This course had 10 holes completed in the early 1990’s
when the infamous hurricane Iniki howled through the
islands.
Work on the course was suspended, and it became the only
20-hole round in Hawai‘i through the 1990’s.
In 2002, new investors commissioned Robin Nelson to gussy
up and finish his 6,954-yard design in this suburban
property
just 10-minutes east of the airport.
An
old plantation house sits to the side of the cart barn
in dormant, but expectant repose. Plans are for
the home to be
converted into the clubhouse.
The course has personality. Its entrance
sits in a flatland edge of an extended shopping mall
and a residential
development. The first holes, with orange colored warehouse
roofs in sight and the main road nearby, certainly do
not make
for a cozy Kaua‘i setting. But once the course
gains some much-needed maturity and new trees shield
the shopping center, it will take on some luster.
As you descend out of the 3rd hole,
a 407-yard par-4 with a pond wrapping around the left
side of the fairway,
you
begin to get a more pastoral feel. The course boasts
six lakes and ponds and some lush foliage on the backside
towards the
mountain. Its condition is commendable, and once you
factor in the trade winds, you understand for the 135
slope rating.
Puakea has ample diversity. Par-3s
extend from 134 to 228 yards. The par-4s stretch from
359 to 455 yards.
According
to Pat Hunt, the head professional who has been at
the course since its birth: “The 5s are the easiest,
with each reachable except for the 560-yard 11th. But
the beauty is
the solid variety. The par-4s go from short and demanding,
to long and difficult.
Even though the 16th is only 134 yards,
it's difficult because of the pin location.” Clearly,
the signature hole on this nurtured, links-style track
is the 176- yard 6th. From terraced tee boxes, you look
over a lush declivity dropping to a large lake in front
of a 40-yard wide green flanked by bunkers. The tropical
backdrop and mountains in the distance make it hard
to believe this is the same course that began with an
unadorned 1st hole. An elevation drop of about 75 feet
and prevailing winds make this an interesting and testy
endeavor. Nice hole.
The 12th, a 397-yard par-4, is handicapped
4 and requires a well-placed drive to avoid deep, left-side
bunkers
at the
landing area and a pond that has just enough presence
to make a golfer with a slice tremulous.
As the course takes shape, both philosophically
and with more superintendence, it should develop into
a worthy challenge for nearby resort guests.
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