Sunday, October 20, 2013

Hawaii - Maui - The Plantation Course at Kapalua



It has been a dream of mine to visit Hawaii for many years.  What a pleasure to get to do so while also playing one of the best golf courses in the world.  The Plantation Course at Kapalua is a beautiful course that winds around the coastline of Maui, up and down the side of the mountain.

The first day at The Plantation Course the wind was howling.  Downhill, downwind shots traveled forever.  I was regularly hitting tee shots between 380 and 400 yards on these holes (my average drive is somewhere in the 270 range).  There is something uplifting about watching a ball fly that far.  The uphill, into-the-wind shots were just about the opposite.  I would smash a driver with all my might and maybe get 210 yards out of it.

The Ben Crenshaw design is gorgeous and well laid-out.  For example, the downhill, downwind iconic 18th hole at The Plantation Course is 663 yards from the tips.  However, because the prevailing wind is downwind on that hole and the fairway is like a ski slope, it plays significantly less than that yardage.  I hit Driver, 4-iron over the green there the first time around.  In contrast, the holes heading back up the mountain and into the prevailing wind are usually in the range of 380-400 yards in length from the championship tees.  These holes tend to play the longest of all of the holes with a stiff breeze as you have to knock down a long iron to get the ball to fly back to the hole.

The wind is probably the biggest defense the course has.  The second biggest factor in pushing scores high on the 77.2 rated course is the greens.  Many times during the course of our three rounds at The Plantation Course I found myself befuddled by my misreading of a green.  I would clearly see an uphill putt when it actually was a significantly downhill putt.   When a putt rolls twenty feet past the hole on a ten foot putt, you have to tip your hat to the designers on creating such a visually deceptive putting surface.  I figured out by the third round that you couldn’t rely on your eyes to read these greens.  By the end, I was walking my line on every putt, letting my feet read the slope of the green.

I was impressed by the welcome and service we received from the staff at The Plantation Course.  Our starter, Dennis, warmly greeted us and gave us the lay of the land.  The outside staff was there at every turn with assistance and a cool, wet towel after the round.  Generally speaking, the experience exceeded my expectations at every turn.

As I said previously, the price tag for a trip to Hawaii is very high, no matter what your itinerary.  This probably comes as no surprise to anyone.  The surprise for me was the overall customer service experience of the trip.  With this high price tag, I would generally expect a rather high level of service at every turn.  Instead, however, the customer service was disappointing on the island (with the exception of our treatment at The Plantation Course).  If great value and great service for the price are priorities for you in your travels, I would not recommend Hawaii as your destination of choice.

That being said, it is hard to put a price tag on the experience of watching the sunset on the Pacific or seeing a double rainbow, as we did on our afternoon round on the first day at the Plantation Course.  It is a magical and breath-taking place and I feel grateful for having had the chance to visit there.

Mahalo and Aloha
(Thank you (Gratitude) and Hello/Goodbye)

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

A Few Things that Stand Out about Japanese Culture to a First-Time Visiting American


1. Masks


A few minutes after getting off the plane, you are sure to run into an individual wearing a paper mask/mouth covering.  To be honest, the first thought that crossed my mind was, “Oh my God!  What kind of horrible condition would cause a person to have to walk around all day with a covering over their mouth?  Maybe if I look like I’m interested in that thing over there, this poor person won’t feel like I’m avoiding them like the plague.  Dear God, it could be the plague….run!”

The reality is that in Japanese culture it is a norm to wear a mask such as this when you are feeling under the weather.  As a culture that is heavily based on the greater good and a collective, team mentality, it makes total sense to protect others around you from illness.

2.   Picture-in-Picture Television/Audience Participation

When I first turned on the television here in Japan the first image that I saw was that of a special interest show.  The odd thing to my eye was the small picture-in-picture box in the corner of the screen that featured the close-up faces of members of the audience.  This small box would get a few seconds of facial reactions from an audience member and would then switch off to a new audience member.  I have no idea what the show was talking about but I’m pretty sure that these reactions were a little over-the-top for the material being discussed.  But then, if I was an audience member and was a featured part of a show for a few seconds, I suppose I would give them my most compelling reactions possible as well.

I thought this might simply be a feature of this one program on this singular network.  However, I turned the channel and there it was again.  It seems that television is a community thing as well here in Japan.  The show is not just about the host, guest and material being covered, it is also about the people who are there supporting the show by being a member of the audience.

