Jack Nicklaus’s Kaua’i Lagoons Visit And Review A Success; Roy Yamaguchi’s The Tavern At Princeville Set To Open; Poipu Bay Golf Course’s New Seashore Paspalum Greens Thriving
(KAUA’I, Hawaii) – Jack Nicklaus made his much-anticipated return to Kaua’i Lagoons Golf Club- to review the extensive renovation taking place there – and left satisfied that the award-winning, nationally feted course will be better than ever when it reopens (scheduled for next spring).
“It’s great to be back here in Hawaii and at Kaua’i Lagoons, which has always been one of my favorite golf courses,” said Nicklaus, the original designer of the course. “The new holes we are building are going to fit in nicely with what golfers have come to expect from the Kiele Golf Course – great golf holes with beautiful ocean panoramic views.”
Upon completion, Kaua’i Lagoons will feature 27 Jack Nicklaus Signature holes, including the longest stretch of ocean holes in Hawaii.
The massive project is currently in the first of three phases. Phase I broke ground in June and is expected to be completed in May 2011. It involves building three new holes – including a new ocean hole – and renovating six others on the renowned Kiele Back 9. All renovated holes will receive new irrigation, greens, bunkers, and drainage.
Currently 18 of the 36 holes designed by Nicklaus at Kaua’i Lagoons – adjacent to the Kaua’i Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach – are in play, consisting of nine holes from Kiele and nine holes from the Mokihana Golf Course.
During his five-hour examination of the project, Nicklaus – whose designs consistently rank among the world’s best by industry critics – observed the renovation on the Kiele back nine as well as the changes that are being planned for the Kiele front nine and the Mokihana holes. The golf icon also engaged with fans during the visit and signed a number of autographs.
“It was exciting to have Mr. Nicklaus back here at Kaua’i Lagoons,” said Director of Golf Scott Ashworth, PGA. “He has a tremendous amount of energy and focus for this project because he is so fond of the golf course.”
Kaua’i Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach just completed a $50-million makeover last month. Earlier this summer, the resort was included on Conde Nast Traveler’s prestigious list of “Top 80 Golf Resorts” and last year GolfWorld magazine named it a “Top 50 Resort Course.”
For more information visit Kaua’i Lagoons Golf Club at www.kauailagoonsgolf.com or the Kaua’i Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach at www.kauaimarriott.com.
Poipu Bay Improves Greens, Bunkers and Tee Boxes
The greens renovation project underway at Poipu Bay Golf Course is progressing nicely and the targeted December re-opening is on schedule. The course is installing Seashore Paspalum, an eco-friendly turf that requires less water and chemicals, as well as enhancing more than a dozen bunkers and tee boxes.
“We have all of the greens cut down pretty good right now and in a month or so they’ll be playable,” said Director of Golf Craig Sasada of the project, which began on April 1. “When we open in December, the greens will be absolutely pristine. Our guests will really notice the difference. They will walk off the course amazed at how great the new greens roll.”
Poipu Bay, the former home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that is adjacent to the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort & Spa on the South Shore of Kaua’i. The golf resort is regularly rated among the best in the world. Poipu Bay’s golf shop remains open during the project.
Renowned Chef Set To Open The Tavern at Princeville
The anticipation is building at the Princeville Prince Golf Course in Kaua’i for the opening of Roy Yamaguchi’s The Tavern at Princeville later this month.
Yamaguchi – once dubbed “the father of modern East-West cooking” – opened the first Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine in Honolulu back in 1988. Today there are 31 Roy’s locations worldwide.
“The Tavern at Princeville is designed to be a place that visitors and residents alike can gather and enjoy a casual evening of good food and drinks,” said Rainer Kumbroch, President of
Roy’s Restaurants in Hawaii. “The room will feature a warm and inviting tavern feel with spectacular views of the Prince Golf Course.”
The menu at The Tavern at Princeville will offer a compilation of Roy’s personal favorites, including American classics, local favorites and a touch of French.
The Prince Course is ranked No. 22 in this month’s list of the “Top-100 Courses You Can Play” in GOLF Magazine and is ranked No. 1 in the state of Hawaii by Golf Digest.
Puakea Golf Course Extends Offer For Free Junior Golf Privileges
The Annual Kids Play Free campaign at Puakea Golf Club, originally scheduled exclusively for the summer months, has been extended through the end of the calendar year. The campaign allows junior golfers ages 7 to 17 to play the local gem for free when accompanied by a paying adult (one free junior for each adult).
“We created this campaign in order to support the growth of the game and offer a fun, healthy activity for families to enjoy at our great course,” said Puakea Head Professional Dave Werner.
