| Posted on: Thursday, September 20, 2001
Around the Greens
Turtle Bay in fine shape for Senior PGA Tour
By Bill Kwon
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| Gary Player, left, Hale Irwin, center, and Chi Chi Rodriguez are all fixtures on the Senior PGA Tour. The tour will make its first stop on O'ahu since 1992 at the Turtle Bay Championship.
Turtle Bay photo |
It is hard to believe, but the Turtle Bay Championship — the Senior PGA Tour's first visit to O'ahu since 1992 — will be upon us from Oct. 5-7.
It is even harder to believe that the Turtle Bay Resort will be more than ready for the event.
When it was announced earlier this year that Amfac Hawai'i would not play host to the Ka'anapali Classic on Maui for the first time since 1987, PGA officials scrambled to find a venue. They readily turned to the Turtle Bay Resort as the new tournament site.
There were skeptics, myself included. The resort went through ownership changes, and several of the greens at the tournament course — the Links at Kuilima course designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay — were in terrible shape because of a fungus problem.
The fairways — where B-17 and B-24 bombers landed during World War II — remain among the best anywhere in the islands, but the greens were not up to professional standards. Even local Sunday club players complained about the condition of the greens, especially those on the front nine.
To the credit of superintendent Mike Honma, given more financial resources by Turtle Bay's new owner, Oak Tree Capital Management, the greens have been restored to championship standards. Only the 17th green is in need of a little more work.
"It's coming along. I hope we make it on time," said Honma, who is in his 19th year at Turtle Bay.
"Mike did a great job with the greens," said Dennis Rose, who took over as the resort's new director of golf when plans of hosting the Senior Tour event were announced in April.
Also, the old pro shop that serviced the resort's two courses — the newly renamed Palmer Course (formerly Links at Kuilima) and the original George Fazio course — was completely gutted and rebuilt.
Unbelievably, it too will be ready in time for the Turtle Bay Championship. The senior pros will be utilizing both the men's and women's lockers for the tournament.
And the new resort owners are not looking for a quick fix as the tournament host. They have started a long-term commitment to the senior event, already building a world-class practice facility near the Palmer Course that will be ready by the 2002 tournament.
It is all part of their $30 million commitment to the entire property, which includes the 485-room hotel and more than 80 cabanas, which are being refurbished.
The good news for local golfers is that Turtle Bay hopes to have both courses available, making it the first and only 36-hole resort getaway on O'ahu. The Fazio, now reduced to nine holes, will be reopened as an 18-hole championship layout early next year
The original Turtle Bay course is no stranger to professional golf tournaments. From 1987 through 1989, it played host to the LPGA Hawaiian Ladies Open. And, in 1988, it was the site of the inaugural Senior Skins Game involving Palmer, Sam Snead, Gary Player and Chi Chi Rodriguez.
When the Palmer Course was opened in 1992, the back nine of the resort's original course was shut down. Two of the holes — 13 and 14 — were incorporated into the new course. The front nine on the Hale'iwa side of the resort had always remained open.
Now seven of the nine original holes on the Fazio course — the only one he designed in Hawai'i — have been completely restored as originally designed.
"We found where the old bunkers were by the many young ironwood trees growing in them. Apparently, ironwoods love the sand," Rose said.
Those waiting to issue an "aloha" push on the par-4 18th should be forewarned. There is now a water hazard fronting the tee that must be carried to land safely on the fairway. It is a carry of about 160 yards from the regular tee and 120 yards from the front tee.
The Fazio course will have two new holes replacing the ones that had been incorporated. The new 14th will be a drivable par-4, 247 yards with three bunkers fronting the green.
With a narrow fairway lined by a wetland on the right and trees on the left, it will be a challenging hole.
Once all 36 holes are opened, the Turtle Bay Resort figures to be an ideal weekend getaway for local golfers, who might want to save on the cost of interisland airfares. And tourists will want to play where a PGA event is held.
That is the two-fold appeal the new resort owners hope to generate.
2001 Turtle Bay Championship
- WHAT: Senior PGA event
- WHEN: Oct. 5-7, from approximately 7:30 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday-Sunday
- WHERE: Palmer Course at Turtle Bay, (Par 36-36i72, 6,795 yards)
- PURSE: $1.5 million ($225,000 first prize)
- FIELD: 78 players, including Hawai'i's Steve Veriato and Lance Suzuki
- PRO-AM: Wednesday-Thursday (Oct. 3-4) shotgun starts at 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
- QUALIFYING: Monday, (Oct. 1)10 a.m.
- ADMISSION: $10 daily beginning Friday, $20 three-day pass
- TV COVERAGE (all times HST): Friday, 8-10 a.m., PAX TV; Saturday-Sunday, noon-2 p.m., CNBC.
Money leaders
Through the Allianz Championship
(Tournaments)
- Bruce Fleisher (26) $2,189,357
- Allen Doyle (28) $2,090,542
- Hale Irwin (21) $1,698,758
- Larry Nelson (24) $1,698,706
- Gil Morgan (20) $1,684,088
- Jim Thorpe (29) $1,633,630
- Dana Quigley (31) $1,401,491
- Mike McCullough (30) $1,202,870
Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net.
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| Notices |
| Over 80 golfers lined up for Turtle Bay tourney
Advertiser Staff
More than 80 Senior PGA Tour players have entered next month's inaugural Turtle Bay Championship. The $1.5 million tournament is a full-field event for 78 players. Organizers expect approximately 40 will play in the Monday qualifier, for four spots.
The Championship will be Oct. 5-7 at The Palmer Course at Turtle Bay (formerly Links at Kuilima). Five former Ka'anapali Classic champions have entered: George Archer (1993), Bob Charles ('90, '95, '96), Hale Irwin ('97, '00), Bob Murphy ('94) and Jay Sigel ('98).
The field also includes 34 of the top 50 on this week's money list, and six of the top 10 i Ed Dougherty (9), Allen Doyle (2), Hale Irwin (3), Mike McCullough (8), Dana Quigley (7) and Jim Thorpe (6). J.C. Snead is the latest to enter.
Turtle Bay is the 35th of 38 official tour events this year. The Senior Tour Championship is Oct. 26-28. Official 2001 prize money totals more than $59 million.
The tournament will hold a free junior golf clinic after Saturday's second round, at approximately 2:30 p.m. The clinic will be conducted by Chi Chi Rodriguez, Steve Veriato and Lance Suzuki. Parking is free, and fans will be shuttled to the spectator village to watch golf and for the clinic.
COMING EVENTS
Sept. 26 — Hawai'i State Sheriff's Association Benefit tournament. At Hawai'i Prince Golf Club. Noon shotgun. Format: 3-person modified scramble. Fee: $375 per team or $125 per player. Information: Alan 735-0292, ext. 203.
Sept. 28 — The Marriott Links to Literacy Golf Tournament. At Ko Olina Golf Club. Registration at 9 a.m. with shotgun start at 11:30 a.m. Format: Teams of three. Information: Hawai'i Library Foundation 837-8069.
Oct. 9 — The 17th Danny Kaleikini Foundation Golf Tournament will be held at the Honolulu Country Club, Oct. 9, with a shotgun start at noon. Entry fee is $175 per person, $525 for a three-person team for the one- and two-bestball format. Information: 533-4572.
Oct. 11 — Toys for Tots Golf Tournament. At Kane'ohe Klipper Golf Course. Starts 12:30 p.m. Format: two-person scramble with a blind draw. Fee: $75 (civilians) and a sliding scale for military personnel. All proceeds will purchase new toys for Hawai'i's needy children. Information: Ruben Villarreal 257-1077 ext. 233. |
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