Golf: Newport Beach (6,584 yards) a welcome relief

Richard Dunn

With golf on a lengthening binge as hallowed courses like Augusta

National and Riviera are stretching out the yards, members of the Senior

PGA Tour are finding it quite comfortable this week, thank you, playing

in the Toshiba Senior Classic at Newport Beach Country Club.

“If you’re not 300 yards off the tee, you’re not going to be featured

regularly in the winner’s circle,” Senior PGA Tour veteran Bob Charles

said. “Length has become a huge advantage on all the tours.”

Players like Charles, 66 on March 14, and George Archer, 62, can

literally feel themselves being phased out of golf’s future with monster

fairways and pushed-back tee boxes popping up everywhere.

“This year, I don’t think the public has realized just how long the

golf courses are on the Senior Tour,” added Charles, the most successful

left-hander to play golf with 75 overall wins worldwide.

“There was one week this year -- I don’t remember exactly which one --

but we played a longer course than the PGA Tour that week. Now we’re all

playing Tiger’s tees. It’s an interesting phenomenon.”

Charles said it’s sad to see courses like Augusta and Riviera

lengthened.

“The bottom line is, I’d like to see a level playing field, and I have

my doubts whether golf is a level playing field anymore because of the

emphasis and premium placed on length,” Charles said.

After playing courses that are close to, or more than, 7,000 yards,

the seniors are finding the relatively short 6,584-yard layout at Newport

Beach, the shortest golf course on tour in 2002, a welcome relief.

“The heart of golf course design criteria of 50 years ago is

considerably different than it is now,” said Hale Irwin, who designs golf

courses. “Now, it’s all distance, distance, distance.”

Tom Watson, a winner of eight major championships and a six-time

Player of the Year on the PGA Tour, said he’d like to see the Overall

Distance Standard reduced by the United States Golf Association.

“I’d like to see them have the guts to do it,” Watson said, “and then

have the equipment manufacturers agree and not sue you.”

Watson added that the lengthened holes at Augusta might force him out

of the Masters Tournament.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to compete there because of the distance

now,” said Watson, who has a lifetime exemption at Augusta. “I may have

to gracefully say goodbye.”

Ed Dougherty, 54, said when he first arrived on the 50-and-over

circuit, players could be 260 yards off the tee, but now 290 to 300 yards

is almost required.

“Players have gotten stronger and longer,” said Dougherty, a former

club pro who finished 13th on the money list last year.

The seniors opened 2002 at the MasterCard Championship, which was

played on the 7,053-yard Hualalai layout in Hawaii.

In the following official money events, they played on courses of

6,870 yards (Key Biscayne, Fla.), 6,995 yards (Naples, Fla.), 6,783 yards

(Tampa Bay), 7,204 (Mexico) and 6,905 yards (Valencia).