3.       Helpfulness/Tipping

When we arrived at Narita Airport, my traveling companion asked a gentleman working there if he could point him in the direction of the nearest ATM.  In America, I have grown used to a person in that kind of situation half-heartedly pointing in a direction and giving sometimes general directions that may or may not be accurate or detailed in nature.  This kind man, however, bowed and seemed grateful for the opportunity to help.  Not only did he give accurate, detailed directions to get to this ATM, he walked us there.  Mind you, it was not a short walk.  I’d estimate it was somewhere in the neighborhood of two or three football fields away.

When I commented to my traveling companion, a Japanese citizen, about how impressed I was by this, he said, “This is the Japanese way.  We are fulfilled by the opportunity to help others”.  He also said, “Japan is a non-tipping society.  All that Japanese people ask for is authentic appreciation for their helpfulness.” 

4.        Quiet Amid Throngs of People

Despite the huge amount of people and bustle to the city of Tokyo, there is an amazing amount of quiet and order to all the movements of this throng of people.  For example, we are staying in a rather large collection of apartment buildings that are arranged in a circular pattern around a park.  In the evenings there is a light, lilting sound of children playing, the faint murmur of a breeze and not much else.  With thousands of people occupying such a small space, I anticipate the sound of radios blaring, horns honking and people talking loudly and late into the evening.  Instead, it generally sounds like a country get-away spot in the middle of millions of people.  The quiet is refreshing, rejuvenating and calming to the soul.

5.        Smaller Portions

My traveling companion, a regular at the golf course I teach at in Colorado, is known for ordering a “half beer”.   I always found this a little peculiar and I wrote it off as a unique quality of this one individual.  After all, who orders a half beer when you can supersize your order for only a dollar more?  However, now that I am here in Japan, I am beginning to appreciate the cultural value of smaller portions.  Sake, a rice wine, is enjoyed in very small glasses and is sipped slowly.  In general, everything is done slowly, taking great pleasure in the taste and overall experience of whatever you are doing.

I’m sure it also has something to do with the size of people as well.  I stand out like an American in Tokyo with my 6’2” body.  I constantly feel like I have to lower myself to everyone else’s level.  The bowing helps.  I can never really get full from a meal here though.  I think I’ll have to place a double order from now on…or maybe I can get used to not stuffing myself full every time I eat.  Food for thought.

6.        No Dryers

My friend estimates that only approximately 1-2% of people in Japan have a clothes dryer, and most of those are probably from foreigners living in the country.  Instead, the balcony or porch of a Japanese home is equipped with hanging poles and lines.  Every day as you look around the apartment complex here there are clothes and linens hanging on all the balconies.  The daily ritual includes a shower, clothes washing and then hanging the clothes up to dry.  There really is no such thing as a laundry basket.  Clothes don’t stay dirty that long.

7.        Bike Garages

When we first arrived, we passed a line of people with bikes.  As we passed I noticed that they were in line in a bike parking garage.  They would give their money to the attendant, get a ticket, and then they would put their front tire of the bike in a metal rail system like you drive into at the car wash.  The attendant would then push a button and the bike would be pulled in and up two stories on a mechanical hanging system like you would find at a dry cleaners. 

8.       The Train

Anyone with claustrophobia issues should probably avoid the busiest trains in downtown Tokyo.  To say that you get packed in like sardines would be an understatement.  An American teaching here told me that one time he got so squeezed in that he cracked a rib….from riding the train!  He reassures me that they run more trains now after Japanese woman began complaining about being groped in these packed in situations. 

My friend tells me that they used to employ “pushers” on the train station platforms to push everyone possible into the trains.  Again, he reassures me that he hasn’t seen this happen in a while.  I get short of breath just thinking about the sinking feeling you must have when a sea of humanity is pushing in on you from all directions.  Anyone feel like taking a walk?

9.       Sleeping on Futons

I am not really talking about futons in the usual American understanding of the term.  Basically, take the frame away and you are left with a 1-2 inch thick mat.  The Japanese fold this mat up as part of the daily routine, opening the room up to additional uses during the day.  At night, the fresh linens, which you have washed earlier that morning, are laid back out on the floor on top of this futon.  Things are always fresh, clean and in order.

10.    Cleanliness of the Streets

With all the people and traffic in this huge city, I am amazed by how clean everything is.  I find myself imagining similar places in New York City or Chicago and finding no trace of the usual trash and urine smells I would generally associate with such places.  A single piece of trash stands out in this place and it is my sense that this piece of trash doesn’t hang out there for long.

11.   Morning Greeting to Ancestors

In the mornings we rise and kneel before a shrine dedicated to the ancestors of my friend.  Sticks of incense are lit for the loved ones in our life that are still alive and we say “good morning” to all of those who have passed on before us.  In our minds, we tell them about the day gone by and our hopes and dreams for the day ahead.  We ask for their blessings and protection as we move into the day.

More to come....