Gone To Maui... Day 5: Golf In Wailea And Luau In Lahaina

It's time for some A level golf followed by some great food and culture.

The first course that I was to play on Maui is actually owned by GolfBC who runs five courses in British Columbia as well from Nicklaus North to Arbutus Ridge.

I had a 9:20 tee time to play the Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed Gold Course at Wailea, one of the three layouts there, the other two being the Emerald and Old Blue.

Wailea is directly south of Kahalui by about ten miles as the crow flies, so it is about the same in travel time from Ka'anapali to there as it is to the airport.

I left early, around 7 a.m., to get a lay of the land and the trip over was just like Maui in general… serene and relaxing. I found the local island reggae radio station (103.9) and chilled out driving past people doing Tai Chi on the beach. Later on I got caught in a traffic jam to allow two peacocks to cross the road. Why did the peacock cross the road anyway?

{gallery}Maui_five_03.02.08|10{/gallery} Arriving at Wailea, you know you are in the high rent district. Everything here is done perfectly. Even the weather here is the warmest and driest on the island.

The resort was selected as one of America’s Best Resorts, receiving a Gold Medal from Golf Magazine, one of only 25 resorts in the country to receive this honour.

The clubhouse at Wailea is top notch. At the bag drop, I quizzed Greg who was taking care of my brand new SUMO clubs. He has worked there for more than ten years and gave me the skinny on playing the Gold. He said that it took him years to figure it out, but one key is that you are better to go long than short. There are many bunkers on this layout and generally getting up and down is not too hard when you go long.

This would be advice I would put to good use during the round.

With more than an hour before teeing off, I decided to grab some breakfast in their restaurant. This has to be one of the best locations in the world to have a pre-round meal. With views of Molokini crater in the distance where you can swim with the turtles, I enjoyed fresh squeezed OJ, superb coffee and French Toast that was out of this world... all for around $15.

The practice facility here is only a few yards from the cart staging area but still they provided carts that I took advantage of.

On the range I felt the rust falling off under the rising sun. My usual helicopter-rotor-speed swing was closer to that of the power generating windmills in the distance.. a very good sign. I spent a lot of time getting the distances of the new wedges and took a few swings with the Nike 5000 driver and headed for the first tee feeling very, very good.

Wailea has the deserved rep for the best course manicure on the island. Their awards are many.

The 2007-08 Zagat Guidebook rates the Wailea Gold & Emerald Courses as “Extraordinary.”

They also have some of the best gardens and flower beds I have ever seen. The profusion of colourful tropical plants is just stunning. I have played the Emerald course before and it may be the prettiest layout I have ever played. If you are only going to play one round on Maui, you could not go wrong choosing this one.

But today, I was interested in something a little tougher and the Gold is considered the toughest of the three Wailea tracks. Its first hole actually runs parallel to the Emerald's opener and while both run down toward the ocean, the Emerald's is a straight away, downhill hole toward the ocean, whereas the Gold's is a dogleg… similar but just cranked up a bit.

Another way to put it is that Golfweek puts the Gold in the top 100 resort courses in the country while the Emerald is rated in the top 30 courses for playability for the ladies by Golf For Women magazine.

My playing partners were a couple from Japan and a lawyer from Texas. All decent players, the lawyer actually comes over to Maui or Lan'ai every February to get his game ready for the season, playing in the morning and spending the afternoon at the range, a golfer's dream.

The starter gave us a couple of pointers, saying that the course plays to its full length so we selected the Blue tees: 6,653 yards with a slope/rating of 132/71.6. Even the sedate Whites have a slope of 127 and a rating close to 70.

He said it was 290 yards (downhill) to drive it through the dogleg on the first hole and Charles proceeded to tag his driver 300 plus dead straight right into the cabbage. Unfortunately, the rest of his round had a similar tone but still at the end of it, it was clear he had enjoyed the day and it was a pleasure to watch his swing.

My day started only slightly better. A GIR (green in regulation) left me with 25 feet for birdie, which I promptly three-putted.

All the top courses on Maui now use Tifdwarf grass for their greens, replacing the old bermuda. This grass is much hardier and putts very true. It was actually first brought in for the Plantation course at Kapalua where the bermuda was not up to the PGA players' standards for the season starting Mercedes. It does not have as much grain as bermuda and tends to sit straight up.