The course may resonate with golfers of all ages since its tropical landscape and backdrop served as the set for the hit movie Jurassic Park. In this month’s GOLF Magazine, Puakea is ranked 16th in the prestigious “2010 Best Courses You Can Play” by state list.
Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort Partners With Green Car Hawaii
In an effort to “go green” and save guests money, the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort & Spa is now offering visitors the opportunity to rent hybrid cars by the hour or day. The model allows people to rent a hybrid sport utility vehicle to use when they need it, which may not be the entire time they are on the island. Green Car Hawaii launched the program at the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i this summer due to the resort’s environmental leadership in the industry.
A self-service kiosk in the hotel lobby enables guests to make reservations at an hourly rate of $15, including all fuel and insurance costs. Daily rates are also available. The car is then delivered by the hotel valet. Cars come equipped with an iPad providing an interactive GPS-based island map and virtual tour guide. The program has launched to rave reviews from guests who enjoy the flexibility and ease of service in addition to knowing they are doing something to reduce environmental pollution.
“Being able to offer this innovative service for our guests is great and the overall sustainability of the business plan makes it even more compelling,” said Grand Hyatt Kaua’i General Manager Doug Sears. “Environmental stewardship is a priority at the hotel so this coincides with the many other initiatives we have in place – from producing clean renewable energy with our photovoltaic system to reusing heat produced by our air conditioning system to warm our pools.”
About “Kaua’i: Discover Golf’s Ultimate Island Green”
Kaua’i offers more than 50 miles of white sand beaches — more beach per mile than any other island in Hawaii. Only four percent of the island is developed for commercial and residential use.
For more information about golf on the Garden Isle visit www.Kauaidiscovery.com/activities/golfing/, www.twitter.com/KauaiGolf, or call 800-262-1400.
The unique attributes of the golf destination cooperative “Kaua’i: Discover Golf’s Ultimate Island Green” include:
1. Princeville Golf Courses (www.princeville.com)
45 holes of golf — the 27-hole Makai Golf Club at The St. Regis Princeville Resort and the 18-hole Prince Golf Course — all designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.
The Prince Course (800.826.1105) is rated the No. 1 course in the state and was rated No. 67 in Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses 2009-10”
The Makai Golf Club (www.makaigolf.com/, 808.826.1912) reopened in 2010 after an extensive 15-month renovation and now features the 18-hole Makai Course and the 9-hole Woods Course
The St. Regis Princeville Resort just completed a multi-million-dollar renovation and opened the first week of October 2009
2. Kaua’i Lagoons Golf Club (www.kauailagoonsgolf.com, 800.634.6400)
Voted, along with Kaua’i Marriott Resort, one of the “Top 50 Resort Courses” worldwide by GolfWorld magazine in its “2009 Readers’ Choice Awards”
Currently 18 of the 38 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus are in play, consisting of nine holes from the Kiele Course and nine holes from the Mokihana Course. The Kiele Ocean nine is receiving extensive upgrades, including the addition of one new ocean hole that will create a one-half-mile long stretch of oceanfront golf. Completion of the Kiele Ocean nine is scheduled for May 2011
The front nine holes feature the par-3 fifth green encircled by a tropical Mango and Guava tree forest
3. Poipu Bay Golf Course (www.poipubaygolf.com, 800.858.6300)
Along with Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort & Spa rated No. 16 in GolfWorld’s “America’s Top 50 Resort Courses, 2009”
Four closing holes play atop a 150-foot sea cliff
Home to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 through 2006, it has frequently hosted players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and other major champions
Course is currently closed for greens renovation with a reopening planned for December 2010
4. Puakea Golf Club (www.puakeagolf.com, 866.773.5554)
Consistently rated a favorite among Kaua’i golfers in local media outlets and ranked as the No. 15 course in Hawaii by Golfweek.
Golf Course Architect Robin Nelson used the natural layout of the land when he planned this layout, testing golfers of all levels and treating them to beautiful views of Mt. Ha’upu and deep lush ravines on several holes.
Owned by AOL co-Founder Steve Case
About the KVB and HVCB
The Kaua’i Visitors Bureau is a division of the Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau, which is contracted by the Hawai’i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state of Hawai’i’s tourism agency, for marketing management services in North America. The HTA was established in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to strategically manage Hawai’i tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with the state of Hawai’i’s economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs.
Contact:
Gary Trask, 978.228.0314
Buffalo Communications
gtrask@billycaspergolf.com
Dan Shepherd, 703.891.3320
Buffalo Communications
dshepherd@billycaspergolf.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
