Golf: The longest yard

Richard Dunn

In finalizing the seventh annual Toshiba Senior Classic, we provide

our customary glimpse of the toughest holes and how the golf course

played for the Senior PGA Tour event at Newport Beach Country Club.

Earlier this month, tournament officials announced another record sum

donated to charity ($1.035 million) as the event maintained its position

as the No. 1 philanthropic stop on the Senior Tour.

But, upon further review of the firing range in the three-day golf

tournament last month, hole No. 5 at Newport Beach crept back into the

limelight as the Toshiba Classic’s toughest hole for 2001.

As expected, the front-nine stretch from No. 5 through No. 9 was the

most different for the seniors, with four of the five hardest holes.

Only the course’s signature hole No. 17, a long par-3 over water and

onto a well-undulated, two-tiered green, was the only hole on the golf

course ranked in the top five this year that was not in the unfriendly

confines of the front nine’s last five holes. No. 17 ranked third.

Swirling winds from the threat of a storm, along with prevailing winds

off the ocean, helped elevate hole No. 5 back to the top in ’01. It

yielded only nine birdies, the fewest on any single hole in tournament

history covering 54 holes.

In 1996 and ‘97, No. 5 stood alone as the most difficult to play for

the seniors. In 1998, it fell to fourth, when the hole was shortened 25

yards. In 1999 and 2000, it ranked as the second-toughest hole, behind

No. 17 and No. 6, respectively.

But, this year, the 430-yard par-4 played as the hardest. It plays

uphill and upwind and requires a well-placed mid- to long-iron shot to an

uncharitable green bordered by two bunkers.

In addition to the hole’s stunning number of birdies allowed (an

average of only three per round), No. 5 induced 80 bogeys, by far the

most in the tournament. Hole No. 9 is second on the list of bogeys caused

with 61.

The collective field’s scoring average on No. 5 (.322 over par) is the

largest of the 18 holes.

It always amazes me when I think back five years ago, the first year

the event was played at Newport Beach, and see Jim Colbert lapping the

field with birdies in all three rounds on No. 5 to win the 1996 Toshiba

Classic.

Hole No. 6, which ranked as the second-most difficult on the course

this year, was dropped from its one-year reign atop the Toshiba

leaderboard.

While No. 6 has always played tough, you could make an argument that

its No. 1 ranking in 2000 was a fluke, because it was a rain-shortened,

36-hole event played in nasty conditions. No. 6, in fact, ranked as the

fourth-toughest hole on the entire Senior PGA Tour in 2000.

No. 6 is a dogleg left with an intimidating tree line on the left

side. It played harder than usual in 2000 because of swirling winds.

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 six

years at Newport Beach (the inaugural Toshiba Classic was played at Mesa

Verde Country Club in 1995).

Hole No. 9, a 407-yard par-4 and dogleg right, ranked fourth in

severity this year. It allowed only 23 birdies and caused five double

bogeys.

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

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

In 1996, hole No. 9 ranked as the second-most difficult and has been

in the top five every year for toughness.

Prior to honorary Big Canyon Country Club member Tiger Woods winning

the Masters for his fourth straight major championship, Arnold Palmer had

some thoughts, if Woods won, on whether the feat should be considered the

Grand Slam.

“That’s bull (expletive). That’s not even close. The Grand Slam is one

(calendar) year, and anybody that changes that is sensationalizing

something that isn’t real,” Palmer said last month, after shooting his

age, a 1-under-par 71, and beating Jack Nicklaus in a taping for Shell’s

Wonderful World of Golf at The King & The Bear course at the World Golf

Village in St. Augustine, Fla.

Added the King: “My whole idea was it isn’t likely that someone is

going to (win) the Bobby Jones Grand Slam, because players don’t stay

long enough to do that. Jack and Tiger are two guys that I know of in

modern day that could have done that. (But) since that isn’t happening,

and isn’t going to happen, I said the Grand Slam really isn’t going to

change. It would be nice to create a Grand Slam of the Masters, the

(U.S.) Open, the British Open and the PGA (Championship). Bob Drum liked

and wrote about the idea, and it has steam rolled ever since. It has to

be in one year. If there’s anybody that wins four of them, and (it’s not

in the same year), it doesn’t make a damn.”

For the record, Palmer’s best year winning majors came in 1960, when

he captured the Masters and U.S. Open.

Sean Collins, an assistant pro and tournament director at Costa Mesa

Golf & Country Club, shot 58 on the Mesa Linda Course recently, breaking

Jamie Varnum’s course record by one stroke on the 5,551-yard layout.

Collins had eight birdies, three eagles, five pars and two bogeys on the

par-70 course.

Former Costa Mesa city champion Bryan Saltus captured the first Golden

State Tour event he entered, winning a Jan. 26 event at Western Hills

Country Club in Chino Hills. Saltus shot 69.

Richard Dunn’s golf column appears every Thursday.