iSank

Hawaii Best Courses You Can Play 1. Kapalua (Plantation), Maui (No. 45 m) 2. Four Seasons Resort (Manele), Lanai (No. 65 m) 3. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel GC, Kona (m) 4. Princeville Makai, Kauai (m) 5. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Kailua-Kona (m) 6. Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (Poipu Bay), Kauai (m) 7. Wailea (Gold), Maui (m) 8. Turtle Bay Resort (Arnold Palmer), Oahu (m) 9. Wailea (Emerald), Maui (m) 10. Kapolei GC, Kapolei (m) 11. Ocean Course at Hokuala, Kauai (m) 12. Kapalua (Bay), Maui (m) 13. Mauna Lani (North), Kona (m) 14. Wailua Municipal, Kauai (m) 15. Royal Ka’anapali, Lahaina (m)* *= new to list (m): modern (c): classic Well they are all pretty decent courses. A couple Big Island private clubs routinely take the top spots but the only we get to play those are if you bid on them in a charity auction. so for what’s listed. It’s just so happens that my two favorite courses that I love to play are the Plantation and Manele. Turtle Bay and Kapolei are over rated, while Mauna Lani and Hokuala are under rated. 14 and 15 do not even belong on the list. Also I would move Hualalai up to 3rd, that course is fantastic and just a good bit better than Mauna Kea and Princeville. And yes I have played each of them multiple times except the Muni on Kauai, I have been there many times at the course just never cared enough to play it. I have played the muni on Maui and that was worth it. Aloha, iSank

Are you going thru Taco-stand withdrawal? Returning your shopping cart is appreciated by your peer shoppers. Last time vertical camping, absent of solo on WFLT, we had to rappel 1200 ft to get more beer. Since then I just like to keep moving. Hey I’m playing Turning Stone in a couple weeks, your welcome to join us, just a 2 ball my wife and I. Aloha, iSank

Pretty cool story. You know Mom must trust her husband and friend to keep the young one tied in. 5 days is about average pace, I just wouldn’t like to get stuck behind them. Vertical camping is overrated, do everything in a push.

Well it’s been a while but it’s still a solid video. When you climb El Cap, there is frequently a retired gentleman, Tom Evans, ElCap Reports ElCap Report by Tom Evans Reports of rock climbers ascending El Capitan in Yosemite. down by the bridge with some pretty impressive camera equipment. He’ll take some photos of you when you climb then you give him a few $$’s and he’ll give you a dvd full of your images. Before you take off he will encourage you to wear bright colors of which red is perfect. Greys, brown do not pick up well on a sea of granite. Alex took what a few hours? Took my buddy and I 23 hrs, and I was beat. Also Jimmy Chin is quite an incredible guy. Aloha, iSank

Nice, look forward to hearing your thoughts on the courses. We are 3 weeks out from a CNY trip. We will hang with family mostly but will get away for a few games. We have 2 rounds secured at Turning Stone, and will play the rest as opportunities are presented. We will be in Skaneateles so Rochester courses would be a stretch but not that far away. It’s a haul but I think we will bring our clubs. Aloha, iSank

Wow last post March? The spring into summer is my favorite time of the year. Yes the Masters, LPGA and PGA in full swing, Stanley Cup underway, College Baseball World Series, oh that nba soap opera has some good moments, just had the Monaco Grand Prix, just finished college D1 golf championships, Isle of Man TT (best race in the world) and now I am off work for 2 months. Golf games per week Up, miles on mountain bike Up, miles traveled Up. It’s the most wonderful time of year!

I always feel that it’s not the course it's the way I’m playing the game so good to see two local tough ones with Koolau and Luana Hills. I enjoy Luana, and every time I feel I got my game together I’ll play Koolau which immediately humbles me. Tough course. New Year’s Day we played Titirangi GC in Auckland and that course ate me alive. Not sure when we will go back to NZ but when we do, I told my wife let’s play that course 2 days in a row. I hope I’m not a sadist. Aloha, iSank

I could hand the iPad over to my wife, but I’ll just tell the story. We were playing together and on this 1 hole, the cart path stopped by the forward tees and I had to walk back to my tee. She stands in front of the cart and I make solid contact, except I pulled it, ball is headed right at her. She puts her arm up like wonder women, and the ball hits her forearm right on the bone, then continues to fly another 100 yards. She leans over her arm in pain, and it starts to swell, we head to the clubhouse to get ice and then head back to our position in the lineup, we missed 1 hole. She takes 1 more hole off and then gets back to the game and finishes the round. Later the ships doctor took an ex ray which showed no damage, so we just iced for the next day. She now stays well clear of my shots.

Very cool trip! Thats some fun looking holes in the foto’s, thank you for sharing.

This goes fully against a growth mindset and supports quite the opposite a fixed mindset. What a terrible thing to allow, and I sure hope it wasn’t coach suggested. I am not a golf coach, but I would consider a policy of, you do not finish 18, you are finished on this team. I did coach basketball for many years and if at half time some player said I’m done, not playing well. (Outside of injury) well that never happened, not once. So I wonder how did so many do this here at one tourney. well it is Friday, Aloha.

It’s good to be a Captain. We’ve bareboated a couple times and have not brought the clubs. I have always asked if my family wanted to bareboat a 45ft catamaran and sail anywhere they desired but they are comfortable on a cruise ship. I still don’t think I’d bring them. Have fun! Wishing you Fair winds and following seas iSank

There’s still some hope, I was just over there and did my usual walk back, and it looks like the course is getting some attention. It’s getting mowed and sprinklers have been set up. Now that the Manele Hotel is finished I saw scaffolding around the Lodge. The 17th was a riot to tee off from, as a par 4 once you hit the ball you swear your going over the green and then it would start dropping ending up 100+ short. All the stone carvings for each hole are by the parking at Cavendish.

2017 Day 2 of 21 in Scotland, first game Queens Course Gleneagles 18th hole, not a good drive so I am 230 or so out from the green. Take out my 3 metal, contact sounded solid but the flight path was right at the clubhouse, in horror I half yell fore. The starter is taking the next group to the first tee and it’s not looking good, it’s going to glass or flesh. Somehow the ball makes it thru the crowd, drops about 3 ft hits the clubhouses brick siding then bounces back thru the crowd and out to the rough just left of the fairway. They start yelling at me, I’m slightly refreshed with no damage done, and once I get close enough tell them sorry yea I screwed up, lighten up. Fortunately the next few weeks were Fantastic with the next building I hit being the Old Course Hotel on my 2nd to last day. Aloha, iSank

Well it’s that all too familiar process; remove all metal heads, wash all golf apparel, get a fresh dozen from the local golf shop. Tomorrow it’s a flight to Lanai, Tuesday I’ll take the boat to Maui. The island’s top 2 courses, Plantation and Wailea Gold are out and aerated. So it’s the Bay, then Wailea Emerald then on day 6 either emerald again or blue, maybe Silversword. Six days, six games. Maui hotels now seem busy, I almost brought my tent to camp. Aloha, iSank

Australia is a great trip. If you have any club memberships it seems like it could open a few doors but without that we still played some solid courses. The Lakes in Sydney is very good. We had a tee time at New SouthWales GC but a late minute push back of our tee time gave us the chance to visit The Lakes. Melbourne seemed to be one big sand trap but good fun golf. our closest port to Cape Kidnappers was 3 hrs away, by the time we could have rented a car, and got there we would have had to return after a few holes. So the plan is to return to Auckland and play Titirangi a couple more times, and head North to Kauri and nearby north island golf and local qualities such as food and wine. Aloha to all, iSank