Somehow, after six holes I was only two-over thanks to a couple of birds.

Then I reached the par-five 7th which the GPS unit informed me was the toughest hole on the course. It's not often that a par five is rated #1 but 567 yards uphill with strategically placed bunkering all the way made this a real toughie.

One errant shot and I ended up lucky to escape without a double digit entry on my scorecard.

Then, just when I needed it most, we hooked up with Melissa, the cart girl at Wailea.

She convinced me that my strong play deserved some reward and I decided to spring for a Heiniken. I was very pleasantly surprised when the price was just $4.75 USD. These days with a Canuck buck near par, this was not a hit to the wallet in the slightest.

Asked how long she had worked at Wailea, she replied that this had been her "office" for the past three years. I was hard pressed to think of one with a better view.

Next up was what has to be the layout's most scenic holes, the par three, 183-yard, 8th. It would be on this hole that we would see Hump-back whales breaching as we putted out.

Slightly downhill with the ocean and Molokini Crater in the background, you are required to avoid trouble that ranges from bunkers left, right and front to huge dropoffs right and long.

Distracted by the whales and the views, I chose "long" as my error of choice with a high-push 4-iron and was left with a 60-yard uphill second shot back from the 7th fairway over palm trees. A visit to the bunker front left followed and I staggered off with a double, still thinking that this was one of the most enjoyable par threes I had played in a long, long time.

So my 38 had turned into a 44, but I still had the back nine to recover.

And on the back nine, the holes are higher up the hillside offering even better views.

They are also a little longer.

The front nine total yardage is 3,249 while the back is over 3,400. Factor in that both par fives are just over 500 yards each and Robert Trent Jones was left with enough yardage to have three par fours of over 400 yards including one brute of 470! When you take into account that most of these play across the hillside and not up and down it, and therefore play to the full yardage, you start to realize just how demanding this can be.

You will definitely be using some longer clubs on approaches and would be well advised to follow Greg's tip of always taking enough club.

A personal favourite was the 420-yard, par-four, 14th. There is not much water on this layout but the pond that runs to the right of the putting green of this hole was intimidating enough for me to decide to replace the $5 ball I had used for my tee shot with a more experienced and better trained one for my approach.

The finishing hole here, a 409-yard, par-four, dogleg right is a gem. The tee shot plays along the hill. Keep it left of the aiming bunker in the distance and you will be rewarded when your ball carries downhill leaving a short to mid-iron to a green backed by a profusion of flowers and the ocean.

A missed putt for par left me with a 43 for the back and a semi-respectable 87 when you take into account the number and quality of the excuses that I had... new clubs, slight jet lag, and not much golf in the past six months.

The cool towel they provided after the round and the courtesy trip back to the car to drop off my clubs was a nice final touch.

This is one that will definitely be added to my must-return list.

For players coming here, if you are going to play both, I would suggest playing the Emerald first as a warm-up.

If you are only going to play one and are either a little rusty or not a long-hitter, I would play the Emerald. If you are under a twelve handicap or a long hitter, the Gold might be a better choice.

There are a couple of events through the season that maybe worth scheduling your vacation around.

The 100 Holes of Golf fundraiser in June on or about the longest day of the year features a select group of golfers from the lunatic fringe, who bravely attempt to complete 100 holes or about 5-1/2 rounds in a single day. Wailea has hosted this benefit event for more than 25 years.

Also there is the Maui Charity Classic in October (specific 2008 dates TBA) where sports, music, television and film celebrities tee it up on the Wailea Gold Course to raise funds for charity. For more information and registration information, visit www.mauicharitygolf.com .

For more information about Wailea, visit www.golfbc.com

Later that evening, we headed out from Ka'anaplai for the five minute drive back south to Lahaina.

Lahaina started as a whaling town back in the 1800s but the only commercial boats that come there now are the fishing charters and the cruise ship that meanders between Hawaii's islands.

There are a number of restaurants in the town but at the very north end is the Old Lahaina Luau and this is far more than just a restaurant.

While you will get a superb meal here (the food is rated excellent by Zagats), it is also considered to be the most authentic anywhere in Hawaii both in terms of native cuisine and depiction of traditional Hawaiian dance and music.

