This brief installment is meant to provide a blueprint for how to best watch the Porter Cup. There are a few spaces from which you can see multiple holes at critical junctures of each round. A quick 270- or 360-degree spin will bring you from an approach to a par four, to a tee ball on a par three, to a putt for eagle on a par five.
Doc’s Corner
This spot, on the front nine, is found at the confluence of the third green, fourth tee, sixth green and seventh tee. It is named for Doctor William McMahon, a longtime supporter and tournament director. Hole number 3 is a short par five where golfing eagles often roost. The 4th and 7th are par threes and, in this day of increased technology and fitness (not to mention really tall, strong golfers), both are routinely played with mid-irons and less. The 6th is a short par four, whose green is often found with a wedge approach shot. Best of all is the concession stand adjacent to Doc’s Corner.
Escarpment
At the western terminus of the Niagara Falls course, the 15th green, 16th hole and 17th tee meet under some very tall trees (think shade!) 15 is a driveable par four hole from certain tees, and a wedge approach if a lay-up tee ball is played into the low portion of the fairway. Both 15 and 16 possess greens biased toward the steep; putts from above the hole are not guaranteed to finish where the golfer had hoped. 16 is a long par three influenced by winds that come off the Niagara gorge and Lake Ontario. The 17th hole boasts a challenging tee ball, with oob on both sides of the fairway and enough sand to build a prodigious castle. Although its green is flatter than the preceding two, it is hardly easier to putt.
Other options
There are a few other locales from which you can watch play on a pair of holes. They are:
11 green and 12 tee
18 green and 10 tee
9 green and 1 tee
Whatever you do, make sure that you walk the entire course once, to get a feel for what the competitors experience. For more ideas, check out the map below from the Porter Cup site and the official Porter Cup page for spectators.
