My wife and I just returned from our first trip to the Big Island! We stayed at Wyndham's Kona Hawaiian Village and enjoyed lots relaxing, sight-seeing and good dining. I also snuck out on my own several mornings for a total of 4 rounds of golf.


Hawaii Golf

I played my first round at the nearby Kona Country Club's Beach Course. I hooked up with Ed, a local from Hilo who moved to the Big Island about 5 years ago from Minnesota after a divorce. He looked to be about 60. He told me he missed being married and just having someone to argue with. He wasn't having a lot of luck finding love on the island, but at least got to enjoy a lot of golf. However, he didn't have any local course knowledge to share here. He'd only played Kona Country Club once, many years ago when visiting the island on vacation with his wife. We played the middle tees which only played to 5976 yards (70.0/130), a very short course by my standards. I found the course easy to play. Fairways were generous, greens receptive. However, the greens were very fast and undulating! I made the mistake of leaving my approach above the hole on too many occasions and paid the price with 3 or 4 3-putts. I was barely off the green above the hole in 2 on one of the par 5's, looking at an easy up-n-down for birdie. I then watched my delicate chip run right past the flag, down and off the green. My return putt from the fairway was pitifully short and I 2-putted from there for bogie. I still managed to come in with a 76, even with some poor putting an OB on 18 to end the round. I enjoyed the course, especially the natural settings along the Pacific Ocean and gorgeous mountain views. Ed gave me a lot of good advice about what to see on the island too.

Next up was Mauna Lani, the recipient of Golf Magazine's Gold Medal Award as one of America's Best Golf Resorts every year since 1988 and host to the nationally televised Senior Skins Golf Game for 11 years. I was planning to play the North Course, but they setup the "Classic" Course the day I arrived. Last month, Mauna Lani began offering golfers its original 18 hole layout on select days. The "Classic Course" is comprised of 9 holes on the South Course and 9 Holes on the North Course, providing the golfer with 2 signature holes! I hooked up with a Japanese couple from Honolulu, who moved to the island several years ago from Orange County. The wife had just competed in a women's golf tournament that was held that week on several courses on the island. This tiny 100-poundish woman won the long-drive contest on the 2nd day. My driver was off this day, costing me several shots in penalties. I ended up using my 2-hybrid off the tee most of the round. Although the couple played from the whites, I moved back to the blue tees (6436 yards, 170.5/128). I really liked this course, chiseled into a vast lava flow and providing breath-taking views along the ocean. Despite more poor putting and an errant driver, I hung in there for a tidy 78.

I then moved inland and up the mountain to Pete Dye's Big Island Country Club. I hooked up with the owner of Sunshine Helicopter Tours, a 35-year island resident who flew helicopters in Vietnam. Big Island CC happens to be his favorite golf course on the island. He was joined by a friend from Virginia who inspects Helicopter Tours around the country. Again, I joined my fellow golfers on the white tees, only 6041 yards (69.0/126). This was your typical Dye course - lots of water, sand, and railroad ties. It also was home to what seemed like thousands of turkeys, pheasants, geese, quail, and other birds! I found I preferred this rural mountain setting to the manicured resort ocean settings. Although I lost 3 balls to its ever-present water hazards, some impressive chipping and putting led to my best round in months - a 1-over 73! I grinded for several pars after landing in lakes and fairway bunkers from the tee. I didn't manage a birdie until 15 and 16, then barely missed another birdie from 10 feet on the island green 17th. I'm usually a risk taker, but I played this course conservatively most of the round, aiming for the middle of greens instead of pins tucked next to lakes and large bunkers. I need to implement this approach to more of my rounds!

I wanted to end with Mauna Kea, but it was closed for a renovation by Rees Jones, son of original architect, Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Instead, I played another RTJ design, The Waikoloa Beach Course. I was a little disappointed with this course. It wasn't until late in the round that we even saw the ocean. Condo's lined much of the course, obstructing most views. It really wasn't very challenging, even though I played the back tees (6566 yards, 71.6/134). I wish I'd played the King's Course instead. I joined two sisters about my age who were also on the island to compete in the same women's golf tournament as the Japanese woman I played with days earlier. Interestingly, one of these sisters won the long drive contest on the first day of the competition! All three women were great golfers and could really hit the ball! We played behind a slow foursome made up of older men. They never offered to let us play through even though they saw us wait on practically every shot and the course was pretty open in front of them. Perhaps they didn't want to play behind women, but these gals were much better golfers than they were! I finally got my driver working for my final round in Hawaii, but messed up a couple holes and finished with a 6-over 76.

I had a wonderful time and enjoyed great weather and good company. I played pretty well too. I'm looking forward to a return trip to the Big Island. There's so many more courses I want to play!

Labels: Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Hawaii, Rounds

During my first year playing golf in 2005, I took my family on a vacation to Kauai. Being a family vacation, I didn't bring my golf clubs, but thought I'd rent some and try to get one round in with my son, who was 19 at the time. This would be my first golf round I'd ever played away from home and my son's first ever round of golf on an 18 hole course, so I wanted to pick a good one.


Kauai's Poipu Bay Golf Course by golfslo at flickr.com

Since we were staying on the south side of the island, I decided to play Poipu Bay Golf Course - one of the best 18 courses in the U.S. according to Golf Magazine and home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf!

This obviously turned out to be a great pick! I was a little unprepared for the strong headwinds the course is known for, but managed just fine. My first experience renting clubs went well too. The course provided a nice set of Ping i3 irons and woods.

I introduced my son to the twosome we joined from Los Angeles. I let them know right away that he'd only played twice before on a 9-hole course, but was a good hockey player.

My son then stepped up and drove his 3-wood right down the middle of the fairway within a couple yards of my drive. He then hit the green with a 7-iron and 2-putted for his first par. As expected, he didn't keep that up the entire round, and had a few blow-up holes, but he surprised all of us by finishing with a very respectable 101. I was impressed with how well he played in his first round with strangers and on a full-length course, and at Poipu Bay no less. He even recorded his first birdie!

I shot a 41 on the front nine, with 4 pars and 1 double bogie. I found the greens slow, but putted well overall. I had a more difficult time shooting pars on the back due to strong headwinds. I ended with a par on 18 for a 45 on the back nine and 86 for the round. I was pretty happy with the round, especially for my first visit to this course and using rental clubs.

I forget what the round cost, but I think I paid about $150 each for my son and I to play with a cart and rental clubs! The expense wasn't much of a factor since I felt so fortunate just to have the opportunity to play this beautiful course along the Pacific Ocean, and with my son.

Labels: Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Hawaii, Kauai, Poipu Bay