By Patricia Baldwin
Photography by Tony Roberts, Ron Dahlquist, Pat Baldwin, Karl Lehmann, Foodcollection and Randy Hufford; Map by Covington and Pettis
Earlier this year, avid golfer (four handicapper) and rocker Alice Cooper told a reporter from The Wall Street Journal that he’s more likely to be found in Maui than Scotland. In particular, the performer, who played about 65 rounds on three continents during his six-month “Dirty Diamonds” tour last year, cited Makena Golf Courses among his top five places in the world to play.
What Cooper obviously has discovered is that Hawai‘i’s second-largest island is home to more than the stereotyped “resort” golf for the infrequent player. Playing golf in Maui can be just as challenging as it is beautiful. Why? Most pros will point out the aggressive Bermuda grass found in Hawai‘i. Visiting golfers readily notice the significant number of uneven lies. And anybody can tell you about the consistent trade winds.
In fact, four of the world’s most exceptional golf destinations line the island’s north, west, and southern shorelines. Collectively, they offer 10 award-winning layouts that, thanks to creative designers and multiple tee markers, challenge scratch golfers while providing hospitable fairways to high handicappers.
Of course, Maui means much more than world-class golf. The island is a mélange of culture and a quilt of tropical pastimes. It’s a place to encourage your passion — whether golf, art, cuisine, shopping, water sports … Perhaps the serendipitous conversation I had with a many-time-returned visitor helped ascribe words to a notion that formed as I pursued a very lengthy “must-see, must-do” list. This visitor noted: “Some of my friends like to go to a different place every time they go on vacation. We like to return to Maui because there are so many different places to go.”
There are so many different places to go, but since this is my story, we shall start with golf.
MAKENA
The secluded Makena Resort, with its 36 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is the southernmost anchor for Maui’s strand of golf pearls. As Alice Cooper noted of his favored destination, the two Makena courses — North and South — have ocean views, thick jungle vegetation, and the weather is “always warm, and the wind doesn’t blow much.”
Sounds pretty good, but when I rounded the corner to enter the women’s locker room, I encountered a “Medic-Aid Drug Store” vending machine. Coin-dispensed pain relievers! But my angst was short-lived when I met Renée Lee, a Class A PGA member and assistant head pro who has been at Makena for about nine years. She didn’t believe in a pain-inducing overload of instruction. In fact, her advice was simple: Use the club that will allow you to hit the fairway. Of course, it takes discipline for some to select a 3-wood, hybrid, or long iron, but a sprayed tee shot at Makena is lava bound.
In advising about approach shots, Lee noted that the golf courses were designed with most of the trouble (false front greens, bunkers, and ravines) on the near side of the green. Therefore, it is better to err long than short — except, of course, on No. 15 of the South Course, a par-3 hole with a particularly enormous water hazard behind the green (also known as the Pacific Ocean). This is your Makena photo opportunity.
WAILEA
A five-minute drive up the coast from Makena is Wailea Resort with its Blue, Gold, and Emerald courses, the former designed by Arthur Jack Snyder and the latter two by Robert Trent Jones Jr. TV golf watchers know that, each winter, Wailea Golf Club is host to the Wendy’s Champions Skins Game, featuring legendary players in an often-dramatic, 18-hole competition. More recent headlines, however, came this summer when the David Leadbetter Golf Academy opened at Wailea. Recognized as one of the leading golf instructors in the world, David Leadbetter is often associated with his contribution to the successes of Nick Faldo, and continues to work with other leading golfers, including Hawai‘i’s own Michelle Wie.
I have to admit to a fond bias for Wailea since the Gold and the Emerald courses comprised a memorable 36 consecutive holes of golf nearly a dozen years ago. The occasion was the formal Hawai‘ian blessing of the Wailea Emerald Course and a conversation with its creator. The two, back-to-back rounds came at architect Jones’ insistence that a golfer had to experience his distinct Wailea courses to understand his differing design strategies. Indeed, the Gold Course is “in-your-face” golf, while the Emerald Course (especially from the forward tees) offers fewer forced carries, large, grassy landing areas, and lush foliage — now matured.
The more recent visit also afforded a reunion with Cathy Torchiana, a Class A LPGA teaching pro at Wailea, as well as a renowned artist and jewelry designer. Among the most requested items from the Wailea Golf Club’s pro shop are her scenic landscapes and golf art prints (www.maui.net/~proshop). As we played the Emerald, Torchiana reminded me of the relaxed, resort-style characteristics of the Emerald, such as the two sets of tee markers on the 13th hole. Another of the course’s most notable features is a double green on holes 10 and 17, a signature of Scottish links golf, but one of the few in Hawai‘i.
