STAR POWER
As host of the Chris Doering Celebrity Golf Challenge at Haile Plantation Golf & Country Club, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chris Doering could trade on his star status in his hometown of Gainesville, Florida, and do the minimum — play a little golf and leave the work to the organizers and the club. That’s to say if he were totally different, if he weren’t an overachiever who’s proud of his city and his club, for which he serves on the Board of Governors. As it is, Doering commits himself completely to whatever he does. Regarded as lacking the speed and strength to excel as a wide receiver in football, he wound up starting three years at the University of Florida. He has struggled to make his mark in the NFL, playing for four teams in six seasons, but is upbeat about this year, his second with the Steelers. "For a guy a lot of people consider too slow, I’m pretty happy with my career," he says. "I’m finally at a point where I’ve found my niche. It’s kind of a nice situation finally, when I’m 31 years old." He also is pleased with his charity tournament, for which he works hard recruiting fellow NFL players. "We’ve almost been sold out the last few years, and we’ve been looking at ways to accommodate more players. I think that’s a good problem to have." Thanks in large part to Doering, this summer the eighth annual event enjoyed another successful year, raising $90,000 for the Ronald McDonald House in Gainesville. — Steve Wilson
Photography by Emily Harris/The Gainesville Sun

LAW & ORDER
Kathleen O’Toole never aspired to police work; she entered it on a dare. As a junior at Boston College in the 1970s, she took the civil service exam only for test-taking practice before entering New England College of Law. But when the Boston Police Department offered her a job in 1979, she accepted it as a challenge from her friends, becoming one of the few women on the force. Today, she’s at the helm of the department as its first female police commissioner. "It’s my dream job," she says. "This is as good as it gets." O’Toole, a member of Boston College Club who also serves on its Board of Governors, was appointed commissioner in February after a distinguished career that included founding her own international consulting firm, practicing law, and serving with the Boston, Metropolitan, and Massachusetts State police. Already O’Toole is making her mark as commissioner, reorganizing the police department, creating a new family justice division, and continuing the department’s commitment to connecting with citizens to help fight crime. Although she draws attention for being the first woman at the helm, O’Toole says she is focusing on the job at hand. "I’m just going to do the best I can," she says. "I know I can’t lead or manage this department alone. It’s a team effort." — Janet MefferdPhotography by AP Photo/Elise Amendola

LONE STAR STORYTELLER
Texas humorist Richard "Cactus" Pryor never met a story he didn’t like. A radio broadcaster and author, Pryor’s engaging storytelling has made him a Texas institution and a popular speaker nationwide for social and business groups. Although he has hit too few golf shots he did like, the member of Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, loves the game so much that it’s the inspiration for a work in progress — a book of poems, cartoons, and anecdotes. Having played for 50 years, he has a lot of stories to tell.

What’s your favorite golf story?
It has to be about a preacher friend of mine, Dr. Gerald Mann of River Bend Baptist Church here in Austin. We play golf frequently, often with [former University of Texas football coach] Darrell Royal, who’s also a friend. We were playing one day, and on the last hole I had a 45-foot putt. I said, "Preacher, if I sink this putt, I’ll join your church. And the ball went right into the middle of the cup." As a matter of fact, I did join his church.

You also were friends with legendary golf instructor Harvey Penick [author of Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings From a Lifetime of Golf]. What did you learn from him?
I didn’t have a lesson until I was 65 years old. I went to Harvey, and he said, "I was wondering when you were going to come and see me. You’re too damned late." Then he gave me some lessons. I guess the most I got out of Harvey golf-wise was to keep your sense of humor and to have fun.

What was the best time you had on a golf course?
One of my biggest kicks was caddying for Bob Hope. I really looked forward to seeing the serious side of the man, but he told me jokes all the way around.

If you could pick three golf partners, living or dead, who would they be?
Bob Hope, Sam Snead, and Sandra Bullock. I don’t know if she plays, but that’s all right.

