At least it looks good!
Written: Mar 23 '01
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Pros: This course offers some great views of the ocean and is nicely maintained.
Cons: We played this on a windy day and the course was crowded!
The Bottom Line: Some great views of the ocean, but don't play this course on a really windy day - especially in the afternoon when it tends to get very crowded.
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| diverpam's Full Review: Wailea Golf Club - Blue Course |
The Wailea Blue Course offers some really beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, we spotted several Humpback Whales spouting offshore while we playing. Because the course was so crowded, we had plenty of time to sightsee.
Our tee time was 252 pm (the green fees drop from $145 to $75 after 2pm) and everyone else on Maui seemed to have the same idea as us. There were several families playing in front and behind us and I seemed to be a better golfer than most of them. (That is a very sad thing, when you realize I play golf once or twice a year.) This made for a very long afternoon. In fact, we were about the last ones to finish just before the sun dropped into the ocean.
Between the fierce wind and the crowded conditions, it made for a long and often aggravating afternoon. If it hadn't been for the great ocean views, I would have jumped ship (cart) on hole #14 and gone across the street to the Shops of Wailea.
I was not overly impressed by the pro shop or the attentiveness of the employees at the Blue Course. The Blue Course is the older (1972) and less pretty sister of the Emerald and Gold (1994) courses. The Emerald and Gold are also more challenging and don't offer afternoon discounts, so the Blue was the best choice for us.
At least I didn't have to worry about slowing anyone down. We had a wait from the beginning with Hole #1. This downhill hole is a par 4, playing a straight 346 yards. It's pretty bad when you can stand around watching two groups ahead of you. Then the group behind us arrived... three carts,including three children. They almost ran over us and got a scolding from the course marshall.
Between the people in front of us either not driving the cart on the fairway at all, or running over the ropes and iron poles, and the people behind us almost hitting down on our heads,it made for a strange afternoon of golf.
There are signs on the course warning you about houses near the fairway and that golfers are liable for damage or injury. I was glad I seldom was able to get my ball too high into the air. The wind was really fierce that day and several of my husband's drives seemed to come to a halt mid-air and take a dramatic turn to the side.
If you spend most of your time hitting low balls in a fairly straight fashion you could do pretty well on this course. Many of the fairways were fairly narrow and the wind was always a factor. This actually allowed me to beat my husband on a couple of holes (a first!).
We quit keeping score after hole number 10. The pace of play had almost ground to a halt, we were fighting the wind constantly, and the Humpback Whales were pretty distracting. We got better shots with our camera than our clubs and we got to see a spectacular sunset as we were walking down the hill from the clubhouse.
The greens were totally unpredictable and almost impossible to read. One would be fast, another slow, and they never broke as expected. A couple of times the wind was so bad it actually blew my ball sideways as I was putting.
I think the kindest thing I can do for this course is point out that it is very well maintained, has some great views of the ocean from several holes, and offers some challenging golf.
Stats: Slope/USGA Rating
Blue: 130 /71.6
White: 125 / 68.9
Red: 118 / 70.3
Hole: Par/Handicap
1: 4 / 13
2: 3 / 15
3: 4 / 11
4: 5 / 1
5: 4 / 7
6: 4 / 9
7: 4 / 9
8: 4 / 3
9: 3 / 17
10: 5 / 4
11: 4 / 6
12: 3 / 18
13: 4 / 8
14: 5 / 10
15: 4 / 12
16: 5 / 2
17: 4 / 14
18: 3 / 16
If I play this course again it won't be on a windy day, that's for sure!
Recommended:
Yes
Green Fees Paid (US$): 75 (after 2)
Speed of Play (typical weekend): 4 to 5 Hours
Look Out For: Houses
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Epinions.com ID:
diverpam
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Member: Pam
Location: Collierville, TN
Reviews written: 263
Trusted by: 347 members
About Me:
~~~~So many oceans...so little time!~~~~
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