Compton's Multimedia Gol…ifornia & Hawaii Edition)/Compton's Multimedia Golf Guide - California & Hawaii Edition.iso/articles/forword.har

Text File | 1992-12-03 | 11KB | 201 lines

WORD TO THE READER^
George Fuller^
^
This book is written from the regular tees. I have done so for a couple
of distinct reasons. First, I wanted to make it a book that would speak
from the experience the majority of golfers will have when they play
Hawaii. And second, as I warned my beloved publisher: "I write under
par; but my golf game is over."^
^
You see, golf in Hawaii is a game that golfers of any level will
absolutely adore. You can give yourself a severe test from the tough
back tees of the amazing new Princeville Prince Course, the Mauna
Kea layout or Kapalua's new Plantation Course. Conversely, you can
play a set of regular tees on those same layouts that will challenge-
but not demoralize-the average golfer. And this same option exists
on many Aloha State tracts. The courses are for the most part so
wonderful-many with stunning ocean views-that it is almost safe to
say that your score is less important than your overall experience.^
^
That's the other thing about the golf courses of Hawaii: Often the non-
golfer, although simply riding along in the cart, will be happy just
relaxing in one of the most serene corners of the globe-maybe even
watching the whales during the winter months as they swim offshore.^
^
It is tempting to characterize the golf courses of Hawaii in much the
same fashion that you would characterize the islands themselves: lush
green fields set beneath a turquoise blue sky, bordered by gently
lapping surf, palms swaying in the trade winds and dense, colorful
vegetation of all varieties. If you were to invoke such images, you
would be perfectly correct. Such courses do exist. And in many cases
they are among the best courses in the state. But it is also true that all
the inhabited Hawaiian Islands, with the exception of Niihau-a
privately owned island to which access is forbidden to all but native
Hawaiians-offer the golfer an amazingly diverse array of golf
courses.^
^
This book covers them all. From Waikiki's Ala Wai Golf Course-the
"busiest golf course in the world" according to the Guinness Book of
World Records-to tiny Lanai's upcountry Experience at Koele, one of
the newest courses in the state, Hawaii Golf: The Complete Guide is a
comprehensive, descriptive look at all aspects of golf in the Aloha
State. The other point I feel compelled to make is that in Hawaii,
everything changes rapidly. Thus, while I have written what I consider
to be a comprehensive set of course descriptions, by the time I've put
the book to bed, a new course will have come along. But that's what
second (and third, and fourth...) editions are for. And that's why we've
included a chapter on new and upcoming courses in the state as well.^
^
I can guarantee you two things. First, you'll discover some of the best
golf in the world in Hawaii. And second, it is addicting. You will want to
return as quickly as possible to that one tee box-whichever one it
was-that stuck in your mind. Wherever you are thereafter, you will
always be gazing down upon a narrow, tree-lined ribbon of green
fairway, with the dazzling Pacific Ocean in the background, a warm
sun shining down on your shoulders, a teasing breeze in your face, as
in your mind's eye you prepare to smack a clean drive into that
beautiful blue sky.^
^
This book is thoroughly indexed and user friendly. We have
assembled a body of information from many of the best and most avid
golfers and golf pros in Hawaii. I hope you have hours of great
excitement planning your golf adventure through paradise with Hawaii
Golf: The Complete Guide, just as I have had incredible fun writing it.^
^
Aloha a hui ho. May all your drives be straight.^
^
George E. Fuller Honolulu, June, 1991^
^
^
FOREWORD^
^
David Ishii, PGA Professional Winner of the 1990 United Hawaiian
Open^
^
THERE are many unique and beautiful golf courses in Hawaii, each
with its own challenges and rewards. I enjoy my own home course,
Pearl Country Club, because the terrain varies so much. Every hole
plays completely different from the last. This makes distances difficult
to  judge. When you combine this factor with the unpredictable winds
in Hawaii, you get a very clear picture of the challenges of many our
island courses.^
^
It is important for visiting golfers to always remember which side of an
island they are playing. This is because the windward courses will play
completely different from the leeward courses in terms of wind and
grain. On the windward side, the prevailing winds blow from the ocean
to the mountains and the grain direction of the greens tends to run the
same way. On the leeward side, the opposite is true, and the winds
generally blow from the mountains to the ocean and the grain
directions on the greens tend to run in that direction. Golfers unfamiliar
with Hawaii are at a disadvantage unless they remember this.^
^
Even so, playing golf in Hawaii is a real treat. The courses are  largely
in great shape, and you'll find many of the layouts have spectacular
views, whether of the ocean or the mountains. On the professional
tour, I play many golf courses throughout the world, yet I'm always
happy to return to my home in Hawaii, and to the courses I have come
to know so well. I am sure that once you've played them,  Hawaii's
courses will continue to beckon time and time again, as they have me.
Welcome to some of the best golf challenges of your life!^
^
WELCOME TO HAWAII GOLF^
^
J.D. Ebersberger, President, Aloha Section PGA Director of Golf at
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel^
^
AS we enter the decade of the '90s, the golf boom continues in the
Hawaiian Islands with the Aloha Section PGA members leading the
way in its advancement and elevation. However, we would be short-sighted
if we didn't take the time to acknowledge the foresight and
contributions of two men who helped pave the way in the early 1960s:
Laurance Rockefeller and former Hawaii governor John A. Burns.^
^
Both men shared a vision of what Hawaii was capable of becoming
with regard to resort development, and both had the resources to
invest in her future. Hence, with Rockefeller setting the standards with
his elegant and daring development at Mauna Kea Beach on the Big
Island, and with Burns spearheading the support of the state
government, the two set the stage for what has become the major golf
resort center of the world.^
^
No where else can one find so much resort golf with the consistent
standards of quality found in the islands. At present, the state of
Hawaii can boast of having four of the top 12 Gold Medal resorts in
America: Mauna Kea, Kapalua, Mauna Lani and The Westin Kauai. All
four are led by PGA directors of golf.^
^
The Aloha Section PGA has more than 100 members who are
employed throughout the islands at all types of golf facilities: resort,
private, daily fee, municipal and military. All the top resort properties
offer well-trained and capable PGA professionals who have gone
through an extensive education to provide the visiting golfer with the
best golfing experience possible. Their services range from lessons to
suggestions on which set of tees to play for different levels of
accomplishment. These pros also can assist in selecting equipment
that is best for each individual game. In Hawaii, we boast of layouts
designed by a virtual who's who of golf course designers. Do you want
to keep up with the Joneses? You can play Sr. and Jr.'s courses on
three different islands. Want to see what golfing greats such as
Nicklaus, Palmer, Norman and Weiskopf have in mind when they
design a golf course? You can do so on all the destination islands,
including tiny Lanai.^
^
One of the great assets of Hawaii is that each of the islands has a
distinct personality and unique charms and features. The Kohala
Coast of the island of Hawaii, for example, can easily be called "the
Palm Springs of the Pacific" with its desert-like weather. The golf
courses along this sun-blessed coast have a striking character by
virtue