Recession Rest Haven

Hawaii's Kauai Island

by Jeffrey Laughlin

Boasting one of the most sought after travel destinations in the western world is not enough for Hawaii. They are not a bragging culture by nature, but as former resident Jay Michaels said, “We have to sometimes. I mean, it’s more fun to be there, but when you can’t, talking about it is almost a necessity. It’s perfect there– just perfect.” Michaels is referring specifically to the island of Kauai. Nestled in between Niihau and Oahu, the “Garden Island” is worth the attention. With a conglomeration of beautiful beaches, golf courses and worthwhile destinations, Kauai tempts the novice and the expert golfer or traveler.

In their series of courses, Kauai hosts three separate Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designs, including the Poipu Bay Golf Course. An open-guest resort club with challenging yet enjoyable atmospheres, Poipu Bay sits on the south of shore of the island. Their greens fees are reasonable—not exceeding $200 before club rentals or cart rentals and go much lower as a guest of the resort. The hotel overlooks two beautiful stretches of beach and comes will full-service dining and amenities. Comfortable rooms and accessibility to the rest of the island are selling points as well, yet Poipu Bay also promises seclusion and quiet for the guest requiring relaxing, easygoing vacation time.

Access is an easy enough ideal—the island almost demands exploration and the resort provides several scenarios for car rentals and golf outings to extend beyond their ample space and coverage. One such offer extends to a one-bedroom and bath with a Jeep rental and full golf rentals for under $1500 per week. This allows for the exploration necessary to see the island’s verdancy and guarantees a shot at the courses that surround the shores of the island. “The best thing about the golf courses around Kauai is the fact that you forget to be involved in the game,” Michaels said. “You just lose the score and stand for minutes at a time before a shot. Soaking in the brilliance of your surroundings becomes paramount—the scores just happen as a result. It’s a means to an end, so to speak.” As a lifetime golfer, Michaels appreciates his homeland more than anything. “I was born there and lived there, collectively, for over a decade and it never got old. Each day was a gift, even though each swing seemed like a curse.”

Poipu Bay course is a 1991-built masterpiece on Bermuda 419 ranging 7,123 yards in total—an average USGA par of 73.9 on the gold, or farthest tees. The aforementioned luxurious atmosphere notwithstanding, the links attract a high number of visitors while maintaining an approachable atmosphere for the inexperienced and experienced alike. “All of Kauai’s courses offer something unique, but the view on [Poipu Bay’s] back nine is spectacular. We have three holes overlooking a bluff that offer a perfect view,” said Craig Sasada, club pro and golf director of Poipu Bay. Over the years, the course has won numerous awards and has been rated among the top golf courses in the U.S. In fact, from 1994-2006, Poipu Bay played host to the annual PGA Grand Slam of Golf, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the golf world. Tiger Woods, seven-time winner at Poipu, hit one of the “one of the best [shots] I’ve ever played in my life,” off of the sixteenth hole in 1997. Other winners included Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Greg Norman. Aside from the hallowed prospect of playing on professional ground, the course provides four tee positions for the novice and splendid greens with challenging hole positions in constant rotation. In 2004, after shooting a 59 in the final round of the Grand Slam, Phil Mickelson said, “I had a great view to play one superb round of golf.”

Off the course, the beaches of Poipu Bay stretch endlessly. The resort offers seventy acres of tropical grounds connecting to the Brennecke-Poipu Beaches and Shipwreck Beach—both ideal sands on the oldest of the Hawaiian isles. The resort features seven swimming pools throughout and local restaurants surround the area. Even the rooms themselves were built with creature comforts in mind. They are beautifully furnished and come in two styles: deluxe and extra deluxe on the beachfront. Each room, no matter the classification, comes with a private lanai for meals, privacy or comfortable working environs. Each room varies from 300 square feet (an economical one-person size) to 2,000 plus square feet for a five-room family experience. The going rate for a single-person with a car rental and golf outings is under 1300 dollars, proving the 300 square foot room easily worth the price. Fifty percent of the guests are returning visitors and the overall layout is conducive to both stimulating sights and relaxing undertones.

Still, those looking for more stimulation or wilder times need look no further than the surrounding restaurants and attractions along the South Shore. Several other resorts hold an open guest policy for golf with comparable prices, including the Kiahuna resort also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Kauai offers seven featured courses in its 500-plus square miles. The eating establishments surrounding the area include bar-and-grill accompaniments to the courses themselves, but the avid traveler may enjoy veering from the main attractions to see the various Italian restaurants or native Hawaiian luau’s along the Poipu beach area. The area is known for it’s regional food, casual dining atmosphere and extended happy hours. Most of the restaurants are located in clumps making the choices numerous while inexpensive. Most even go out of their way to take personal or traveler’s checks to make the experience of dining in the South Shore easier than getting on the greens.

Fortunately, Poipu Bay makes the choices easy. Whether visitors want to focus on the world-renowned courses or the local flair, Poipu Bay Resort can accommodate the vacation. The locals and returning guests won’t hesitate to tell you that the island itself is worth bragging about. The only way to prove them right is to visit for yourself. You may even end up bragging about having been there; having walked the same bent-grass path as the pros and enjoying one of the most sought after vacations you could imagine.