And this shows in the awards that they have received.

it is the six time recipient of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau “Keep it Hawaii” award which recognizes businesses, organizations and individuals who strive to perpetuate and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also the perennial winner of the Maui News “Best of Maui ” reader’s survey for “Best Lu`au.”

But the one award that really stands out is the “Best Activity” designation from the Maui Time “Best of Maui” reader’s poll. In a place like Maui with the myriad activities to choose from, this really puts the quality of the experience at the Old Lahaina Lu`au in perspective.

You are told to arrive about an hour before sunset. From the moment you get there, everything happens like clockwork.

Hostesses in traditional costume greet you, offer you a choice of a Mai Tai or non-alcoholic punch along with a program and flower lei. They then lead you to your reserved table where you are introduced to your waiter. Ours told us about the evening itinerary and acquainted us with the Lu`au grounds. One key point for my mother-in-law was the premium open bar that would be open throughout the evening. With a drink list that ranged from The Lava Flow to Hawaiian Sunset, she was clearly in her element.

With over 500 guests for a single setting meal, it was amazing how good the views of the stage actually were. I took a wander around and there was not a bad seat in the house.

And with the backdrops here, that's important. Your table of eight is never more than a short pitching wedge from the beach and the sound of the waves lapping up on the shore.

Like everywhere on west side of Maui, every night you get to watch the sun sink into the horizon. No you never get tired of this. Add in Hawaiian music presented by Na Leo Ho'oulu and you feel like you in the set of Blue Hawaii with Elvis Presley.

Before the sun does disappear, you can take a walk around. They have a number of activities you can watch or participate in. Do the Hula, see Islanders demonstrate traditional arts and crafts of island life, have your romantic couples picture taken by their professional photographers or just soak in the ambience... It's up to you.

There is one thing you don't want to miss and that is the Imu Presentation. The guests gather around as the Kalua pig is unearthed from the “Imu”, or traditional Hawaiian underground oven. Go over early as spots close to the Imu tend to fill quickly.

Once the pig is ready, it's time for The Feast or Pa`ina Ahiahi. Freshly baked hot taro rolls and macadamia nut butter arrived at tables. Taro is the potatoe-like vegetable that has been a staple of the traditional Hawaiian diet. Our server then escorted us to the Hale Aÿi (Eating House).

While the set up may have looked like buffets the world over, the food was unique.

Choices included the Kalua Roast Pork, Laulau (Pork wrapped in Luau leaf steamed to perfection) and Poi, Ahi Poke (marinated raw Ahi tuna) just to name a few. There were actually 20+ different dishes and I took a bit of each to compare. A personal favourite had to be the Lomi Lomi Salmon (salmon mixed with tomatoes and onions) which was superb.

The drinks, all included in the $92 price of the evening, kept coming. While many around me were enjoying the cocktails, I had a glass of red wine that went very well with the main dishes.

The meal portion of the evening ended with a selection of deserts... each with a Hawaiian flair from Maui Macadamia Nut Tart to Lilikoi Mousse Chocolate Cups. Add in a cup of smooth Kona coffee and it's time to sit back and watch the show.

The concept is to show the history of the Hawaiians through dance with narration... performed with respect for their ancestors.

The dancers tell these stories through their graceful moves, subtle eye movements and the hand movements unique to Hula.

It begins with the history of the migration by Polynesians across the Pacific to the “new islands” of Hawaii.

This is followed by Kahiko, the ancient Hula was a way of communicating with the Gods. It is accompanied by chanting, and traditional implements.

Then, following the evolution to a more contemporary style Hula, they even address the impact of the missionaries through a segment called "Missionaries and the Merrie Monarch."

It finishes with the modern Hula, influenced by immigrants and tourism.

The dancers are just unbelievable and the sensitivity to the traditional culture make this much more than a history lesson.

This is a must-do for any visit to Maui especially those vacationers with children. We saw families with kids ranging from babies to older teenagers and all were mesmerized.

To go, we advise that you book well in advance and we mean months, not days. Still they have a cancellation stand by list so you can still get in even after you arrive on Maui.

For more information, visit http://www.oldlahainaluau.com

Next I will be teeing-it-up at Ka‘anapali hoping to make as many birdies as the Skins Game competitors followed by the Plantation course at Kapalua before we are off to the island of Lana'i to play the Challenge at Manele and the Experience at Keole.

Got any questions about Maui golf, contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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