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Matt Bielawa

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Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #25 on: January 08, 2014, 09:01:39 AM »
Thanks for everybody's thoughts.  Lots of good information!

Tom Yost

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Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #26 on: January 08, 2014, 05:13:05 PM »
I have visited Oahu, Maui and most recently Kauai.  Played golf at the Plantation and at the Prince Course.

I think Maui was my favorite.  Oahu too developed and Kauai too rustic (although the natural beauty of the island is unsurpassed), Maui offers a good balance.

My only advice is to look at condo rentals (VRBO.com or similar), you can have nice digs at a low-rise with kitchen and two bedrooms and FREE parking for the same price (or less) than an ocean front hotel room (don't overlook the daily parking and "resort" fees most of the hotels charge).

We stayed at the Kahana Village in Maui (just south of Kapalua) and the Pu'u Poa in Princeville Kauai.

Pick up a copy of the Hawaii Revealed guidebook for the island you will be visiting.  Great resource.  They even have an iPhone app.

Congrats and enjoy!

Matthew Petersen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #27 on: January 09, 2014, 12:17:20 AM »
I have visited all the islands at one time or another, and played golf at least once on eery island but Oahu.

I have been to Maui most often and still probably find it the most enticing. It has a little bit of everything the islands offer. My second choice after Maui would be Kauai.

I have not stayed on Lanai, and I'm not completely sure I would want to--I prefer to have a little more to do. But for me if you're on Maui, it's absolutely worth the day trip over to see the island and play the courses there. Challenge at Manele is spectacular and just offers some holes you won't forget.

Kapalua Plantation is the only course in the islands that's highly recommended from a GCA perspective, and it's a blast and fun for non GCA nerds too. Incredible views from every hole. I played it on my honeymoon and my wife rode along with me and probably enjoyed that one as much as any other course she's ridden along on with me (maybe the day at Lanai would be the only one that tops it).

Mark Provenzano

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Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #28 on: September 24, 2014, 02:16:10 AM »
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53273.0.html has a pretty comprehensive review of many of the Hawaii courses.

I wouldn't have played King Kamehameha on this trip without that write-up, and I'm so glad I did.

If you do choose Maui, the day trip to Lanai on the ferry to Lanai is a must. Note that the Norman course is closing for a year-long Nicklaus makeover next week. Strange playing a course this week that was doomed--they told us not to bother filling divots (and even left the bottles empty.) They've removed tons of trees on the upper nine already, which will they say will improve the views...but also a leave a course that was subject to some wild winds even windier.  (No matter, just play Manele twice.)



The NY Times Magazine has an lengthy article on Lanai post-Larry Ellison purchase. One excerpt updates what's happening with the "doomed" Experience at Koele course:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/magazine/larry-ellison-island-hawaii.html?_r=0

Different people told different stories, but for a local named Gail Allen, the first sign that things had started to go wrong this summer came when Pulama Lanai inexplicably abandoned its renovation of the golf course behind her house, and the weeds and thistles grew waist-high and thick as a broom head, and the fish in the ponds died, and their bodies were left to knock around the algae-clouded edges of the water, floating on their sides.

The course, which is attached to the smaller of the two Four Seasons hotels and abuts Allen’s neighborhood on the hillside above Lanai City, had been slated for renovation at the beginning of the year. Pulama ripped out the turf and irrigation systems, but little else happened after that. Finally in May, the Jack Nicklaus design-company employee who had been relocated with his family to Lanai to oversee the redesign was abruptly sent home. He told neighbors that the golf-course renovation had been put off until 2015 or 2016. By then, mosquitoes were breeding on the course. The ponds’ stench blew through peoples’ homes. “It smells like a sewer up here,” Allen told me in early July when I called for an update.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2014, 06:42:32 PM by Mark Provenzano »

Mark Provenzano

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Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #29 on: November 13, 2014, 06:47:23 PM »

Chris DeToro

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Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #30 on: November 14, 2014, 08:12:50 AM »
I'm heading to the islands in late Jan/early Feb for my honeymoon and will be getting a few rounds in.  My soon-to-be-wife will be walking along at Kapalua for sure--I've heard the views are quite spectacular especially for a non-golfer.  Think I'm going to play Makai and Poipu Bay as well.  Looking forward to experiencing golf out there!

