When Kevin Ollie wants to relax and get away from the hectic college basketball coaching world, he heads to the golf course.

"It's a stress reliever for me," Ollie said. "It's competitive, but you compete against the golf course."

The UConn men's basketball coach certainly looked relaxed Monday during his charity golf classic at Lake of Isles in North Stonington. He warmly greeted friends and former teammates, including regular playing partners Donny Marshall, Scott Burrell and Ray Allen.

The golf course atmosphere reminds Ollie of the camaraderie during his NBA playing days, something that he greatly enjoyed and misses.

"We have a lot of fun out there," Ollie said. "A lot of banter, a lot of kidding around. It's just good fellowship. That's what I miss about the NBA, the fellowship in the locker room that we had. Now we get out on the golf course and we can have fellowship.

"It's a timeless game. You can play it when you get older. I think we're going to do that. We always take a trip here and there."

Ollie's latest trip last week took his foursome to Martha's Vineyard. They played right behind President Barack Obama's group.

"We interacted with him on the range and we talked afterward," Ollie said. "We just had a great time because it was just our two foursomes. Secret Service was around. I thought it was probably like the safest place that I've ever been at."

Ollie could have never imagined playing golf on the same course as the President when he first took up  the sport.

Marshall taught Ollie the game.

"He was patient with me," Ollie said. "I was dribbling the ball. ... He always told me don't pick it up, keep grinding. He really started me in golf. I thank him for it. He's one of my best friends and we play all the time to this day."

Ollie's game has greatly improved over the years to the point where he's closing in on Marshall. He recently had a hole-in-one.

"I'm catching up with him now," Ollie said. "He doesn't give me a lot of tips like he used to give me. But we have a great time and we compete out there."

The best ex-UConn basketball player turned golfer just may be Allen, one of the greatest 3-point shooters in NBA history.

Allen is a scratch golfer.

Both Allen and Marshall would be top seeds if golf had an NCAA tournament-style bracket.

"They're at the top," Ollie said. "They go back and forth. Ray is very, very good and Donny is very, very good. Both of them are really, really talented. Scott Burrell is probably third and then we're coming from the back."

There's a reason why basketball players usually are good golfers.

"Hand-eye coordination is big," said Seth Greenberg, ESPN college basketball analyst and former coach. "It's a game that you've got to practice. Some guys are just freakish athletes. You watch Ray Allen hit a golf ball and watch Donny Marshall hit a golf ball and there's a great athlete inside that body."

"I don't know when Kevin picked up the game, but he understands balance, tempo. He can process things athletically within his body maybe better than a non-athlete."

Golf is not only a good stress reliever, it also is a great way for college basketball coaches like Ollie to raise money for charity. His event brought in about $170,000 this year.

Short putts

• Black Hall Club assistant pro Adam Rainaud is locked in a six-way tie for first place at 2-under 68 after the first round of the 85th Connecticut PGA Championship Tuesday at Keney Park Golf Course in Hartford. He shot an even par 35 on the front nine and then dipped to 3-under with a birdie on No. 12 and eagle on No. 14 before a bogey on No. 16 helped push him to 33 on the back nine.

Donny Kirkpatrick of Wampanoag Country Club, Shaun Powers of Fairview CC, John Detmer of Wethersfield CC, James Giampaolo of Hawks Landing CC and Fran Marrello of Canaan CC also are tied for first heading into Wednesday's final round. Three golfers are one shot behind the leaders.

Jantzen Vargas of Lake of Isles and Michel Painchaud of Mohegan Sun Golf Club, who fired a 70 and 71, respectively, also are in contention. Casey Roan of River Ridge Golf Course stands at 74.

• Great Neck Country Club in Waterford has its field set for the club championship. Eric Bergstrom is the top seed in the men's field while Karen Anderson, who receives a first-round bye, owns the No. 1 spot for the women. Quarterfinal and semifinal matches will tee off this weekend.

Men's match-ups: Bergstrom vs. No. 8 Matthew Shea, No. 4 Jeff Riley vs. No. 5 John Huhn, No. 2 Mike Gross Jr. vs. No. 7 Andrew Cavasino and No. 3 Tim Haggerty vs. No. 6 Jim O'Neill. Gross is the defending champ.

Women's match-ups: No. 4 Cathy Guinn vs. No. 5 Astrea Hupfel, No. 2 Sue Schmidtknecht vs. No. 7 Patty Smith and No. 3 Lynn Kiah vs. No. 6 Patty Cleary. Kiah is looking to defend her title.

Monday, Sept. 5, is championship day.

• River Ridge Golf Course in Jewett City recently crowned its men's club champion. Matt Bedard cruised to the title, shooting a two-round total of 145 (71-74). Runner-up Victor Turbes fired a 163 (79-84).

In the net division, Brian Carroll finished with a 144 (75-69) to defeat Mike O'Brien, who had a 147 (72-75).

• Bob Evans defeated Len Battiston, 1-up, to win the Stonington Country Club senior club championship last weekend. Missy Evans beat Mary Lou Adrias on the first playoff hole to capture the women's title.

• Bill Hermanson of Black Hall Club of Old Lyme and Dave Szewczul of Tunxis Plantation in Farmington are a tough combination to beat. Just ask the other duos in the CSGA 35th Senior Four-Ball Tournament on Monday at Great Neck Country Club.

They fired a 3-under 68 to win the tournament, scoring five birdies, 11 pars and two bogeys in the 18-hole event. They have a long history as a winning duo, regularly capturing the Two-Man Championship every May at Black Hall in Old Lyme, including in 2016.

Szewczul is ranked first and Hermanson third in the CSGA Senior Player of the Year points race.

• Rainaud led a Black Hall foursome to a third place tie in a National Car Rental Pro-Am event at Longmeadow (Mass.) Country Club on Aug. 15. The quartet, which also included Tony Stratidis, Chris Gearing and Curtiss Clemens, shot a 9-under 131. Rainaud won the individual competition with a 6-under 64.

Upcoming events

• The Norwich Golf Course Four-Ball Tournament begins Sunday for both the men and women.

• The inaugural World Caddie Matches will tee off on Monday at the Mohegan Sun Golf Club in Baltic. Professional golf caddies from the United States and Europe are expected to play. Steve Hulka, who works for pro Brian Davis and Michael Thomas "Fluff" Cowan, Jim Furyk's caddy, will serve as team captains for the U.S. team while Mark Fulcher (Justin Rose) and Gareth Lord (Henrik Stenson) will lead the European team. Proceeds will benefit the K9 Warriors, which provides service dogs to military veterans.

• The 54th Connecticut PGA Assistants Championship is set for Tuesday at H. Richardson Golf Course in Fairfield. Rainaud, a five-time winner, is the defending champion. Fellow Black Hall assistant Brian Quilter and Stonington assistant Jason Monk also are in the field.

• Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton will host the best young junior boys and girls in the state for the Jack Kelly Tournament of Champions on Sunday, Sept. 4. The format is 18 holes of stroke play. The invitational event caps the junior golf season.

• Black Hall will hold a sectional qualifier on Monday, Sept. 12, for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, which runs next May at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina.

• Please send results or any golf news to g.keefe@theday.com