Las Vegas, Nevada (January 20, 2011)–It's always about his flowing, blonde surfer hair do, a look that could cause people to think he's aloof like a stereotypical surfer, but there is plenty of substance to Las Vegas PGA Tour star Charley Hoffman. Hoffman lives in the Las Vegas Golf Region–in the same neighborhood as fellow PGA Tour star Bill Lunde–and, while he is laid back, he takes the game and his responsibilities seriously. Prior to the first round of the Bob Hope Classic, Hoffman shared his comments on being a new father, recycling, his hair, and the state of his game.–By Brian Hurlburt.
Hoffman, who grew up in San Diego prior to becoming a national champion at UNLV, enjoys that the PGA Tour starts on the west coast, and because he had a strong finish in 2010, winning the FedEx Cup's Deutsche Bank Championship, he is looking for a quick start to the year. "Because we start on the west coast and I'm familiar with all these golf course, grew up playing all these golf courses, I usually get out off to a halfway decent start," Hoffman told the media in Palm Springs gathered for the Bob Hope Classic. "Last year I didn't, I was injured in the beginning of the year with a wrist injury."
The Las Vegas Golf Region is the home to more than 30 pros who play the major tours who have strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses. In addition, the area is the home of more than 50 Las Vegas golf courses inlcuding TPC Las Vegas, Hoffman's home away from home when in Las Vegas. TPC Las Vegas is a PGA Tour-owned facility where many of the Las Vegas pros play and practice. You can click now to view the official website of TPC Las Vegas and reserve your tee times in Las Vegas and/or Las Vegas golf packages.
During the off season, Hoffman became a father for the first time, and has spent a lot of time with little Claire JoAnne Hoffman, living up to his duties as a father along the way. "It's been the best," Hoffman said. "I mean, we got lucky, because she was born November 10th and so it's right at the right in the off season I got to spend the last couple months with her and it's the best experience ever. I mean everybody says it when it happens and everything that everybody says is true. It's awesome. It doesn't get any better … I am changing diapers, not as many as my wife but have I changed a few."
Hoffman is sponsored by Waste Management, and takes his job seriously as a spokesperson for the company that encourages recycling. Hoffman is noted for his green golf glove, and other green items of clothing that he sports throughout the year. "I do recycle," said Hoffman, before revealing that the PGA Tour should do a better job. "I wouldn't say I recycle everything, unfortunately, because — and I've said this to the TOUR before and I say it a lot, we go to a tee box they have a cooler full of bottled water, but they don't have a recycle bin, where do they expect us to put that bottle of water? So I recycle as much as I can and I try to erase my footprint as much as I can or leave it as minimal as I can. Ever since I signed on with Waste Management, which was about three and a half, four years ago, it's made an impact on my life just by them opening up my eyes and what you can do for the environment by just recycling and reusing, and just being a better person, being aware. It's pretty easy nowadays with all the recycling bins that they do have, but I know the PGA TOUR's getting better and everybody's getting better along with that."
Hoffman won the 2007 Bob Hope Classic and looks forward to the tournament each year. "The Bob Hope has always been one of the best events," said Hoffman. "I have memories of watching on TV, watching the presidents play, watching the great golfers play, but I think that one of the reasons for that is the Hope's sort of getting back to the traditional golf courses again. We play two here at PGA West, and La Quinta is a great course, and then we got SilverRock. I've always said that I enjoy playing, like if it was up to me, we would play all four golf courses right here at PGA West, I don't think a better recipe could be than that, everybody comes to one spot and then sort of go from there. And I think you get the whole community together when you do that, and who knows, I'm not a tournament director or anything, but I think they're getting back to the old style that was the Bob Hope where all the courses in the valley were close together."
Hoffman is also very involved with his foundation that operates two benefit tournaments, one in San Diego and one in Las Vegas. The event in Las Vegas coincides with the PGA Tour's Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Also, Hoffman has an official website.