Maui's Golf Coast 2007 - (Page 18) DIAMOND RESORT HWY #31 (PIILANI HIGHWAY) EKOLU VILLAGE KAUKAHI STREET BLUE PROSHOP & CLUBHOUSE RESTAURANT 18 4 6 5 14 13 DRINKING WATER 2 WAILEA EKAHI RENAISSANCE WAILEA BEACH RESORT WAILEA ELUA MARRIOTT WAILEA RESORT TO GOLD AND EMERALD COURSES & SEAWATCH RESTAURANT 3 1 PUTTING GREEN GOLF VISTAS WARM-UP AREA 9 10 PUALANI ESTATES 8 FAIRWAY VILLAS DRINKING WATER HI WA GH ILE LA A ND S 16 11 GRAND CHAMPIONS RESTAURANTS GOLF ESTATES DRINKING WATER 12 FAIRWAY HOMES RESTROOMS & SNACK SHOP 7 TENNIS CENTER 15 DRINKING WATER 17 GRAND WAILEA RESORT HOTEL & SPA FOUR SEASONS RESORT MAUI WAILEA POINT FAIRMONT KEA LANI MAUI I t is 9 a.m., Maui time, at the 16th tee of the Wailea Old Blue Course. La – Hawaiian for sun – has risen beyond the summit of 10,023-foot Mount Haleakala and cast its rays onto the Pacific Ocean. The light penetrates the calm morning waters, infusing them with a sapphire brilliance, and illuminates the rich red earth of Kaho‘olawe, one of several offshore islands visible from Wailea. It is at this spot, the story goes, that tournament officials for the 1991 LPGA Women’s Kemper Open admonished some of the competitors for slow play. Wailea Old Blue’s picturesque 12th hole Turns out the pros had dallied too long watching humpback whales cavort offshore. Such are the hazards of playing golf on the Wailea Blue. Designed by Arthur Jack Snyder and completed in 1972, the 6,758-yard, par 72 Wailea Blue is a quintessential Hawaiian golf course. Its wide, manicured fairways flow with the natural undulations of the volcanic foothills on which they are laid, interrupted here and there by bunkers of coral sand, small lakes (four total) and trickling fountains. Tropical hibiscus, coconuts, plumeria and bougainvillaea dot the landscape. Buttonwood trees, shaped as their name suggests, are planted throughout the course to mark the point at which you are 150 yards from the green. And everywhere, it seems, are those pesky hazards. Unobstructed views of Kahalawai – the ancient mountains of West Maui – and of enticing Lana‘i; of the warm island waters where humpback whales come each year to birth their young; and – of Pu‘u Olai, the distinctive volcanic cinder cone of South Maui. Driving up to the Wailea Blue’s #4, one cannot help but feel a bit intimidated. At 538 yards from the white tees, it’s the longest hole on the course, and on the tee box, you are faced with a blind drive over a dramatic slope that obscures the green and most of the fairway. One wonders. How did Laura Davies approach this shot during the LPGA Women’s Kemper Open? Isao Aoki Golf Tip To play the Wailea Old Blue Course well, pay attention to your approach shots. The greens have subtle contours that make putting especially challenging, so it’s important to know where to land your approach shots to achieve a proper feed to the hole. Use your yardage book to calculate the best positioning. 18
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