TAKING NOTES:

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since we celebrated the fighting men of this country and especially the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines of Camp Pendleton at an inaugural golf tournament for them at the Newport Beach Country Club.

And the good thing is that year No. 2 is here, and things are getting underway for another successful event.

Danny Marcheano, the renowned owner of the Arches restaurants and a former Marine, is organizing the tournament again this year. He’s looking to repeat the success from the first event, in which 45 Marines and about 30 of their wives enjoyed a day of golf, food and fun.

“After all bills were cleared, we netted $116,000,” Marcheano said of last year’s tournament. The money, he said, goes to help out “the average Marine” providing him or her with washers, dryers and tires for their cars.

“Some of the lower-ranking Marines don’t have the wherewithal to get back home for holidays or just have the basic necessities of life,” Marcheano said. “We just satisfy, in every way we can, the little extras that they need.”

Playing in the tournament is a good way to do it.

I played last year with Lana Johnson, our director of promotions, and two young Marines, Gunnery Sgt. Bill Mund and Sgt. Kenneth McMillian.

While we didn’t exactly play up to Ryder Cup standards, we had a great time nonetheless. I pretty sure Mund and McMillian left with a great impression of Newport Beach and, in particular, Newport Beach Country Club.

Marcheano echoed that.

“The Newport Beach Country Club does a magnificent job and treats them very well,” he said.

Marcheano said the tournament will feature all the same military novelties, like Humvees and Jeeps.

And for a $500 entry fee, each golfer can help out the Marines and get treated like a king in the process.

There will be martini bar, a wine bar, a seafood bar, lunch, a hamburger stand and a barbecue area, Marcheano said.

Marcheano is still looking for golfers and Marine supporters to pony up and help make the tournament a success.

There are still tees sponsorships available. For $150, someone can pay for a Marine to play for free in the tournament.

This year’s tournament is Oct. 27 with a 9 a.m. check-in time.

Anyone interested should call Marcheano at the Arches at (949) 274-3385 or the city at (949) 644-3202 or just visit www.oneonemarines.com.

Speaking of Marines, Costa Mesa city officials are having a car wash Sept. 27 to raise money for the 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment Marines.

Marines from that regiment will be on hand to help with the car wash, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Costa Mesa City Hall.

So there you have it. Two ways to help those who are doing so much to protect our country.

TONY DODERO is the Daily Pilot’s director of news and online. He may be reached at [email protected] or at (714) 966-4608.