CHECKING IN WITH ... Paul Hahn:

Let me tell you, I thought it would be pretty surreal for this city boy to pick up a golf club and take a lesson for the column I wrote in Thursday’s paper, but I felt pretty comfortable doing it thanks to Paul Hahn, the head pro at the Newport Beach Country Club. So if my lousy golfing skills weren’t enough I thought I’d pester the patient fellow Paul with a few goofy questions this week.

 

How long have you been working at the Newport Beach Country Club and how did you get the gig here?

This is my 20th year here at [the country club], going back to August of 1989. I was running a public course in Pomona when American Golf came in and took over leaving me and my partners out of a job. I knew the management here and made a call. Working my way up from assistant to head professional in 1995 seemed to go by quickly.

You played in the Toshiba tournament for the past five years. Tell us one of your favorite stories.

I have so many playing with all the guys for the past five years, but the one that stands out is the year I played with Dave Stockton. After hitting the ball all over the lot for the first seven or eight holes and making pars and birdies from everywhere, he said, “Can you make par out here from anywhere?� And I replied, “Yes, and I have.�

Hey, you’re not that Paul Hahn who does the trick shots, right? Just kidding. But do you get confused with Paul Hahn Jr., the trick-shot artist?

I do not get mistaken for him but many people in the golf world just assume I am junior. I actually sent Paul Sr. a letter when I was in high school just to let him know that I existed and he said he would look me up if he was ever in the California area. He passed away years later without the two of us meeting.

Besides Newport, what’s your favorite course to play on, and why?

Unfortunately, I do not play enough golf to have a favorite golf course these days.

Nicklaus vs. Woods. Who’s better? Discuss.

We could debate this issue and will for years. Tiger and Jack will be considered the best ever to play this game. Jack is the master, and Tiger learned from the master, and Tiger took what he learned to the next level. Does that make him the best? You decide!

Aside from golf, what do you like to do for fun? What are your hobbies?

I took up surfing just before my daughter was born five years ago so that has been an escape, but I am still looking for the Starbucks coffee boat out on the water. My daughter Hayley takes up my days off, which is OK with me.

Admit it, Carl Spackler wasn’t all that bad, was he?

He had his moments. One of my pro-am partners this past Monday finally started to play some good golf once he took on Carl’s persona.

On that note, what’s your favorite movie featuring golf?

Probably the Will Smith movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance.�

What’s the best part about Toshiba for you?

The best part of the Toshiba for me is being able to spend time with all the greats of the game that I have made relationships with over the past 15 years. Not playing this year is tough, but I will be ready next year to play alongside my pals.

City Editor PAUL ANDERSON may be reached at (714) 966-4633 or at [email protected].