Rules Star Rules on Screen and Greens

TV’s Patrick Warburton brings round two of his charity tournament to the desert.

Mona de Crinis Attractions

Patrick Warburton is everywhere. He stars in the popular sitcom Rules of Engagement; was delightfully deadpan as Puddy, Elaine’s boyfriend on Seinfeld; and has a movie coming out this summer called Ted co-starring Mark Walberg and Mila Kunis. Plus, he’s easily the busiest voiceover artist in Hollywood, lending his vocal flair to colorful characters, most notably Fox’s Emmy-nominated Family Guy as the paraplegic and overzealous cop Joe Swanson.

Warburton also swings a mean club. And he’s going to be strutting his putt during the Patrick Warburton Golf for Kids Celebrity Golf Tournament, which takes place March 2-4 at Palm Desert’s Classic Club. The event benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Among the celebs (in addition to the awesome host) expected to play in this second annual charity tournament are Bruce Jenner, Cheech Marin, Robert Hays, Oliver Hudson, Luke Perry, and others.

The festivities kick off on Friday at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, where guests will enjoy an evening pairings party and discover the celebrity joining their foursome. New to this year’s event is the Friday Night Jam Session featuring Kim Carnes, Alice Cooper, and other artists. The jam session follows the pairing party.

We asked Warburton a few questions about why he started this tournament and his shameless devotion to golf.

Did you have a personal experience with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that inspired your Golf for Kids event?
I met a little guy, a patient, at Jim McMahon’s golf tournament a few years back. My wife and I have always felt fortunate to have four healthy children. People all over the world know about St. Jude and their efforts. If you are the parent of a child with a catastrophic illness, then for sure you have heard about the hospital. With operating costs of more than $1.7 million a day, multiple fundraising efforts are necessary to enable them to perform miracles.

There are many golf courses in the Los Angeles area, why did you choose the desert as the location for this event?
We have found that the desert resorts make it easier for us to hold an event that feels all-inclusive. Palm Springs has always been a nice escape for Angelinos. We also have a  fantastic board, most of whom are based in the desert. They are the ones responsible for making our event such a success.
 
Can you spill a little about the celebrities slated to come?
We’ve got confirmations from Alice Cooper, Robby Krieger, Jerry Cantrell, Cheech Marin, Chris McDonald, to name a few. We will be posting more about celebrities joining us on our website at www.patrickwarburtongolf.com.
 
It seems that you’d rather play golf then, well, just about anything.
I won’t lie! Even with my mediocre golfing abilities, I find it to be awesome recreation and a great “hang.”
 
What about the sport draws you in?  
The constant befuddlement. It’s forever challenging, and a great way to spend time with buddies.

Do you ever want to break your clubs and call it a day?   
Absolutely!

Who would you choose for your favorite golf foursome?    
My dad, Eddie Vedder, Bobby Jones, and me. It would be an amazing round of golf — very spiritual.

Check out www.patrickwarburtongolf.com, for more information. Visit www.stjude.org for information about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.