By George Christopher Thomas, Travel Writer
MAUI, HAWAII — On our latest visit to Maui, Joanne and I wanted to spend some time up country in the beautiful towns of Paia, Haiku and Sprekelsville.
During our three days on the North Shore we had been invited to spend the day at Maui Country Club, and it was absolutely delightful. Located just off the Hana Highway about a mile out of Paia, Maui Country Club has it all for the older folks, or those just starting a family.
We toured the facilities and were quite amazed at the property having every amenity anyone could ask for, including a swimming pool, tennis courts, a yoga room, a workout facility, and a beautiful 9 hole golf course.
As a not very good golfer that can play very fast, my first inclination was to put on my golf cleats and set the course record for the most stokes taken in the shortest amount of time. Make no mistake, I repair my divots, fix my pitch marks on the green, and even sprinkle a little extra grass seed where its needed.
When reviewing a golf course, I always like to shoot the breeze with the pro-shop guy, and get the down low on the property. Well, it used to be a par 74 course when doing both loops, but the membership and the powers that be shortened it a tad because of the sheer difficulty. The bunkers around the greens leave most pin positions and flag sticks very well protected. And, the golf course looks really flat to the eye, but some subtle elevation changes and mounds here and there significantly add to the challenge.
I played the course twice, doing one loop before lunch, and another after a great meal at the clubhouse. That is another wonderful aspect about chilling at the club all day, you can golf, eat, swim, play tennis, stand on your head, then golf again.
For lunch we had ribs, a salad and a burger with everything on it. During the second loop, Joanne opted to just walk as she had eaten enough to not warrant riding in the cart.
I enjoyed every hole, long Par 4’s and meandering Par 5’s. The two Par 3’s were no joke, with one being about 200 yards uphill with a well protected green. It was a delightful day and a course I highly recommend checking out the next time you are in Maui.
