Round Played: with Rod & Karen Ribelin and Ken Wilcox –
By Wayne Halm –
On March 20th 2016 I played the Kukuiolono Park Golf Course with Rod and Karen Ribelin from Longview, Washington USA and with Ken Wilcox from Edmonds, Washington USA. This was simply a fun foursome.
Ken, Wayne, Karen, and Rod
.(Click on any picture for a larger view – then use the browser ‘back’ button.)
To make things even more fun Sally came with me and walked the course to satisfy her FitBit.
Sally — Her niece, Kerry, was ahead of her in FitBit steps, and Sally was determined to catch up.
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The Kukuiolono Park Golf Course is a 9 hole “muni” (we went around twice). It is located pretty far up the mountain in the town of Kalaheo. It doesn’t offer ocean side play, but it does present some spectacular panoramic ocean views.
Not even I could slice the ball into the ocean from there.
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The course is wide open and the tall pine trees, coconut palms, and date palms give it a beauty aside from the ocean views.
The 1st fairway – for some reason the fairways were brown. The grass looked healthy, it was just brown.
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Rod, Karen, and I rode carts for the round, but Ken walked with a pull cart. That suited Sally just fine, she and Ken walked and chatted.
Ken and Sally – she got in over 24,000 steps and really pushed her young niece.
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Kukuiolono has some interesting holes to challenge most golfers. But the most noticeable feature is that the fairways are hard – the ball bounces and rolls a long way. I hit one 5-iron 256 yards! I know it was the condition and not me, I normally hit the 5-iron 185 yards. I hope the “condition” enjoyed that shot as much as I did.
And I wasn’t the only one enjoying the long shots, they just tickled us to the bone.
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Rod, Ken, and I took advantage of the long rolls and open spaces – we all tried to “grip it and rip it”.
Rod getting after it.
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Doesn’t this just scream, “Hit it as hard as you can”?
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And there are places where you had better hit it hard.
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The greens at Kukuiolono can use some help – the ball bounces and is hard to control. They are challenging.
Rod being challenged.
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Challenging or not – one of us got to do her “I just made a long putt” dance several times.
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This was a fun day on a great golf course. We all hit some good shots and the smiles lasted the entire round. It was the way golf should be.
Ken Sally and Karen
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I have set a 2016 goal of playing golf with 100 people I haven’t met. Rod, Karen, and Ken are number 19, 20, and 21. Want to be in that number?
Come play golf with me.
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Other people from Washington state USA I’ve played with: — Tip Kon — Paul and Darlene McTaggert — Kerry Karlson — Julius Debro — Guy Generaux — Brian Beaky
Golfing on Kauai 
Aloha Wayne,
Even with bumpy greens, that looks like one fun muni — and the group playing looks like even more fun. I’m not sure I’d give all the credit to the firm turf for that 256 yard 5-iron…maybe it had something to do with the recent pedicure?
Cheers!
Josh
Aloha Josh,
We did have a lot of fun. And yes, that pedicure added 70+ yards to my long irons. Hahaha, can you imagine if that were true – every spa would be full of golfers!
A Hui Hou,
Wayne
Aloha Wayne,
Had a great time relaxing/talking/laughing and struggling (it is golf, after all) with you, Sally, Rod & Karen.
Great to play with others who can balance taking the game seriously but not taking themselves/scores too seriously!
It would be great to get out again for another leg of this golf journey!
Ken Wilcox
Aloha Ken,
That was fun round wasn’t it? It is great to play with folks who know there is so much more to golf than hitting the ball. Yes, let’s try to get out again this coming weekend.
A Hui Hou,
Wayne
Hope you will still consider playing with people you do know!
Aloha,
Of course I do. They are fun – but so are the new folks.
A Hui Hou,
Wayne