We paused before teeing off on the 18th to admire the par-5 hole, with yardages ranging from 424 yards to 553 yards. Some golfers contend this is quite possibly the best finishing hole — anywhere. There can be no argument that its 180-degree ocean panorama makes it one of the most beautiful. Play moves downhill and usually with the wind, tempting some long hitters to go for the green in two. For others of us, the challenge comes in an approach shot to the green that is split in half by a ridge. Accuracy is a must.
KA‘ANAPALI
From Wailea, the 50-minute drive to Ka‘anapali Beach Resort provides a tour of the many faces of Maui. You follow the coastal highway, pass Kihei (where many locals live and shop), connect with Highway 30, pass the historic community of Lahaina (Front Street’s galleries, restaurants, and shops are on my list for “next time”), and arrive at Hawai‘i’s first planned resort community. The 44-year-old Ka‘anapali has undergone major changes in recent years, giving this granddaddy of resorts a new-kid-on-the-block look and a variety of enhancements to be rediscovered by visitors. Among the highlights was last year’s multimillion-dollar renovation of the Resort South Course by Robin Nelson, called “Mr. Hawai‘i” for his architectural work on more than 30 courses in the state. Under way this year are renovations of the teaching facility and the Tournament North Course, originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. The course will reopen for play in November.
One of the Resort South’s most memorable holes is the par-3 11th. Thank goodness it is the easiest hole because your attention will be diverted to the incredible views of the ocean and the island of Lana‘i in the distance. The recent renovation also added new bunkering to the course. Golf pro Kendric Kimizuka rescued me with an impromptu lesson about playing out of a waste bunker.
Footnote: While at Ka‘anapali, take a break from golf for a sunset catamaran sail and some phenomenal views of West Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lana‘i. It’s the perfect way to toast another perfect day in paradise.
KAPALUA
Drive 10 minutes north of Ka‘anapali and the terrain changes as it unfolds into the undulating Kapalua Resort, part of a 23,000-acre community set amid a working pineapple plantation. The resort’s roads (and fairways) are lined with century-old Cook pines and the property is surrounded by the thick, dark greenness of two immense nature preserves.
The resort’s three championship golf courses include: the Plantation Course, renovated by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore prior to this year’s playing of the PGA Tour’s season-opening, winners-only Mercedes Championships; the Bay Course, designed by Arnold Palmer and Francis Duane; and the Village Course, which will be replaced in 2007 by the new Mauka Course, a members-only course to be designed by Tom Fazio.
My diary account of the afternoon at the Plantation Course (at the time, just weeks before the Mercedes Championships) reflects that it was raining. Natives simply call such drizzle “pineapple juice.” But as Jerry King, PGA member and head teaching professional at Kapalua Golf Academy, said, “No rain, no rainbows.” And, as if it were scripted, he pointed to the colored bands in the sky.
The Plantation Course is drop-dead gorgeous, a challenge for the best of the best, yet enjoyable and playable for less-talented amateurs. But a flat lie is scarce and the greens are large and sloping. Nothing to it, said King, my newly anointed instructor and playing partner. The four-time recipient of the Aloha Section PGA’s “Teacher of the Year” award was ready with advice. Perhaps the greatest thrill is standing on the tee at the Plantation’s signature 18th hole, around which Crenshaw and Coore designed the rest of the course. The downhill, downwind par-5 is the longest hole of any on the PGA Tour, with tees ranging from the forward 489 yards to 663 yards from the championship tee. “Drama,” “scale,” and “beauty” are words that come to mind while playing the Plantation layout.
DISCOVER THE OTHER SIDE
Well, at least some of the natives call Makawao the “other side.” It’s also part of Maui’s “Upcountry.” The New York Times once dubbed the town the “Sedona of the Pacific.” When artist and gallery owner Randy Groden gave directions, he described, “We’re off the beaten path.”
My advice: Beat a path to Makawao. Serious art collectors already do. The historic paniolo (cowboy) town, a pleasant 12-mile drive east from the Kahului Airport, has reinvented itself as a fine arts destination with galleries, boutiques, eateries, and a variety of small shops. Of course, you can still enjoy what locals claim are the world’s best cream buns at Komoda’s Bakery and pick up a picnic lunch at the Rodeo General Store.