Can you imagine a better way to leave this world than on a golf course?
Yeah, with Sandra Bullock as your playing partner. — Steve Wilson
Photography by Ed Lallo

DOWN UNDER TO PGA HIGH
Living his dream of playing golf full time this year in the United States is all the sweeter for Australian Stephen Leaney because he was able to overcome an aspiring PGA Tour pro’s worst nightmare. Nearly two years ago, Leaney, a European Tour player at the time, was devastated when, in his fifth crack at Tour qualifying school, he failed by one stroke. Now a member at Timarron Country Club near Dallas, Leaney recalls: "When I missed, it was hard for both of us [him and his wife, Tracey]. I struggled with it for a good three or four months afterward, and I didn’t really play that well at the start of 2003." Faced with making enough money in a handful of PGA events to earn his Tour card or returning to Tour school, Leaney turned his life around in one week by finishing second in the 2003 U.S. Open and earning $650,000, more than enough to qualify for the 2004 Tour. "It was nice knowing the card I earned for this year was actually a better card than if I’d won at Tour School because I was going to get into more tournaments," Leaney says. "It’s funny how things work out sometimes." — Steve Wilson
Photography by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

ENERGY BOOST
Morris Nunes’ job is to boost the financial know-how of boards of directors. It’s a quest that has become vital as folks wade through the corporate governance maze, complicated by the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which federally mandates more stringent controls on corporate accounting and reporting practices. That’s where BoardBoost comes in. Nunes, a member of Tower Club Tysons Corner in Vienna, Virginia, brings more than 25 years of experience advising businesses and nonprofits to his BoardBoost seminars. The legal eagle, in private practice and a faculty member of both Georgetown University’s MBA program and the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, customizes his gatherings to cater to individual board business and corporate culture. His goal is to teach directors to ask the right questions to ensure the information they are getting is reliable. "The problem for boards of directors, particularly those on a board for a particular expertise or on the board because of a focus or experience they bring is that they may be faced with information they have a hard time knowing is accurate," Nunes says. "What BoardBoost is about is to allow you to get that information and be sure to comply with regulatory requirements and decision making that a board faces." He advises board members who work in the corporate sector, nonprofits, government agencies, and cooperatives to start by understanding accounting basics. There are at least seven types of accounting with which directors should be familiar. Failing to recognize how different methods should reconcile, he says, can lead to accounting surprises. — Helen Bond
Photography by Katherine Lambert

HOMETOWN HERO
Roy Butler’s love affair with life and his hometown has made him an Austin, Texas, entrepreneurial success. He has dabbled in so many varied areas — radio stations, automobile dealerships, telecommunications, real estate, a beer distributorship, and a slew of civic posts — that he’s hard-pressed to point to his greatest accomplishment. A University of Texas at Austin graduate, Butler was the first directly elected mayor of Austin, earning the most votes ever cast for the post in 1973. Over the years, he has tirelessly worked to improve the city where "everything good that has happened to me, has happened here." Butler, an original founder on the Board of Governors of The University of Texas Club, co-chaired the committee that developed the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and is passionate about his roles as a member of the Austin Police Academy Training Committee and as chairman of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education Committee. Since 1976, he has used his business acumen to build Capitol Beverage Co., which owns the right to sell beer in four Texas counties, and currently he is developing an upscale residential subdivision. Inspired by "the thrill of achievement and challenge," Butler has no plans to retire anytime soon. "I’m not through yet," he says. — Helen Bond
Photography by Wyatt McSpadden

FAN FRENZY
The Stanley Cup made a highly anticipated appearance at Hunter’s Green Country Club in Tampa, Florida, recently when member and Tampa Bay Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk treated supportive fellow members to an up-close view of the cherished chalice. Members had shown enthusiastic support for the Stanley Cup victors throughout the playoffs and finals with a "Playoff Push" golf event and a series of viewing parties at the club. But the members had more riding on this season than just cheering on the home team — they were rooting for five fellow members who belong to the Lightning organization. In addition to Andreychuk, center Tim Taylor, defenseman Cory Sarich, left wing Cory Stillman, and director of team services Phil Thibodeau all are members of Hunter’s Green. The Lightning, of course, beat the Calgary Flames in the seventh game of a heated finals to take home its first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s 12-year history. The victory was even sweeter for Andreychuk, a 22-year veteran who had logged a record 1,759 regular-season games and 162 playoff games with an assortment of teams without sealing a championship. At the time of his team’s victory, Andreychuk was quoted as saying, "I don’t believe you can put into words the things that are going through my mind." But members and fans at Hunter’s Green have plenty to say about their Stanley Cup champs. — Louis Marroquin

