HUALALAI GOLF AND TASTE OF HAWAII

According to FOX News, the best golf courses in Hawaii are:

• #1  Club at Hokulia
• #2  Hualalai Golf Course (above)
• #3  Mauna Kea Golf Course
• #4  North Course at Maunalani Resort
• #5  Poipu Golf Course.

Thus, the top four courses in this state are on the Big Island.  I today golfed at #2, Hualalai.  Hokulia, unfortunately, is a private course, and is not open to the public.  Neither is Hualalai.  You need to stay at the Four Seasons here to golf.  Got to agree that Hokulia (right) is far superior to Hualalai, which I found to be lacking.  #2?  Not in my opinion.

A dozen Chaine des Rotisseurs members and their guests played:

The signature #17 hole (that's the photo at the top) with Marie waving, Dominick in cart and Carol at the tee:

After golf and a long bath with a glass of Chardonnay, on to the sunset Taste of Hawaii reception at the Seashell Pool Deck.  Here are a few photos, beginning with Patrick Okubo (he won the Chaine Young Sommelier award five years ago and has zoomed to become our wine guy as Echanson Provincial):

Patrick is manning the red wine table, with that 18-year old Highland Park, an organic scotch, plus cognacs.

The highlight of the gathering was a series of stations featuring sashimi/poke, a memorable risotto, shrimp scampi, desserts and more.  Interestingly enough, water, sparkling or chilled, could not be found, except in the adjacent pool.  Rae and Susan:

Mark and Ty (Tai, Tyrie?), a Honolulu ophthalmologist, with whom I golfed today.

The setting at sunset was a splendid conclusion to the official activities of Chaine des Rotisseurs at Hualalai.  The next affair is the annual Halekulani black tie Christmas supper, where I will wear a tuxedo.

I then spirited away a spot (or three) of Highland Park, and enjoyed a cognac-infused cigar on a reclining chair at the beach, serenaded by Hawaiian music and the pounding surf.  Life cannot get any more relaxing than this.

Although I really already had too much to eat, getting lost finding my way in the dark to my room, I happened to walk by a steakhouse, so went in to order the smallest wagyu they had.  Unfortunately, the best they could do was a substantive New York:

I actually ate the whole thing.  What a culmination to a dazzling day at Hualalai.  It's not quite over yet, as there is still tomorrow.

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