Groden, president of the Makawao Merchants Association and owner of R. Groden Gallery, ships to clients worldwide, a sign of the growing recognition of Makawao’s standing in the arts community, despite its laid-back village charm. A dozen galleries are now listed in the free, walking tour guide published by Groden, who previously owned a gallery in landlocked Dallas. As an artist, he has long exhibited a passion for the tropics in his paintings of birds, mermaids, beaches, waterfalls, and landscapes. He’s also a premier painter of female portraits and Hawai‘iana figures. He said he fell in love with island life when he first visited Maui in the early 1980s. For an artist, he said, “The island is great in terms of inspiration.”
Perhaps just one more reason why Maui is known as “The Magic Isle.”
TIPS FROM THE PROS
WASTE NOT; WANT NOT
When my ball landed in the waste bunker of No. 17 on the Ka‘anapali Resort South Course, Kendric Kimizuka, golf professional and tournament coordinator, was encouraging. When playing out of a waste bunker, he said, it is vital that you make contact with the ball first (unlike playing out of a greenside bunker). He told me to take one to two clubs more than I would for the given distance and grip down on the club (of course, make sure that the club chosen has enough loft to clear the lip of the bunker). He instructed me to play the ball a little more forward in my stance and focus on making a more level swing through the ball (as opposed to hitting down on the ball as I would with a normal iron swing), trusting that the loft of the club would be sufficient to carry the ball out of the bunker. Because of the sand, my footing wasn’t as secure, so I tried to make a smooth and easy swing to a balanced finish position. These adjustments helped assure a clean contact with the ball. I achieved the main objective — to simply get out of the bunker. Thank you, Kendric.
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF GOLF
When playing golf in Maui, especially at Kapalua, you will be faced with uphill and downhill lies. Jerry King, PGA pro and head teaching professional at Kapalua Golf Academy, advised that you shorten your uphill leg by moving the foot back to a closed or open position. This levels your hips and allows for optimal rotation and weight transfer.
And a bonus putting tip: Don’t listen to what many will tell you — “all putts break toward the ocean.” Think about it. Maui is an island! Instead, pay attention to the grain of the grass, which significantly influences the speed and direction of the golf ball. The grain of the grass, by definition, is the direction the blades are growing. You can find the direction of the grain by locating the brown, sunburned side of the hole and know the grass is growing in that direction. Putts down-grain will travel at a much faster pace than putts into the grain, and breaking putts will either be magnified or reduced by the grain. Thank you, Jerry.
WHALE WATCHING
From November through April, humpback whales come close enough to shore that you don’t need binoculars. Just watch for spouts of water.
WHERE TO PLAY GOLF
• Makena Resort
Makena Golf Courses (North and South) www.makenagolf.com
• Wailea Resort
Wailea Golf Club Wailea Blue, Gold, and Emerald courses www.waileagolf.com
• Ka‘anapali Beach Resort
Ka‘anapali Tournament North and Resort South courses www.kaanapali-golf.com
• Kapalua Resort
Kapalua Bay, Village, and Plantation courses www.kapaluamaui.com
WHERE TO STAY
• Makena Resort
Maui Prince Hotel
www.princeresortshawaii.com
Ask about the “Ninety-Nine Holes of Golf” package.
• Wailea Resort
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa
www.grandwailea.com
Ask to stay in a Napua Tower that includes 100 rooms in a private club area at the center of the hotel. And don’t miss the artists-in-residence program on Tuesday mornings.
• Ka‘anapali Beach Resort
Westin Maui Resort & Spa
www.westinmaui.com
This has to be one of the world’s greatest places to play in the ocean.
• Kapalua Resort
The Golf Villas
www.kapaluamaui.com
These one- and two-bedroom condos overlooking the fairways of the Bay Course will make you feel at home.
WHERE TO EAT
• At the Maui Prince Hotel, try the Prince Court for contemporary island cuisine. The hotel also is known for its traditional sunset lu‘au feasts three evenings a week.
• A visit to the Seawatch Restaurant within Wailea’s Emerald clubhouse compound is likely to result in a love affair with opakapaka, a Hawai‘ian pink snapper, and other offerings of chef Todd Carlos’ coastal cuisine.
• Sansei Restaurant & Sushi Bar at Kapalua Resort is a must for its “New Wave” sushi and Japanese-based Pacific Rim cuisine. One evening, the local fish specials included an unforgettable Matusuhisa-style Miso Butterfish seared in sake.
• The Makawao Steak House has transformed one of its rooms into a tea room with a traditional “tea time” Wednesday through Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
WHERE TO SPA
• The Spa at the Westin Maui offers 50- and 80-minute versions of the traditional “Lomi Lomi” massage, a rhythmic experience that uses a special oil with lime and ginger.
• The Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea takes the art of bathing to a new level. Select a spa treatment that includes one hour of the signature Termé Wailea Hydrotherapy. This unique experience includes your choice of five aromatic baths, a Japanese Furo Bath, a Roman Jacuzzi tub, a cold plunge pool, eucalyptus steam, a redwood sauna, and other healing water treatments.
