GolfWeb Travel Correspondent
Nov. 22, 2004
Success on the PGA TOUR can be defined in many ways, but for the four professionals who get invited to play in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf on Kauai during Thanksgiving week (Nov. 23-24, 2004) just being here says it all. In fact it shouts loudly: I won a major!
Phil Mickelson ( the Masters ), Retief Goosen ( U.S. Open ), Todd Hamilton ( British Open ) and Vijay Singh ( PGA Championship ) are this year's lucky participants in one of the most limited fields in golf: To be invited to play in the Grand Slam, you have to win one of the current year's major golf tournaments. That in itself it a pretty clear indicator of a successful year. Getting to play Hawaii is the lucky part.
Of course by "lucky" we don't mean they were lucky to win the major; certainly their talent, grit and smarts helped them achieve that milestone. What we mean is that they are lucky to be playing in Hawaii, one of the world's greatest golfing pleasures.
The course over which the Grand Slam is contested for the 11th consecutive year, Poipu Bay Golf Course, is found next door to the Hyatt Regency Kauai on the sunny south shore of the island. It is an area renowned for its beaches and water sports, access to Waimea Canyon and low-key lifestyle.
The golf courses aren't half bad, either. Robert Trent Jones Jr., who likes Kauai so much he has had a home on the island for many years, designed two tracks in the area, Poipu Bay and Kiahuna Golf Club.
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| The Bay Course at Kapalua offers stunning views of Maui. (G. Fuller) |
Kauai visitors are as lucky as this year's major winners, because although no one will match Tiger Woods' course-record 61, Poipu Bay is open to the public every day of the year except tournament time.
Golfers should take the time to check out Trent Jones Jr.'s other area design, Kiahuna Golf Club, just down the street from Poipu Bay. This course has recently reopened after a $4 million renovation that restored the layout to its original beauty. Added length (the course now plays 6,885 yards) gives players more than a few challenges. New greens, fairways and tee boxes lead golfers past the archaeological remnants of an old Hawaiian fishing village. This popular design also boasts the wonderful ocean and verdant mountain views for which Kauai is famous.
In fact, just about every course on the Garden Isle boasts dazzling ocean views, and all are backed by the scenic mountains of Kauai's interior. Puakea Golf Course (Robin Nelson), Kauai Lagoons Kiele (Jack Nicklaus) and Princeville Prince (Robert Trent Jones Jr.) are the other top-of-the-line golf experiences on the island.
In January, defending champion Stuart Appleby and a larger group of professional golfers will tee it up on Maui to kick off the PGA TOUR season at the Mercedes Championships held at Kapalua (Jan. 3-9, 2005). The Mercedes Championships, contested over the lovely resort's Plantation Course, is also a select field, comprised of the winners of sanctioned events on the previous season's TOUR schedule.
As they do at Poipu Bay, visitors to the Valley Isle also have access to Kapalua's tournament layout, as well as the embracing resort's Bay and Village courses. All three will put a smile on your face. What's not to love? You're on Maui: Ocean views are available on almost every holes, tradewinds warm your cheeks, two holes play right at the surf, and the beach, pool and spa await at the end of the round.
Of course it takes more than smiles to play well on the Plantation Course, of which one writer remarked, "It's the best time I've ever had shooting 173." Long and demanding of precise shots, the course ranks among the toughest and most adored in Hawaii.
The Aloha Season continues on Oahu, where Ernie Els defends at the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club near Waikiki (Jan. 10-16, 2005). Waialae is the only tournament course in Hawaii that is inaccessible to non-members. But there are several courses you can and should play on Oahu, including the two at Turtle Bay Resort, where the Champions Tour competes in the Turtle Bay Championship (Jan. 24-30, 2005), the second event of the senior's season (the first being the MasterCard Championship at Hualalai on the Big Island, Jan. 17-23).
Of the two courses at Turtle Bay, the Palmer Course (formerly known as Links at Kuilima) is the best. Only one hole of this Arnold Palmer-created beauty plays down to the beach, but the rest of the course is so good you forgive them for not building more at water's edge. Besides, you can swim with the turtles and dolphins later in the day in the protected coves fronting this recently renovated hotel.
Back on Maui at Wailea's Gold Course, the Wendy's Champions Skins Game is held (Jan. 31-Feb. 6, 2005), which last year featured Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino. If you are interested in brushing up on your skills, stop by Wailea Golf Academy, where half-day and full-day schools -- set at the top end of Wailea's ocean-view driving range -- are now being offered.
When they wrap up their events in Hawaii, the professionals head to California and elsewhere in pursuit of success in 2005. You, on the other hand, should get on the first flight to Hawaii, and getting to the islands is easier than ever on Hawaiian Airlines. When it comes to golf, it is as lucky as you can get.
Editor's note: George Fuller writes on travel frequently for PGATOUR.COM. Author and photographer of "Discover Hawaii's Best Golf" (Island Heritage), he can be e-mailed directly at: gfuller@earthlink.net
