Off the Fringe, “Golf’s best short read.” The award winning newsletter, sent twice monthly, that provides an unconventional perspective on the golf world.
Richard Berger
Kauai
2011-08-22
$176 (cart included), played on Tuesday, December 2008 at 8am
I'm a single digit handicap. I basically hate all of Robert Trent Jones, Jr's designs, and this course is among his worst designs. I love his father's courses and it astounds me how little his son picked up.
It isn't hard to build a difficult golf course. merely force second shots from hillside lies with long irons to small greens. That is what this course is all about. That and the blind shots, of course. I don't mind a challenge, but risk/reward is just that...if you risk, there should be a chance of a reward...instead, here there is only more punishment. I found it to be Penal rather than Strategic.
For example, on the very first hole, I put my drive down the middle. Six iron to the green. I hit the green and found my ball in the jungle behind it. When I complained about this to the pro after the round, his comment was, "Didn't you see the landing area to the right of the green?" I replied that I did. He then said, "You're supposed to hit your ball there, then chip up to get your par." I then asked, "So you mean it's a par 5?" The rest of the holes are similar. Very tricked up, very difficult, very hard to manage your game.
If you enjoy losing balls and feeling like you've been on the Bataan death march, this is the course for you. For me, the Makai course (next door) is a far better layout with some amazing views and some challenging holes, and you'll have a better time. If you are on Kauai and REALLY want to play a great golf course, drive down to Puuakea by the airport...it's far and away the best course on the island.
$176 (cart included), played on Tuesday, December 2008 at 8am
I'm a single digit handicap. I basically hate all of Robert Trent Jones, Jr's designs, and this course is among his worst designs. I love his father's courses and it astounds me how little his son picked up. It isn't hard to build a difficult golf course. merely force second shots from hillside lies with long irons to small greens. That is what this course is all about. That and the blind shots, of course. I don't mind a challenge, but risk/reward is just that...if you risk, there should be a chance of a reward...instead, here there is only more punishment. I found it to be Penal rather than Strategic. For example, on the very first hole, I put my drive down the middle. Six iron to the green. I hit the green and found my ball in the jungle behind it. When I complained about this to the pro after the round, his comment was, "Didn't you see the landing area to the right of the green?" I replied that I did. He then said, "You're supposed to hit your ball there, then chip up to get your par." I then asked, "So you mean it's a par 5?" The rest of the holes are similar. Very tricked up, very difficult, very hard to manage your game. If you enjoy losing balls and feeling like you've been on the Bataan death march, this is the course for you. For me, the Makai course (next door) is a far better layout with some amazing views and some challenging holes, and you'll have a better time. If you are on Kauai and REALLY want to play a great golf course, drive down to Puuakea by the airport...it's far and away the best course on the island.