Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Hawaii
MARTIN Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday for some folks, but yesterday was Paul Azinger Day at Waialae Country Club. When the cancer survivor birdied the 18th hole, nailing his overwhelming win of the Sony Open, he told the TV audience that the win was for cancer A zinger of
a day for golfersurvivors everywhere, in hopes that they, too, will overcome the disease and go on to lead full lives ... Among those taking in the Open was First Hawaiian Bank chairman Walter Dods, wearing a hat reading "The Skins Game." Perfect for his head, it was noted, and he removed it to rub his shiny pate ... Also on hand was restaurateur Roy Yamaguchi, who's as at home on the course as in the kitchen. Dods noted that Roy's new restaurant in San Francisco, opening this spring at 2nd and Mission streets, is at the same locale as the new building constructed by Jack Myers, who built the unique looking First Hawaiian building downtown ...
WHEN Gary Nicklaus, son of the greatest of them all, Jack Nicklaus, holed out his final putt on the 18th green Saturday, his head spun around when he heard a hardy group of fans sitting in the Halekulani's skybox singing, "Happy Birthday, dear Gary," to him. It was the brainchild of the hotel's corporate marketing director Dean Fujitani ... There was food galore at various hospitality suites, and of course I felt it was my duty to report on them all. The AT&T booth featured all-American grub like hamburgers and hotdogs, fresh off the grill; GTE's specialized in Asian and local dishes; the Halekulani pulled out the stops, and had the crew from La Mer serving haute cuisine ...
Hello again
FRIDAY night after working the golf tournament for the Hawaii State Radio Network and some mainland affiliates, radio reporter Jack Samuels took in the Brothers Cazimero "Hawaiian Nights" concert at the Hawaii Theatre. Samuels, who used to live in Hawaii and is a big fan of the Caz, nearly was reduced to tears when they opened their show with "Goodbye Honolulu, the song written by Johnny Spencer with lyrics by his late wife, Margot Doolin Samuels. He had no idea when we took our seats that it was the opening number. Fantastic show, by the way, from the duo whose only regular gig these days is Wednesday nights at Chai's Island Bistro ...
Babbling Brooks
IT was time Saturday night for our almost annual sit-down with former isle architect Desmond Brooks and his wife, Pauline. We were joined at the Outrigger Canoe Club for dinner by Vicky and Jimmy Borges, and as usual, "Dashing Des" had us all in stitches. Des and Pauline now live on the Gold Coast, not the one in Waikiki or the one in Africa, Des is quick to point out, but the one in his native Australia. The incredibly successful Brooks, who once installed a $7 million fountain in the back yard of Aussie billionaire Alan Bond, admitted that while he and Pauline were a three Rolls Royce family, they're now down to a single Rolls, plus one of those tiny, sporty BMWs. Des recalls that once during their Rolls period, he was taking a group of elegantly attired friends to the horse races, and when they got into the Rolls, he discovered it had a flat tire. "Not to worry," he told them. "I have a spare in the garage." As they wondered who was going to change the tire, the garage door opened and Des backed out in an identical Rolls Corniche. That's what I call a spare ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com