Dave McCollum

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Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #31 on: November 14, 2014, 06:31:38 PM »
I’ve been to all of the Islands except that little one off the coast Kauai reserved for native Hawaiians and forbidden to Haoles.  Unfortunately, most of my visits were for filming and didn’t involve golf.   (This from a guy who made his first three trips to Scotland and have no memory of seeing a golf course.)  I’ve probably been there 50 times and only took clubs once.  Maui has some nice resort golf and so does the Big Island.  On Maui I only played the courses at Wailea and a fun little lay-of-the-land called something like Maui Lani or Mana Lani located near Kahului/Wailuku on the central isthmus separating the mountains.  I thought it a fun little course, considerably cheaper than the big names, but in those days my tastes were much simpler.  Got the feeling it was a local favorite.  Also a long time ago. 

I’ve played on the Big Island, where there are lots of resort options, Kona CC not included because we got rained out there and didn’t see much.  I remember little but the monsoon rain, which is quite rare there.

On Maui we stayed a lot at the Hana Ranch, the wet jungle side.  The road there is kind of thrilling the first time you drive it, but pretty tedious on the next dozen or so trips.  No golf that I can recall.  Sleepy Old Hawaii village popular with movie/rock/TV stars for its isolation.   All the flat areas of turf are mowed by cows.   Hippies picking psilocybin mushrooms from the cow pies after a rainstorm.

The one thing I will say about all of my trips to the Islands for over 45 years is that at least once in every trip, I found myself staring at some landscape and saying this place is really cool.  Enjoy your honeymoon.

Richard Choi

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #32 on: November 14, 2014, 06:49:49 PM »
Speaking of Mauna Lani...

I have been to Maui several times and played most of the big names. I decided one day to hit Mauna Lani since it advertised itself as "links" course.

Since I was going to play as a single I booked the first tee time in the morning for myself (only) and headed out there. However when I got there they told me a local threesome would be teeing off ahead of me. I told them since I was a single player, no one else booked my tee time, could they let me tee off first. I told them the threesome would never see me after the first hole.

To my great surprise, the starter refused to send me out before the threesome. Flabbergasted, I asked if I can then join the threesome. He refused that as well.

I just turned around and left to get some sleep. I don't think I have ever faced such situation. I have no desire to ever go back there either.

Nate Oxman

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Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #33 on: November 14, 2014, 07:55:55 PM »
My wife and I spent a week in Maui with her parents a few years ago and to save me from insanity, I got away twice to play. Kapalua Plantation was wonderful, in my opinion, especially since I was randomly paired with Charlier Joiner, former Chargers WR and Pro Football Hall of Famer. I think he made 4 or 5 birdies and was as nice as could be.

I also played the Royal Kaanapali Course at Kaanapali Resort, a RTJ design that's hosted a mix of pro events. I thought it was decent: some good elevation changes, some nice mountain and ocean views, and a unique routing with hardly a hole that was similar to another (from what I remember). My enjoyment of the course might have been heightened though considering I was so happy to have a break from my in-laws.

Mike Hamilton

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #34 on: November 14, 2014, 08:14:29 PM »
I'm heading to the islands in late Jan/early Feb for my honeymoon and will be getting a few rounds in.  My soon-to-be-wife will be walking along at Kapalua for sure--I've heard the views are quite spectacular especially for a non-golfer.  Think I'm going to play Makai and Poipu Bay as well.  Looking forward to experiencing golf out there!

The scenery from Kapalua is spectacular but it would be a pretty tough walk.  I think there are at least two places where the pro's get cart transfers and they were pretty long cart rides.   Not sure if they have a transfer option for everyday play.

Chris DeToro

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Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #35 on: November 17, 2014, 07:55:42 AM »
That's a bummer, I was hoping for a nice walk, but the cart will suffice.  My wife will probably enjoy herself a little more with the cart and a beverage anyway

astavrides

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Re: Hawaii Golf
« Reply #36 on: November 17, 2014, 09:00:00 AM »
Speaking of Mauna Lani...

I have been to Maui several times and played most of the big names. I decided one day to hit Mauna Lani since it advertised itself as "links" course.

Since I was going to play as a single I booked the first tee time in the morning for myself (only) and headed out there. However when I got there they told me a local threesome would be teeing off ahead of me. I told them since I was a single player, no one else booked my tee time, could they let me tee off first. I told them the threesome would never see me after the first hole.

To my great surprise, the starter refused to send me out before the threesome. Flabbergasted, I asked if I can then join the threesome. He refused that as well.

I just turned around and left to get some sleep. I don't think I have ever faced such situation. I have no desire to ever go back there either.

That would have been Maui Lani (the Dunes at...). Mauna Lani is on the Big Island. Just didn't want the wrong person/people/course to be blamed.