The PGA Season Kicks off at Kapalua

Today's entry is intended to serve two purposes - first, to convince you that golf is a wonderful excuse to travel to incredible places. Second, I'll try my best to get you interested in watching golf on television! Kapalua Golf Resort in Maui, Hawaii, I hope will help me in accomplishing both of these goals!

Kapalua Golf Resort in Maui has two courses - the Bay Course and the Plantation Course. Both courses are absolutely beautiful to play - but it is the Plantation Course where the PGA Tour kicks off each season with its tournament - this year, the "Hyundai Tournament of Champions," which kicked off yesterday. So, in case you haven't watched any tournament highlights from yesterday yet, have a look at some photos I took at these courses earlier this year to familiarize yourself with Kapalua:

Here's the Bay Course - which people may tell you, "isn't really worth playing" if you go to Kapalua. How wrong those people are!!

(In case you're wondering by now - yes, I find myself in a lot of bunkers!)

Here's the 18th hole at the Plantation Course:

And The Plantation Course at sunset...

One great swing on the back 9 at the Plantation Course...

So now back to the task at hand - first, convincing you that golf is a great excuse to travel. Well, I'll be honest... the pictures were really supposed to do it! If that didn't work, look at them again and think about the fact that Kapalua weather is pretty much 80's all year round! I will understand, however, if you're looking at the pictures and saying, "sure, that looks great, but I can't play golf yet!!" Fear not - just keep visiting this blog because soon I'll give you tips on how to actually get started with the game, and how to play incredible courses quickly and within the rules of the game so that you aren't intimidated and so that you're not slowing down your group, or the groups around you.

I haven't forgotten about my second goal - of convincing you that golf is great to watch on television! So here's why the first tournament of the year is particularly fun to watch. First, its called the "Tournament of Champions" because you have to win to get in. Every player in the tournament this weekend, won a tournament in 2010. What you're getting as a result is a relatively small field, of relatively amazing golfers! This tournament is a great opportunity for you to learn who some of the top players of the game are without being totally overwhelmed. The other reason that this tournament is particularly entertaining to watch is because the course has a few holes that are super fun to play. Turn on the tournament, and you're sure to see footage of the 6th hole - a 398 par 4 that the pros will regularly drive the ball to the green (or even past it). The 18th hole is another fun one that is long on paper, but is set-up with such a strong slope downhill that I even hit a 250 yard drive down it. (For the record my average is more like 190yards!) Then there are the entertaining stories that seem to accompany any golf tournament. Yesterday, Stuart Appleby arrived at the tournament only to discover his putter was missing. His caddie had to buy a new one from the pro shop which he played his round with! Are you convinced yet that this is a fun game? When even the pros make silly mistakes, its even easier to believe

The Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua will be on:
Friday and Saturday: 5:30pm - 10pm on the Golf Channel, AND
Sunday: 6pm - 10pm on the Golf Channel

Or if you're just willing to try to looking at highlights as a start, visit the PGA Tour website: www.pgatour.com

Enjoy!