Mid Ocean and Kapalua (C&C)

[mark chalfant]

Some day I hope to play Mid Ocean and Kapalua. For those  who have been lucky enough to play both, are there any similarities ? from photos  it seems Mid Ocean  has some splendid rolliing land  and  expansive greens, perhaps on a smaller scale than the Plantation course. Any thoughts regarding similarities  will be appreciated.Thanks

[Wayne_Kozun]

I haven't played Mid-Ocean but I hope to sometime soon as I make it to Bermuda occasionally.  The PGA Grand Slam of Golf will be played there this fall so you can get your fill on TV.  Apparently the folks in Bermuda were very glad that Tiger won at the PGA - the field didn't look too attractive before that - Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington.

[BCrosby]

Mid -O is a wonderful course. Some remarkably good, classic  MacD holes. Some very good holes that aren't usually found in the MacD toolkit. The 6th, 10th and 16th for example.

A delight to play in a beautiful spot. Even the halfway house is cool, perched on a high ridge overlooking the ocean. I have been tempted to abandon my playing group and just hang out there for the afternoon.

I am concerned, however, that Tiger's length will leave Mid-O defenseless. There are, essentially, no par 5's now for an amateur with any length. There are several par 4's that might be driveable. The 18th, for example, which has no room to move the tee back (it is on a stunning coral cliff overlooking the Atlantic).

I look forward to seeing the course on TV, but even if they set par at 70 or lower, my guess is that it will be a birdie fest. Let's hope for lots of wind.

Bob

[Tom_Doak]

Mark:

I've been fortunate to visit both courses on several occasions.  It would not have really occurred to me to compare them, though, because the scale is so different.

Kapalua is all on a steep slope facing west toward Molokai.  Pretty much every hole has a view of the water, though you don't get any closer than the 11th green, which is still maybe 400 yards plus a state road away.  On the downhill holes, you have to allow for a ton of roll-out on drives and sometimes on approach shots since many of those greens tilt away from the line of play.

Mid Ocean has a couple of holes right on the shoreline -- the second tee, third green and 18th hole -- even though the water is not in play much.  There are 2-3 steeply uphill holes, but a bunch of the course (from the 5th hole to the 15th) is back in inland valleys without an ocean view.  It is much shorter than Kapalua, but it plays its most interesting when it's burnt out (there's no fairway irrigation) and the ball skitters around all over the place, leaving plenty of opportunities to find trouble.  It would be fascinating to watch Tiger and the boys play it, though I hope the club does not overreact to their exploits as we are the consultants there and real estate costs prevent adding 1000 yards!

[Jordan Wall]

Mark,

Kapalua is full of fun holes.
It's extreme architecture, as I call it.

There is a 400 yard, driveable par-4, which has a view of the ocean along with many of the holes.  
There is a cape hole which, to go for the green, is sheer terror going over a huge pineapple plantation.  
The elevation changes are dramatic at the very least, with a couple holes tumbling down mini ski slopes.  
Ever heard of 200 yard 8-irons?  How about following on the next hole with a 120 yard three iron?    The wind at kapalua is maddening, dramatically changing the way each hole plays.  The normal tradewinds are the best though, in my opinion, to make 18 reachable.  The wind can get up to 40 and 50 mph on a daily basis.

There is a split fairway, a driveable par-four (well, technically three if the wind is behind you on 6 and 12, but then 14 isnt usually reachable), short par-5's, a big three shot, double dogleg par-5, and a good vaiety of par 3's at Kapalua.  The greens are fun too.  It's the only C&C I've ever played, and I like it a lot.

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