Josh and Beth Round 5 Hokuala

Round Played: with Josh and Beth Strukoff –

By Wayne Halm –

— Yeah, I played golf on my wife’s birthday – and got away with it —

On December 9^th 2016 I played the Hokuala Golf Club with my buddies Josh and Beth Strukoff from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  This beautiful golf course forces a good time on players … we put up no resistance … “laissez le bon temps roulette” – and we did.

(Click on any picture for a larger view – then use the browser ‘back’ button.)

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On the first tee box I couldn’t decide if Josh was feeling challenged by the Jack Nicklaus designed course or by Beth.

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We were warmed-up by the time we reached the 334 yard third hole.  From the tee it is not apparent why this is the #1 handicapped hole – but Beth was confident she could handle it.

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It didn’t take long for Hokuala to make us happy golfers … but the smiles really came out on the 5^th tee box.

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We got two breaks on the classic par3 8^th hole … the pin was in the front and  the trade winds weren’t blowing balls into the lake.  Still we had to decide how hard to swing, short is a frequent problem.  Watch Beth’s attempt below.

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Don’t rush to feel sorry for Beth – she got up and down for par.  And she remembered Rule 8 of “Wayne’s Rules of Resort Golf” which states, “Complaining about par is in poor taste – don’t do it”.

Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses.  But we didn’t have any roses so we did the next best thing.  Between holes 12 and 13 we paused to smell and admire the Macadama Nut Grove.

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The 13^th hole plays down to the ocean.  It is an open invitation for golfers to try the 300 yard drive.

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Does anyone recall Rule 7 of “Wayne’s Rules of Resort Golf”?  It’s the one that states, “Golfers must stop at all scenic points for pictures – it makes the folks back home envious.”  Well, that rule is heavily used at the Hokuala Golf Club.

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Rather than go on with Rule 7 pictures, let’s get back to golf.  From the 14^th tee I hit onto the right fringe .. and Josh was feeling a little pressure as he stepped onto the tee.  But he was up to it – watch below.

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It’s all intimidation – pars and we moved on.

The 18^th at Hokuala is a great finishing hole.  The Yogi-ism, “It ain’t over til it’s over” is so true there.  The lead frequently changes on this hole.

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This was an outstanding day for us on a great golf course.  We had no trouble having more laughs than putts.  This was the way golf should be.

Josh writes a golf blog called Golf is Mental – he should post about this round soon.  Check it out … Compare his experience to mine.

Josh, Beth, and I have played before – read about our previous rounds below:

The Manele Bay Golf Club — my post about it is here — and Josh’s post about it is here

The Kiahuna Golf Club — my post about it is here — and Josh’s post about it is here

The Makai Golf Club — my post about it is here — and Josh’s post about it is here

The Wailua Golf Course — my post about it is here — and Josh’s post about it is here

The Poipu Bay Golf Course — my post about it is here

As for my 2016 goal of playing golf with 100 people I haven’t met – I’m still at 42.  Want to be in that number?

Come play golf with me.

(How did I get away with playing golf on my wife’s birthday?  She was off-island in Chicago.)

The Hokuala Golf Club  808-241-6000   www.hokualakauai.com

Return to Golfing on Kauai Home Page and read about other rounds played