedric The Entertainer Celebrity Golf Classic (Special thanks to William Hammond Productions), I was excited to head north to Camarillo, CA for the Sunday and Monday event.

Anyone who has seen (or perhaps “experienced” would be a better word), Cedric on stage, screen or in person- knows he can be downright hilarious! Yet under that crazy and zany exterior is a heart of gold that believes deeply in giving back and sharing his good fortune. It is with that goal in mind, Cedric hosts the “Cedric The Entertainer Celebrity Golf Classic”, now in its 4^th year and benefiting the Boys & Girls Club and the Kyles Family Foundation.

The 4^th Annual Golf Classic was held this year at the beautiful Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo, CA. This well-groomed private golf course is said to be one of the most challenging around with its steep, rolling hills, slanting fairways and greens dotted with numerous sand & water hazards along its sprawling 6702-yard breadth. As befitting this course, the clubhouse itself just exudes class, featuring dark wood floors, well- lit open spaces and posh appointments.

A pre-golf day gala reception was held the night before the golf event at the nearby and classy Bogie’s Lounge at the Westlake Village Inn, this private, invite only reception featured gourmet food, a hosted bar featuring Ron Zacapa Rum (one of the event sponsors) as well as a great selection of other premium spirits and passed hors d’oeuvres.

Bogies was a great choice for this event with its spacious and well laid out patio and outside bar which also offered easy access to the well-appointed indoor night club where the live entertainment had the guests swayin’ & groovin’.

While the “invitees” were an “A” list of Celebs from the entertainment and sports world, one would never know it as they mingled with, and casually chatted with everyone- always willing to stop for a photo op with a fan.

Spotted throughout the night were NFL Hall of Famers Marcus Allen & Eric Dickerson. Actor and comedian George Lopez, actor Richard Roundtree, NBA Clippers Asst. Coach Mike Woodson and Grammy award winner Jeffrey Osborne- just to name a few.

And what would any Golf Classic be without Cigars? The savory smokes for this event were provided by Dignity Cigars and Mr. DonJuan Gross who hosted the Cigar Lounge for the evening.

Of course we had Cigar & Spirits Magazines on hand with free copies for the golfers at the check-in table, as well as at the 2^nd Hole “Cigar Tent”, which was also hosted by Dignity Cigars.

As the Golf Classic wound down after the golfers completed the course, the clubs were packed away, the last cigar was smoked and enthusiastic conversations flowed into the night.

As I headed back to our lodging for the night, I was reliving this wonderful two-day event and thinking that THIS is how a Golf Classic/Charity event should be done!

This is what the Cigar & Spirits Lifestyle is all about! Good friends, fine cigars, Premium Spirits and most of all…Sharing and Giving Back!