KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii -- Makalei Golf Club will host the 2nd Annual Makalei Amateur Championship on November 10 and 11, 2007. The event is the only major Big Island-based amateur golf tournament that is open to golfers from across the state, the mainland, and beyond. Male and female amateur golfers of all ages are invited to participate. Last year’s champion was Sean Maekawa, who will be playing for the University of Oregon team this fall under coach Casey Martin.
The Makalei Amateur Championship is a 36-hole individual stroke-play format with four flights, including a Championship flight. The low gross score in the Championship flight determines the overall tournament champion. Players must provide a current USGA GHIN Handicap Index to participate in the event. The tournament is scheduled for Veterans’ Day weekend, Saturday, November 10 and Sunday, November 11, and includes a Saturday night Players’ Party. Beneficiary of this year’s event is FRIENDS of The Children’s Justice Center of West Hawaii.
Entry fee for the Makalei Amateur Championship includes the two tournament rounds, tee prizes, Saturday lunch, Saturday night Players’ Party, Sunday Continental breakfast and the Awards Luncheon. Players are also offered $15 practice rounds from November 1 through 9, subject to course availability. The Early Bird Entry Fee, for registrations postmarked by October 20, is $125. The Regular Entry Fee (after October 20) is $175. Entry deadline is November 4.
Makalei Golf Club features an 18-hole championship course overlooking the Kona-Kohala Coast from the lower slopes of Hualalai, offering a cool, scenic woodland alternative to the Big Island’s coastal golf course experiences. The course was originally built in 1991 as a semi-private country club and was considered one of the premiere courses in the state of Hawaii. Now a public course, it is one of only five in the state to feature Bentgrass greens, the “grainless” alternative to Hawaii’s more common Bermuda putting surfaces. Makalei’s elevations range from approximately 1,800 feet to 2,850 feet, offering challenging play, panoramic views and abundant nesting areas for pheasants, turkeys, peacocks and other wildlife. Distinctive features on the 7,091-yard (Championship length) course include lava tubes, cinder cones and a stone wall dating back more than 100 years that traverses the length of the course.
For more information on registration or sponsorship opportunities for the Makalei Amateur Championship, contact Kyle Herzberg, Head Golf Professional at Makalei Golf Club, (808) 325-6625 or email makaleiamateur@hotmail.com. Visit Makalei’s web site at www.makalei.com.
