The PGA Tour schedule has some rich traditions that give glimpses into not only the history of golf, but also the history of the locations where tournaments are held. Waialea Country Club, on Oahu, site of what is now know as the Sony Open in Hawaii, is one of those.
Tourism? In Hawaii?
As PGATour.com explains, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and Waialea Golf Course, which opened for play in 1927, were built as part of a promotion to develop luxury travel to Hawaii. Given its position as one of today's top tourist destinations, it’s difficult to imagine that Hawaii tourism ever needed a boost to get off the ground. Waialea stands as a reminder that even a paradise like Hawaii needed some in putting itself on the map, so to speak.
The venerable old Waialea grounds, upon which champions like Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Corey Pavin, Vijay Singh and Zach Johnson have played, has witnessed history, and played host to professional golf, since 1928.
Depression, War, United and Sony
The tournament began as the Hawaiian Open in 1928. Bill Mehlhorn won that year, and Craig Wood the next, before the Great Depression made it’s impact felt. The tournament ceased and the hotel and the Waialea golf club changed hands due to the severe economic woes. The return of tournament play didn’t happen until 1947, well after the end of World War II. Tournament play would cease again after the following year, but return for good in 1965 as an official PGA Tour event.
It remained as the Hawaiian Open until 1990, when United Airlines signed on as the sponsor, calling it United Hawaiian Open for one year. A slight change in name the following year, to the United Airlines Hawaiian Open, lasted until Sony took over as sponsor.
Sony has remained as sponsor of the Sony Open in Hawaii since that time. Although not approaching the depths of the Great Depression, the economic woes of the early 21st Century have seen some PGA Tour sponsors either pull support altogether or limit their participation. Sony’s continuing sponsorship during such times has helped preserve the historic tournament.
The Course
Designed by Seth Raynor and Charles Banks, and opened in 1927, the course at Waialea Country Club recently ranked as the 28th most difficult of the 54 PGA Tour courses. It plays to a hefty 7,044 yards for the Sony Open.
Davis Love III holds the 18-hole course record with a score of 60 (1994). John Huston (1998) and Brad Faxon (2001) jointly hold the 72-hole tournament record with a score of 260.
A tournament stimpmeter rating of 13 will make the bermuda grass greens seem like a billiards table. Added to the putting challenge, the 84 bunkers and nine water hazards make the Sony Open a challenge, year-in and year-out.
Source:
PGATOUR.com.
Alan L. Hammond - In addition to his Suite 101 Golf coverage, Alan is an editor and writer for SportsMD Media LLC, which publishes GolfersMD.com and ...
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