[Richard Choi]

If you are vacationing in Hawaii, especially Maui or Lanai, the two courses at Lanai (Manele and Koele) are certainly worth the trip. If you are in Maui, there are package deals where you can ferry over to Lanai, play both courses, and ferry back all in a single day for about $300. Not too bad considering how expensive golf is in Hawaii.

(For more higher resolution photos, please go to http://cid-731f55b6ea9ebe78.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Experience%20at%20Koele)

The most interesting thing about Experience at Koele is its micro-climate. When you land at the ferry doc, you face typical hot tropical climate. As you drive up to the course through Lanai City, you are struck by its desert like plains where they used to grow pineapples.

But as soon as you arrive at the course, the climate changes abruptly to cooler rain-forest climate and fauna changes from desert brushes to lush green pine forest. I don't think I have ever seen more abrupt changes in landscape.

Because of this micro-climate, Experience at Koele is very unique in Hawaii golf in that it has no bermuda grass at all. The greens are all bent and fairways are bent/rye mix. If I did not know better, I would have said the course is located in Pacific Northwest where I am from. With very soft and wet conditions, this is very much a target golf course. Another thing of note is that the course has more waterfall than holes. However, these are not the kind of monstrosities you see on Trump courses, they are only about a foot tall and adds visual and auditory interest to the course.

Designer: Ted Robinson
Tournament: 7014/75.3/141
Championship: 6628/73.6/134
Resort: 6217/71.6/130
Forward: 5425/68.1/123

Hole 1: Par 4, 414/400/311/300




Hole 2: Par 4, 421/397/367/317




Hole 3: Par 5, 558/535/516/474



Hole 4: Par 3 220/201/186/175



Hole 5: Par 4 391/375/356/323



Hole 6: Par 4 435/413/387/326



Hole 7: Par 3 209/192/166/135


Hole 8: Par 4 308/293/280/259



Hole 9: Par 5 534/516/492




Hole 10: Par 4 382/362/340/313



Hole 11: Par 4 353/340/321/288



Hole 12: Par 5 571/536/506/463




Hole 13: Par 3 203/185/166/141



Hole 14: Par 4 385/364/341/311



Hole 15: Par 5 557/543/512/395



Hole 16: Par 4 435/386/349/293




Hole 17: Par 4 444/417/390/334



Hole 18: Par 3 180/162/142/121

[Rob Rigg]

Rich,

Great tour - I had only seen pics of a couple of holes before - eg) 17 - so figured that the Experience was going to have a ton of elevation change throughout, which it does not appear to have until the final third of the round.

The Challenge, even if you backed out the views, looked a lot more interesting from the photos. How would you compare the two?

I have not played King K on Maui, but I think Robinson designed that course as well, and the movement looks a bit similar from the photos. I wonder if the Experience and King K are the types of courses that grow on you the more you play them, while the Challenge overwhelms you the first time out?

[David_Elvins]

Thanks for the tour.

I think that is the first Ted Robinson photo tour I have seen in 8 years on here.  I can see what all the fuss is about now.

[Steve Pozaric]

Thanks for sharing.  I have never been to Hawaii and if you had not told me this course was there, I never would have guessed.

[Brad Swanson]

Thanks for the pics Richard.  I wonder if Ted's deign fee was directly proprtional to the # of waterfalls he could "integrate" into the design? 

Brad

[Matt Bosela]

Thanks for posting Richard.

Like the others have said, I would never guess this was a Hawaiian golf course.  The photo quality is tremendous.

[Jon Spaulding]

I believe that Greg Norman received a co-credit for this course along with T-Rad. Given his self-anointed design genius he might be considered for crucifiction as well.

The course looks to be a mail-in T-rad, with many of his templates showing up. I cannot tell from the photos whether the greens are stock 2 or 3 tiered affairs. As usual, there are a few holes that offer some gleam of hope, "could" have been excellent, or offer something of interest. Typically there will be about 1/3 of the holes on a Ted course which fit this description, 1/3 that are simply nauseating, and 1/3 that you can't remember.

Richard, thanks for taking the time to put the photos up. That's a beautiful location and hope to stay there one day (might play Manele twice though).

[Richard Choi]

Thanks for the pics Richard.  I wonder if Ted's deign fee was directly proprtional to the # of waterfalls he could "integrate" into the design? 

Brad, I was chuckling every time I saw a new waterfall during the round (which was a lot!) thinking about what folks here would say. My playing partner was asking what I was laughing about, but I really didn't explain to him as I didn't think he would understand.

I will say that the response from the other players were very very positive. Which is understandable as the course is very very pretty. If you are not and architectural stickler, you will be absorbed by the beauty of this place.

There were a group of golfers at the pro shop raving about the place (we all arrived by the same shuttle) and they asked me how I liked the course and I replied "this is a very very pretty course".

I believe that Greg Norman received a co-credit for this course along with T-Rad. Given his self-anointed design genius he might be considered for crucifiction as well.

The course looks to be a mail-in T-rad, with many of his templates showing up. I cannot tell from the photos whether the greens are stock 2 or 3 tiered affairs.

Jon, the greens were relatively flat. Most had one or two spines that guided most putts, but there weren't that many distinct tiers.

I should have noted Greg Norman. They do tout his involvement in many marketing materials. But I have to agree with you that the course lacks architectural wow factor. The course has limited risk/reward scenarios and greens are just not very interesting.

Great tour - I had only seen pics of a couple of holes before - eg) 17 - so figured that the Experience was going to have a ton of elevation change throughout, which it does not appear to have until the final third of the round.

The Challenge, even if you backed out the views, looked a lot more interesting from the photos. How would you compare the two?

I have not played King K on Maui, but I think Robinson designed that course as well, and the movement looks a bit similar from the photos. I wonder if the Experience and King K are the types of courses that grow on you the more you play them, while the Challenge overwhelms you the first time out?

Both courses are very walkable. Not that much tough walk except for a couple of holes. Koele is very flat except for the 17th hole. Which is kinda interesting since the "signature" hole that is shown in every marketing material so different from every other hole on the course.

Manele is a MUCH better course. It is not even close. If Manele had more interesting greens (not that they are bad as they are right now), it would give Kapalua a run for its money as the best course in Hawaii.

[Garland Bayley]

Thanks for the tour.

I think that is the first Ted Robinson photo tour I have seen in 8 years on here.  I can see what all the fuss is about now.

 

David,

I'm shocked you missed this one!

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,36596.0.html

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