Golf: Toshiba Senior Classic, Hole by hole at Newport Beach Country

Club.

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - The owner of Newport Beach Country Club, Beverly

Ray, will never get tired of hearing members of the Senior PGA Tour gloat

about the 47-year-old tree-lined golf course.

When Mother Nature provides the weather, the site is almost heaven

with its ocean breezes and gently rolling terrain, and only 6,584 yards

(par 71) of golf real estate.

It has often been referred to as the perfect seniors golf course,

mostly, of course, by those who have won here (Jim Colbert and Allen

Doyle, especially) or played well.

It isn’t always difficult reaching the greens, but when you do, it

isn’t always easy making putts.

Hale Irwin still holds the course record at 62, accomplished in the

final round at the 1998 Toshiba Senior Classic, thanks, in large part, to

the Famous Bunker Rake at 17.

But even Irwin that day, when he passed 11 players and climbed from

five strokes down to win on Sunday, made a bogey at the par-3 No. 8.

As Newport Beach embarks on Toshiba Senior Classic VII, we bring you

our annual look at the links with a hole-by-hole glimpse.

Hole No. 1 -- Traditionally one of the easiest on the course, it’s a

dogleg left and friendly start for the seniors with trees and bunkers

lining both sides of the fairway.

The 339-yard par-4 has a two-tiered green, leaving a tricky approach

shot. Birdies here are frequent.

Hole No. 2 -- The fairway is wide, but the 390-yard par-4 is uphill

from tee to green. It provided the most pars (115) on the front nine last

year.

From 1996 through ‘99, No. 2 ranked first in pars for the entire

tournament.

In five years at Newport Beach, however, only one eagle has been made

(David Graham in the opening round of ‘97).

Hole No. 3 -- The only par-5 on the front (549 yards) generally has

the seniors salivating with a green approachable in two.

Last year, the only two eagles on the front nine were made here, while

No. 3 tied with No. 1 for the most birdies yielded (35), giving the

seniors a nice start.

Hole No. 4 -- The first par-3 on the course is a scenic one, and also

favorable for the seniors, who played the water hole to the third-most

pars (109) and birdies (28) on the front last year. The green is a large

target.

Hole No. 5 -- This is where is gets tough for the seniors, a 430-yard

par-4 that ranked as the hardest hole on the golf course in 1996 and ‘97,

and was fourth in ‘98, when it was shortened 25 yards. Last year, it

ranked as the second-toughest hole (behind No. 6).It plays uphill and

upwind, requiring a mid- to long-iron shot to an unfriendly green

bordered by two bunkers.

Hole No. 6 -- For the first time in five Toshiba Classics, the

418-yard par-4 played as the toughest hole, albeit a rain-shortened,

36-hole tournament.

It’s a dogleg left with an intimidating tree line on the left side. It

played harder than usual because of swirling winds last year. Also, a

fairway bunker was added to No. 6 about 240 yards off the tee, which came

into play for a number of players who strayed a little right.

Not surprisingly, no eagle has ever been carded on the hole in five

years at Newport Beach.

Hole No. 7 -- This features the most severe green on the golf course,

making at times great theater on the 368-yard par-4, where no two putts

are alike.

From the tee, long hitters play over the big tree on the right side of

the fairway; for others, the best play is down the middle with a long

iron. It is advised not to hit your approach above the pin.

Hole No. 8 -- It’s the home of Irwin’s bogey during his course-record

62, and a surprisingly difficult par-3, where the green can give optical

illusions on reads.

Last year, it surrendered the second-fewest pars (89) in the

tournament. It ranked in the top five in terms of toughness three years

in a row (including the third-most difficult in ‘98), and last year

ranked fourth.

Hole No. 9 -- A dogleg right, the 407-yard par-4 crowns a five-hole

string of difficulty for the seniors on the front nine.

From the fairway, it is hard to judge your distance to an uphill

green, while large trees guard both sides of the fairway.

In 1996, the hole ranked as the second-most difficult and has been in

the top five every year for toughness.

Hole No. 10 -- With the turn now an easy spin on the golf cart for the

seniors following last year’s on-course improvements, players face a

429-yard par-4, which allowed the most pars (111) last year on the back

nine, along with 18.

The small, elevated green must be taken into consideration on the

approach, while several bunkers also pose a threat.

Hole No. 11 -- Players lick their chops at this par-4. It’s short (344

yards), has a wide fairway and has never caused a triple bogey in five

years.

It is usually generous with giving pars. It also features a small,

elevated green. Off the tee, it’s almost impossible for the pros to miss

the fairway.

Doyle started his winning stretch here last year with a birdie, one of

five he made in the final eight holes.

Hole No. 12 -- Another generous par-4 (373 yards), it has a narrow

landing area, requiring a precise tee shot, while the approach must

navigate around several eucalyptus trees that spring from the front right

of the green.

The amount of birdies it allows consistently ranks it in the top

six-to-eight holes for easiness.

Hole No. 13 -- Most players will try to keep the ball below the hole

on this 170-yard par-3, which features a severely sloped green.

The right side of the fairway is out of bounds and the left side of

the green is guarded by a pot bunker. In terms of toughness, the hole get

harder every year, having been ranked 12th (‘96), ninth, ninth, 10th and

seventh last year.

Hole No. 14 -- From the tee, players look into a horizon on a slight

dogleg right with a downhill approach to the green. The left side of the

fairway is lined with tall trees and the right side is fraught with

large, deep bunkers.

The 397-yard par-4 requires a well-placed tee shot. The small,

well-bunkered green has never allowed too many birdies.

Hole No. 15 -- Welcome to birdie paradise. The 492-yard par-5 has

ranked as the easiest hole on the golf course every year, including last

year, when an almost ridiculous 49 birdies were made in only two rounds

(14 more birdies than the next hole on the generosity list).

The green is reachable in two and is guarded by several bunkers,

including a treacherous pot bunker to the right.

In 1997 and ‘98, the hole led the tournament in birdies with 85 and

88, respectively.

Hole No. 16 -- It’s the first of a two-hole stretch that will test the

mettle of the leaders.

The 437-yard par-4 is where Gary McCord clinched his five-hole playoff

victory in ‘99, the year it surrendered the fewest birdies on the course.

Players can hit out of bounds to the left, and the long-iron approach

must contend with two bunkers up front and a rolling green.

Hole No. 17 -- The course’s signature hole is also one of the

toughest, with a massive lake and large bunkers in front of a nasty,

two-tiered green. It ranked as the most difficult in ’99 and third-most

difficult last year.

It’s the most famous hole on the course, with Bob Murphy’s 80-foot

birdie putt in 1997 to win a record nine-hole playoff and Irwin’s

miraculous up and down for par in ’98 with the help of a bunker rake.

Hole No. 18 -- The most drastic change on the golf course comes at the

end with a remodeled green, which is now elevated with mounds behind it.

The 510-yard par-5 is usually birdie heaven, but it’s a different hole

now from 100 yards in and players could be reluctant to go for the green

in two.