Just six weeks ago, Hurricane Lowell was battering Kauai with powerful winds, heavy rain and waves strong enough to nearly knock a television meteorologist off his feet.
Now, golfers are returning to the Garden Isle.
Kauai’s major golf courses have reopened after Hurricane Lowell swept past the Hawaiian Islands on Sept. 7-8, leaving widespread power outages, downed trees and other damage in its wake.
The severity of the storm was captured on live television Sept. 8, when Fox Weather storm specialist Mike Seidel was reporting from Kauai. A massive wave rushed ashore behind him, knocking Seidel and his camera operator off balance and briefly sending the camera toward the rushing water.
The storm proved far more consequential elsewhere. Hawaii Gov.
Josh Green said a homeless man on Oahu died when a tree fell on him during the storm. More than 32,000 customers across Hawaii remained without power as of Sept. 9, while state emergency officials warned of downed trees, utility poles and power lines.
“There’s a lot of damage on Kauaʻi and it’s going to take quite some time to get back to normal,” Green said in a Sept. 8 news release.
Golf courses in Kauai back up and running
More than a month later, that recovery continues, but the island’s golf industry has taken a significant step forward. All five courses represented by Go Golf Kauaʻi have reopened, although some cleanup remains underway.
Poʻipu Bay Golf Course on Kauai’s south shore is fully operational after sustaining only minor hurricane damage. The Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, which hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 through 2006, sits along rugged ocean bluffs with views of the mountains.
Puakea Golf Course reopened Sept. 12 and is fully operational. Crews continue to remove trees as well as debris along the perimeter of the Robin Nelson design, but officials said the work does not affect play. The course winds through ravines and tropical terrain with scenery made famous by the “Jurassic Park” film series.
Princeville Makai Golf Club reopened Sept. 29 after losing more than 200 trees across the property. Cleanup continues along the playing corridors, but the North Shore course is fully operational. Another Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, Princeville Makai is best known for its views of Hanalei Bay and Mt. Makana, along with its dramatic par-3 seventh hole overlooking the Pacific.
The Ocean Course at Hokuala is also open. The Jack Nicklaus Signature design features what the course bills as the longest continuous stretch of oceanfront holes in Hawaii, with the layout moving along seaside cliffs and through groves of papaya and guava trees.
Wailua Golf Course needed a little longer to recover. The municipal course reopened its first nine holes Sept. 28 and the back nine Oct. 5. Its driving range remains closed because of hurricane damage.
The seaside layout dates to the 1930s and has hosted three USGA Amateur Public Links Championships. Its recovery was also complicated by internet and connectivity problems stemming from a Sept. 10 fire at the Līhuʻe Civic Center, which houses many of Kauaʻi’s municipal offices.
The reopenings provide another sign of recovery for an island long regarded as one of Hawaii’s premier golf destinations.
Visitors are being encouraged to return, but local tourism officials are also asking travelers for patience and encouraging them to support restaurants, stores and other locally owned businesses as Kauaʻi continues rebuilding.
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor of Golfweek and the golf coordinator for the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: 'Jurassic Park' golf course reopens on Kauai after Hurricane Lowell
