Here are prime areas for viewing the field

Richard Dunn

If the weather cooperates, there will be more hot spots than you can

imagine. In previous years, the golf course at Newport Beach Country

Club, which is hosting the ninth annual Toshiba Senior Classic for

the eighth straight time, has served as an annual weeklong branch of

the city’s parks, beaches and recreation department.

There are several excellent spots to watch golfers on the PGA

Champions Tour, but some are hotter than others.

As a general rule, it is widely believed by golf aficionados that

the two best ways to view a golf tournament is to select a favorite

player (or group) and follow him, or situate yourself behind a green

and watch the threesome play through and you’ll probably be an expert

on the nuances of the green by the day’s end.

When following a certain player, it is best to stay ahead of the

golfer and let the action come to you, instead of standing at the tee

box and trying watch the players through the herd.

Here are three of the hot spots at Newport Beach Country Club:

* 1 -- The 17th green, in which golfers are challenged by the

par-3 over water, is the golf course’s signature hole and arguably

the best place to watch.

* 2 -- The seventh green, the most severe on the golf course,

according to longtime superintendent Ron Benedict, can be cause for

great frustration for the Champions Tour players, and, quite frankly,

a fun place to see something other than birdies.

* 3 -- The 15th green, typically the easiest hole on the golf

course, provides plenty of birdies, occasional eagles and a lot of

adrenaline for fans.