Kolau is considered by many the toughest golf course in the United States. I have a Ko?olau shirt that boasts the rating right on the sleeve. It?s also one of the most beautiful golf courses I have ever played.
The number 1 handicap hole at Ko?olau (for the handicap handicapped challenged that means the hardest hole) is number 18.
So, you?re on the most difficult hole of the most challenging course in the country. What do you do? If you?re Bret Melson, you ace it! Sure, he?s part of the San Diego Golf Academy: Hawaii campus, it?s his home course and he has probably played that hole hundreds of times, but none of that makes it any less of an amazing feat. And yes, a new world record for the longest ace. For most people, acing a par-3 is enough of an accomplishment. Acing any old par-4 would be absolutely incredible. I guess for Bret, that just wouldn?t have done it.
It really is challenging!
I have played this golf course twice. The first time was three months after my very first round of golf. I played the forward tees which only have course and slope ratings of 72.9/129. I actually managed to make par on 18. The second time I played there was 7 months later so I?d been playing for 10 whole months and thought I should really experience the difficulty so I played from the blue tees (the next set back from the forwards - equivalent to white tees on average courses) with course/slope ratings of 78.7/153 for women (when I played the ratings from the tips for men weren?t even that high but it looks like the course has been re-rated since then). And? I experienced the difficulty. I carded a 9 on 18. Yes, a 9. And I recorded the whole bittersweet experience on digital media.
My 18th hole experience at Ko?olau
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