AROUND THE GREENS
Rainbow Open to go on
By Bill Kwon
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| Parker McLachlin won't be back to defend his Rainbow title because of his graduation from UCLA, but the tournament will still be held.
Advertiser library photo • June 17, 2001 |
There is some good news and bad news in local golf. First, the good news: K.G. Holdings LLC, new ownership of the Mililani Golf Club, has agreed to continue the Rainbow Open for the 29th straight year at the Central O'ahu course by sponsoring the event.
Now, the bad news. JAC Hawai'i Inc., the local subsidiary of the Tokyo-based K.K. Sports Trust, has decided to sell the Royal Kunia Golf Club to another Japan-based company, delaying the long-awaited opening of the Robin Nelson-designed course in Waipahu until at least July.
The continuation of the Rainbow Open, first sponsored by Japan Airlines in 1973, comes as particularly good news because the tournament is one of the local majors and a fixture on the summer golf calendar.
A roll call of previous Rainbow Open winners reads like a who's who of golf in Hawai'i — David Ishii, Lance Suzuki, John Kalinka, Greg Meyer, Larry Stubblefield, Kevin Hayashi and Dean Wilson. And, in recent years, amateurs Brandan Kop, Clayton Gomi and Parker McLachlin, a senior on the UCLA golf team.
McLachlin is glad that the Rainbow Open will be continuing, although he will not be back to defend his title.
"I wish I could play, but I'm graduating on the 15th (of June)," he said.
When JAL dropped its sponsorship of the event, then-Mililani owner Sports Shinko took over as the title sponsor in 1992 to keep the Rainbow Open going.
After the Japan-based company sold its three golf courses (including Kiahuna on Kaua'i and Pukalani on Maui) to local developer Bert A. Kobayashi early this year, there was some doubt about the future of the tournament.
Fortunately, we still have the Rainbow Open with us.
"We had anticipated to continue it and we confirmed our plans last week," said Wayne Tanigawa, the new owner's director of golf operations.
Scheduled for June 14-16 with a pro-am on June 13, the 54-hole tournament will be called the Mililani Rainbow Open. The purse will be similar to previous years, according to Tanigawa. Last year's low professional won $5,000.
More details will be announced when the plans are finalized, Tanigawa said.
Meanwhile, everything is still on hold at Royal Kunia as the contracted new buyer has begun due diligence, or investigating the terms and conditions of the sale, according to JAC Hawai'i Inc. attorney Alan Goda.
"A decision was made (by JAC Hawai'i Inc.) to sell the golf course," said Goda, adding that it was the reason why the opening has been delayed an additional three months. After issuing an initial target date for December, JAC Hawai'i Inc. had planned to be open for play this month.
Completed eight years ago, the Royal Kunia never opened because the original developer, Royal 'Oahu Resort, failed to pay the remaining $13 million impact fee.
The City Council waived that fee in an agreement with JAC Hawai'i Inc., with terms calling for the new owner to pay the city $2.5 million and $1 per round in perpetuity. The same conditions will have to be met by the new owner.
A number of local golf clubs already have booked dates at Royal Kunia and one of the terms in the contract calls for them to be honored, according to Goda.
Mauna Kea to the max
For those who dare, Mauna Kea has reopened the back tee at its signature par-3 third hole, calling for a 247-yard drive over the ocean.
It is a tee shot Gary Player called "too tough for the non-pro."
Player could not carry it either when he played it in a "Big Three" match with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, opening the golf course on Dec. 8, 1964.
Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed the back tee specifically for the match involving the three golf legends.
"Now that golfing technology has improved so much with the new clubs and golf balls, the old third tee is within the range of more golfers," said Bob Itamoto, Mauna Kea's golf superintendent since its inception.
"We are proud to restore the original third tee. It's a little piece of our history," said Charles Park, general manager of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
Familiar face is back
Playing the old Turtle Bay Resort Course — now called the George Fazio Course after its architect — Sunday for the first time since the back nine was closed down in 1992 brought back a lot of memories.
It's still a sporty course to play, definitely less demanding than the Links at Kuilima, designed by Arnold Palmer. The latter will be closed to redo all 18 greens for the Senior PGA Tour's Turtle Bay Championship in October.
Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net.
