Sunday, June 3, 2001
[HAWAII'S SIGNATURE HOLES]
The challenge ADMIRERS OF NUUANU'S Oahu Country Club have affectionately described it as the "dowager queen" of Hawaiian courses -- "pristine and picturesque" and "steeped in terrain and tradition."
of OCC
The best thing about its par-5,
No. 13 hole is that everything
is downhill after thatBy Grady Timmons
Special to the Star-BulletinBuilt in 1906, Oahu is secluded, verdant, water- splashed and hilly. To find it, just drive up Nuuanu Valley and when it starts to rain, turn left.
The Oahu Country Club is the site of this week's Manoa Cup, symbolic of the men's State Amateur Match Play Championship. Begun in 1907, the Manoa Cup is the oldest continuous golf tournament in Hawaii, and for amateurs the most prestigious.
Beginning tomorrow, upwards of 100 of the state's best will vie for one of the 64 spots in the match play competition that begins on Tuesday. Competitors come from all over the state, and they arrive knowing the weather will be unpredictable, the greens slippery, and the hills tortuous and steep.
What: 2001 Hawaii State Amateur Match Play Championships MANOA CUP
When: June 4-9
Where: Oahu Country Club
Time: 7 a.m.
Eligibility: Golfers with a USGA-approved handicap not to exceed 9.0
Maximum field: 120
Fee: $95, includes cart and luncheon for qualifying round tomorrow
Information: Jay Hinazumi, 247-3971, Shige Hinazumi, 734-4662 and the HSGA 589-2909
When a champion is crowned next weekend, he will receive the silver cup and the ceremonial toss in the clubhouse pool. But first, he will have survived a qualifying round, beaten six opponents and played nine rounds of golf in six days. On three of those days he will have played 36 holes.
And he will have walked every step of the way.
Although Oahu is a short layout, barely 6,000 yards long, those who are at odds with uneven lies tend to have great difficulty. This is a true mountain course. The back nine climbs inexorably up the Pali, reaching its climax at the very top of the course -- the dreaded par-5 13th.
On the scorecard this hole looks to be ridiculously easy. After all, how hard can a 431-yard par-5 be? But don't let the yardage fool you. This is one of the best short par-5s in the state.The surrounding natural beauty at the 13th belies the vertical challenge that lies ahead. The hole plays uphill and into the wind. Thick trees line the left side of the fairway and there are more trees and out-of-bounds right. Drive it safely up the middle and you're still faced with a blind second shot up a steep hill from an impossibly awkward lie. To simulate this shot, imagine standing in your bathroom with one foot up on the toilet and the other in the tub. Now try swinging.
The 13th green sits just over the top of the hill, framed by trees and a pair of bunkers. After the long climb it looks serenely inviting, yet in truth it is maddening to putt. At all costs keep your approach shot below and to the right of the pin. A severe left-to-right break, which may move 10 feet on a 15-foot putt, can't be detected by examining the slope.
Hit it above the hole and you may be playing your next shot from the front bunker. To borrow an analogy used by CBS golf analyst Gary McCord at the Masters -- this downhill putt is like rolling a ball off the front windshield of your car and stopping it next to the hood ornament.
Oahu's 13th hole does offer one consolation: it's all downhill thereafter. Also, at the top of course there is a refreshment stand where you can order a cup of the club's world famous ice tea and drink in the magnificent view of downtown Honolulu.
Editor's note: The Star-Bulletin features signature holes for
courses throughout Hawaii on Sunday.