PITCHING IN
Jamie Moyer remembers exactly when he devoted himself to charity work. Struggling to find success as a Major League Baseball pitcher, Moyer had a life-changing experience in 1993 when he walked into the hospital room of Gregory Chaya, a 2-year-old stricken with a rare form of leukemia. "To see this little boy fighting for his life, I was speechless," recalls Moyer, a member of the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle. "I was being selfish. I was thinking, ‘I’m fighting for my career, my job. It’s not my life.’ I think that really was the start of things for me in terms of charity work. I had been involved before that, but that really enlightened me." This year marks Chaya’s 10th year in remission from cancer and the 19th professional season for Moyer, a starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. It is also the fourth year of the Moyer Foundation, dedicated to helping children and families in profound distress. Co-founded by Jamie and his wife, Karen, the nonprofit organization has aided more than 30 charitable causes in the Pacific Northwest. "Even if you’re helping one person, I consider that successful," Moyer says. "But in four years we’ve helped more than one person and one charity. It’s a good feeling to be able to do that." — Steve Wilson

reMember
Since Private Clubs profiled Bobby Bowden in the September/October 1998 issue ["Playing to Win"], the Florida State University head football coach won a second national championship (in 1999) and last season became the all-time NCAA Division 1-A leader in victories (342), surpassing Penn State’s Joe Paterno (339). But the fiercely competitive Bowden still isn’t resting on his laurels. "I know it sounds like I’m being modest, but it just doesn’t mean that much to me right now," he says of his victories mark. "That time will come I guess, but not now," says Bowden, a member of the University Center Club in Tallahassee, Florida. "Besides, I could lose it all this year. Joe Paterno’s a great football coach, and he’s out there trying to win every game as well." A spry 74 years old, Bowden is as passionate about coaching as he was when he took over FSU in 1976, but the victories promise to be harder to come by this year. While the Seminoles have won the Atlantic Coast Conference 11 of the last 12 years and again are one of the nation’s top teams, powerhouses Miami and Virginia Tech are making their ACC debuts this season. "You would have to say that anyone’s chances of winning the ACC are tougher," he says. — Steve Wilson

FAMILY HOUR
Even if you don’t recognize Andy Cadiff’s name, chances are he’s been in your home. The director/producer of such hit TV shows as Growing Pains, Spin City, and Home Improvement, Cadiff has built a career out of smart sitcoms. For his latest project, Cadiff, a member of City Club on Bunker Hill in Los Angeles, has five times the laughs up his sleeve as director of Quintuplets, a sitcom on Fox that stars former Conan O’Brien sidekick Andy Richter as the father of teenage quintuplets. Cadiff, who began his career directing musical theater and didn’t transition into television until his early 30s, made his film directing debut last year with Chasing Liberty, starring Mandy Moore. As television struggles to balance dramas and comedies with the recent influx of unscripted or "reality" programs, the 49-year-old Cadiff says he’s eyeing film scripts for possible future projects. "I love every aspect of film because the canvas is so large and you can get your hands in every aspect of it," says the father of three, who points out that the downside of film is the time spent filming on location. "TV allows me to do something I love and [still] spend time with my family. At this point in my life, that’s pretty important." — Paula Felps

MUSIC OF THE HEART
Benjamin and Marian Schuster saw an opportunity to make a contribution and thought, "Carpe diem!" Now, after an $8 million donation from the couple set the project in motion, the new $130 million Schuster Performing Arts Center in Dayton, Ohio, bears their name. Most important, say the Schusters, members of the Dayton Racquet Club, it’s boosted the city’s arts and culture scene. "We really wanted to give something back to the community in which we lived and worked," says Benjamin, a cardiologist who has practiced in the area for more than 40 years. "We’re a musical family and have always been interested in the arts, so it was a natural choice." Since its debut in early 2003, the Center has exceeded expectations. Home to the Dayton Opera and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Center also showcases the latest touring Broadway blockbusters and local groups such as the Dayton Ballet. "It seems to have whetted the appetite of the whole region," Benjamin says. "The arts are really thriving here. More and more people are attending cultural events and displaying interest as never before." As for the center having the Schuster name, he says: "It does make us feel good — and noble — although that wasn’t our original intent." — Mary Sue Lawrence
Photography by Andy Snow

