An editor’s view

Richard Dunn

Assuming we experience typical good weather, there will be more hot

spots than you can imagine.

In past years, the golf course at Newport Beach Country Club,

which is hosting the 10th annual Toshiba Senior Classic next week,

has served as an unofficial weeklong branch of the city’s parks,

beaches and recreation department.

There are numerous spots to watch golfers on the PGA Champions

Tour. Some are just better 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 plant yourself behind a green

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

on the nuances of the green by 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, according to this newspaper’s

sports editor, at Newport Beach Country Club:

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.

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.

The 15th green, typically the easiest hole on the golf course,

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

for fans.