Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Fall 2012 - Chinese - (Page 84)

GOLF ISLAND GREENS WRITER THOMA S DUNNE TEES HIGH ON MAUI GOLF’S GR ANDEST PL ANTATION COUR SE For golfers on the mainland, the PGA Tour’s season opener at Kapalua is one of the most powerful fantasies that HD television has to offer. Kapalua’s Plantation Course seems like a dream world, with its emerald fairways, towering pines, glittering Paciﬁc waters and views of the neighboring island of Molokai. And yet, TV doesn’t do it justice. In person, visitors’ ﬁrst impressions of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s design often involve shock, because of the beauty of the place, and awe, over its size. On this course, carved from the mountainous slopes of a former pineapple plantation, we feel dwarfed by our surroundings, and humbled by the elements. Hawaiian golf is often stereotyped as easy, but Kapalua is ruled by trade winds from Alaska. (The secret to posting a good score here is to play in the morning, before the big breezes kick up.) I learned this on my very ﬁrst tee shot on the Plantation, in 2006. The opening hole is deﬁned by a deep gully that bisects the fairway. It seems a long way off, but playing downhill and downwind, it makes players think twice about pulling the driver. Choosing a hybrid instead, I struck a perfect tee shot down the middle. But at the ball’s apex, the wind reversed direction. Ballooning upward, the ball drifted back towards me, landing just 120 yards from HOME STRETCH From pineapples to par putts, the Plantation Course is famed for its tropical beauty and unique design. Here, the 18th hole. 84 W W W. R I T Z C A R LT O N . C O M AIDAN BRADLEY http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Fall 2012 - Chinese

Ritz-Carlton Magzine - Fall 2012
Contents
Contributors
Editor’s Letter
President’s Letter
Falling in Love With ... San Francisco
Design
Technology
On the Boulevards
Shopping
Jewelry
Watches
Art
Gourmet Travel
Wellness
Golf
Vienna
Okinawa
Fashion
Culinary
Let Us Stay With You
Heritage

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Fall 2012 - Chinese