WHERE TO PICK PINEAPPLE
Board the Maui Pineapple Plantation Tour van in front of the Kapalua Villas Reception Center. Joe Lara, a.k.a. “Pineapple Joe,” helped our group understand the complexities of the labor-intensive, hand-harvested pineapple agricultural industry. Among the lessons: If the can of pineapple you just bought says “100 percent” Hawai‘ian, then it was canned in Maui; otherwise, it wasn’t canned in Hawai‘i.
WHERE TO SHOP
• The Shops at Wailea. More than 70 restaurants, galleries, designer boutiques, and specialty shops, including Martin & MacArthur, which offers an extensive collection of the popular koa wood boxes and feather leis. (Not to worry, no birds are killed for these prized souvenirs.)
• Whalers Village. This eclectic center of beachside dining, exclusive boutiques, island shops, and a whaling museum is in the heart of K-a‘anapali. Here, I bought the Facing Future CD by Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole, or “Iz,” Hawai‘i’s first-ever Certified Platinum album. The CD includes the late singing sensation’s haunting version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
• Maui Hands. Shop at any of this gallery’s four Maui locations to find one of the most valuable collections of Ni‘ihau shell leis. (On Ni‘ihau, the privately owned island off the coast of Kaua‘i, the tradition of sewing seashells into leis of unsurpassed beauty has continued uninterrupted for hundreds of years.) www.mauihands.com
• The Long’s Drugs store chain is recommended by locals as one of the best places to buy coffee.
WHERE TO PARTY
Lahaina’s annual Halloween celebration has earned a reputation as the Mardi Gras of the Pacific.
WHERE TO HIKE
When at Kapalua Resort, take one of several hikes into the West Maui Mountains. One of the most exclusive hikes is the one-day Pu‘u Kukui Nature Walk. Participants are flown via helicopter to the 5,788-foot Pu‘u Kukui summit of Mauna Kahalawai (West Maui Mountains). The hike takes place on the 18-inch wide, two-mile long Pu‘u Kukui Preserve boardwalk where hikers descend to about the 4,500-foot elevation mark. I had the privilege to accompany Randy Bartlett, Pu‘u Kukui Watershed manager for Maui Land & Pineapple Company, on a hike into the Maunalei Arboretum above Honolua Ridge. D.T. Fleming (1881-1955), frequently described as an “agricultural missionary,” planted the arboretum in the mid-1920s. He reforested West Maui’s watershed (stripped in the 1800s) and imported to Maui numerous tree and plant species that still thrive in the arboretum.
WHERE TO SAY ‘I DO’
The Wailea Seaside Chapel will help you with everything you need except an intended spouse. (Trust me, I asked.) The chapel is exquisite. Three chandeliers, of 17th century design and made to order by the Italian Murano glass works, hang from the vaulted ceiling. On four stained-glass murals, local artist Yvonne Cheng depicts the traditional lifestyle of Hawai‘ians. The murals are titled Beginnings, symbolizing the start of a new life for the couple.
WHERE TO GET INFORMATION
www.visitmaui.com
SUSHI (DO’S & DON’TS)
Sushi bars are popular in Maui, where much of the cuisine reflects Japanese and Pacific Rim influences. Here are a few tips for proper dining etiquette.
• Do use the blunt back end of the chopsticks when taking food from a shared plate.
• Do dip with fish side down. Don’t saturate the rice with soy.
• Don’t mix wasabi into your soy sauce. Do use wasabi to offset the natural oils in fish.
• Do use ginger to cleanse your palate. Don’t use ginger as a condiment for sushi.
• Do eat one piece per bite.
• Don’t pour sake or beer for yourself. Do pour sake and beer for another person.
• Don’t hand money to the sushi chef. Chefs don’t handle money.
• Do place your chopsticks across your soy saucer to signal you are finished. Don’t just rest the tips.
ALSO IN HAWAI‘I
Plaza Club
www.plazahawaii.com
Island Society
www.islandsociety.com
See The Guide, for additional information and affiliate listings. Also, Hoakalei Country Club is currently under construction in Ocean Pointe, Ewa Beach, about 20 minutes from Honolulu on Oahu. The club’s 18-hole championship golf course will be the first in Hawai‘i to be designed by Ernie Els.
MELE KALIKIMAKA
In other words, Merry Christmas. Holidays — aloha style — provide such unique sights, sounds, tastes, and smells that you’ll always associate Santa with sun, sand, flowered shirts, and ukuleles.