COURSE: Westin Mauna Kea LOCATION: Kamuela, Hawaii DESIGNER: Robert Trent Jones JNUG DESIGNER: Scott Chesney I wanted to do a course with palm trees, since I had not yet drawn any such vegetation and wanted to. My friend Jay Johnson suggested I try this course as it suits my taste for courses with hilly terrain and small greens. I think it's a fun course to play, and for some folks, you might end up saying what it says in the actual Mauna Kea press release...."Every hole is a demanding par and a comfortable bogey." I probably would not go that far, but it can be demanding. The combination of great length (over 7000 yards) and many small greens calls for an accurate, but long golfer. The par threes are particularly long here. The par fives are actually good birdie holes, but can kill those of you who prefer to go for the green in two. The second shot on number 10 is one of the great gambles on the course. I actually made this hole easier after play testing and scoring two triple bogeys. I borrowed the bushy green tree with the wide gray trunk, along with the very short palm with the brown trunk from Jay Johnson (the bushy green one is one of my favorite of Jay's many great trees). All the other trees and vegetation are my own creations. I must admit I particularly like the larger palm. Frankly, anything would be better than that rather pathetic mess of a palm supplied by the Jack Nicklaus Unlimited object file, but hey, you can't have all great trees I guess. Like most courses, this one is much tamer if you have normal conditions and no wind. I believe a moderately strong to strong wind played in any of the three conditions is best suited for this course's playability and enjoyment. I used "The Golf Courses of Robert Trent Jones, Jr." as my sourcebook. Unfortunately, only a couple of pictures and very limited specific descriptions were provided, so I can make little claim to the accuracy of the hills and valleys. Still, I hope you will agree it provides a fun test. The sourcebook does state that "nearly every hole has elevated tees and green," which explains why you see so many of those. I did try and make the background as accurate as possible, given the photos provided. For those of you doubters, yes, there is a snowcapped mountain in Hawaii. Tom Mui, if you get this course and have ever seen the real thing, I would love to hear from you so that I might make a few corrections to terrain. Finally, I want to thank Mike Rochman for all his kind words about my courses. Such sentiments certainly serve as partial motivation to continue in this endeavor. As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. I can be reached on the Accolade BBS (moto) or you can write or call me: Scott Chesney 27 Edgerly-Garrison Road Durham, New Hampshire 03824 603-868-1251 (home) 603-862-1870 (work)