OVER THE MOON
Sam Moon has success in the bag. In 1984, his father, David, opened a handbag/jewelry store in Dallas bearing his son’s name. Originally a wholesale supplier to retailers, it changed its customer base five years later when Sam took over and opened the doors to the public, launching a feeding frenzy of sorts among (primarily) female shoppers. The selection of handbags, jewelry, accessories, and more attract a non-stop crowd of clientele — including celebrities like Kim Fields and Florence Henderson — all of whom come ready to wrestle over the array of low-priced, fashion-forward goods. Finding a parking spot near the entrance is next to impossible, and store employees struggle to keep shelves stocked once the doors have been unlocked. Experienced shoppers know enough to dress in sneakers and sweats, ready for a retail rumble. "I knew we had a good thing going, but I didn’t know it would take off so quickly," says Moon, a member of Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas. "I honestly think it’s the selection; we’re trendy and forward in our styles. We’re two months ahead of other stores." Moon’s original store has evolved into two Dallas-area shopping centers that will soon be joined by three more statewide. — Paula Felps

PUT ON A HAPPY FACE
Finding happiness isn’t difficult, but it might require a little feng shui. That’s the premise of The Road to Happy, a new book and workbook written by C.J. Joseph, Randall Henion, and Katrina Redmon, members of the Piedmont Club in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Getting on the "road to happy," they say, starts by rearranging your life the way you might rearrange your house. "It’s about figuring out what you want … getting rid of clutter," says Joseph, an executive coach who counted Henion and Redmon among her clients. The three collaborated on the book to share how they had learned to be happy in the midst of their own personal transitions. Among their tips: Identify your issues, develop a strategy for reaching your goals, have hope and faith, and realize you are the only person you can control. Another important aspect to finding happiness is to learn how to protect yourself during a time of personal transition, says Redmon, a business consultant. The trio offers seminars twice a month, where they provide tips and one-on-one counseling for participants. "The ‘road to happy’ is not happiness," says Henion, a professor with a background in family counseling. "It’s [finding] that part inside of your heart and soul where you feel content. That’s the road we hope people find." — Janet Mefferd
Photography by Blackhorse Studio

MAGIC MOMENTS
GOLF
Todd Hamilton, a member of Dallas Stars Country Club at Stonebridge Ranch in McKinney, Texas, defeated Ernie Els in a four-hole playoff to win the 133rd British Open championship. The surprising win was quite a coup for the PGA Tour rookie. Hamilton had played 11 years in Asia, winning 11 times on the Japanese Tour. He had failed to qualify for the PGA Tour eight times before earning privileges last year. Earlier this year, he also won the Honda Classic. … Chad Campbell, a member of Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas, finished in second place at the Bank of America Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. He finished 10-under par with a final score of 270.

TENNIS
The Gibson-Baldwin Grand Slam Jam Tennis Shootout took over the tennis courts at Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas last spring. The two-day music and tennis extravaganza benefited the Hope Foundation’s cancer research and featured member clinics led by professional tennis players. Click here for a photo of Barton Creek president and COO Michael Thomas, athletes Chris Evert, Jim Courier, Corina Morariu, and Barton Creek tennis pro Israel Castillo.

SPORTS
David Pursley, a member of Northwood Country Club in Lawrenceville, Georgia, has been honored as "Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer" by the Athletic Trainers Association of America. He trained the Atlanta Braves for more than 40 years.

MEMBERSHIP
Henry Kunkel, a 10-year member at Bay Oaks Country Club near Houston, recently sponsored his 104th member.

SPECIAL GUESTS
PGA player Vijay Singh worked out at the Greenspoint Club in Houston every morning and afternoon with his trainer before winning the PGA Tour’s 2004 Shell Houston Open.

CHARITIES
The Granite Bay Ladies Golf Association at Granite Bay Golf Club near Sacramento, California, raised $30,000 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation at the group’s 5th Annual Rally for the Cure Tournament. … Members at Braemar Country Club in Tarzana, California, joined with employees for a tennis fund-raiser for tennis teaching professional Laura Gabriel. The event raised about $12,000 for Gabriel, who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and required major surgery.

ANNIVERSARIES
Northwood Country Club in Lawrenceville, Georgia; Shady Valley Golf Club in Arlington, Texas; and Silver Lake Country Club near Akron, Ohio, each mark their 45th anniversary this year. … The Clubs of Kingwood near Houston recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with a public open house.

RESORTS
Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, has been selected "best golf resort" by the readers of Meetings South magazine.