Tee Time Isn’t Quite Party Time : Golf: Century Club matches pit county’s pros against amateurs for fun--and pride.

SAN DIEGO —  The Ryder Cup won’t exactly be at stake this weekend when the county’s top professionals are matched against the top amateurs in the 19th Century Club matches at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club.

Winning will still be the objective, but it is not the only one. The male bonding that transpires this weekend would make the writers of Levis’ Cotton Dockers commercials proud.

“It’s the most fun event we play in all year,” amateur Bob Imlay said. “It’s a chance to see some people you don’t always run into. It’s more like a fraternity party than anything.”

Scott Bentley, teaching pro at the new Mount Woodson Ranch Golf Club in Ramona, agreed: “It’s all in fun. It’s not like we’re at each others’ throats.”

But in between the jokes and toasts, there is actually some pretty competitive golf played. It has been so competitive that the professionals and the amateurs are even after 18 matches.

And although every shot is not a matter of life and death, there will be some things on the line Saturday and Sunday. The Hine Cup trophy, named after the founder of the event, John Hine, is at stake, along with a little pride and the opportunity to rib the losing team for the next year.

“People care,” said Imlay, the baseball coach at Patrick Henry High School. “It isn’t a total laugher. There is a lot of choking going on out there. I’m sure the people on the team take a loss somewhat personally.”

The professionals won in a walk last year. Pro Fred Wood said the lopsided score probably will be mentioned a few times over the weekend.

“You see these guys a lot during the year and you’ll always remind them of what happened the previous year,” said Wood, the pro at Oceanside Golf Course.

“It’s always a very prideful thing, but especially for the professionals,” Imlay said. “The amateurs also have an ego involved, but the professionals have more to lose.”

On the surface, the professionals should dominate the series. They tend to be more experienced, and some of them have even spent time on the PGA Tour.

But the complex scoring system, which combines individual and team play, can sometimes even out any advantages the professionals might have.

“You can play well and it can be hidden in the scoring,” Imlay said. “Or you can play really poorly and your partner can pick you up.”

Wood and Bentley say the scoring system isn’t the only reason for the series being even.

“Most of the amateurs on the team play an awful lot,” Wood said. “Many of the pros spend so much time teaching that they only get to play once a week. You need to play this game a lot to excel. There are exceptions, like Scott Bentley. Some people are just naturally gifted and they don’t have to play that much. If Scott played more, he could probably play on the tour.”

Bentley, who has played in the Century Club matches once as an amateur and four times as a pro, said many of amateurs are just out of college and on the way up, whereas some of the professionals are on the downside of their careers.

But Bentley, who played collegiate golf at San Diego State, hardly fits that description. He was the Southern California PGA Section champion in 1990, and he played in the Bob Hope Desert Classic, the Shearson Lehman Hutton Open and the Los Angeles Open. He survived the cut in the San Diego Open and the Los Angeles Open.

Bentley also qualified to play in the PGA Championship next summer in Indiana by finishing 21st out of 360 in the National Club Pro Championships.

The professionals’ roster also includes Cesar Sanudo, who spent time on the PGA tour.

Pat Duncan, the four-time county amateur champ, and Ken Earle, who finished second to Duncan last year, headline the amateur team.

Imlay is playing in his fifth Century Club tournament. He qualified this year by finishing third in the Shearson Lehman Hutton San Diego Open qualifying.

“This is the frosting on the cake of a golfer’s year,” said Imlay, 53. “You know you had to do something pretty well just to be playing.”