Last week, I went down to Hualalai Resort while the 2020 Mitsubishi Electric Championship, the first event on this year’s PGA Tour Champions, was going on. I was going to spend time at the event but, on arrival, found that the PGA doesn’t allow cameras. Since I was mostly going to take photos I wasn’t sure how much time I wanted to spend watching golf without it.
Instead, I went for walk along the waterfront, which is public access. This path also happens to go by the 17th hole of the golf course, so I took some photos and returned later when the players reached that point.
The top photo shows the 17th green with Hualalai volcano in the background. The tee for this par 3 hole is on the slightly elevated area to the right of the photo. This was taken in the morning, before the tournament started. In the middle photo, staff rake the 17th hole bunker before the event. Below, Ken Tanigawa puts on the 17th green. He missed, though got close enough to make par. Technically, I wasn’t supposed to take this photo, so if this blog suddenly stops it’s probably because the PGA’s lawyers have bludgeoned me with five irons (the preferred club for that kind of activity) and buried me in a bunker on the 13th hole.
What incredible contrast between the green and the volcanic rock, and there is something rather comical about the shot of the bunkers being raked. How exclusive to forbid photos! I also hope you are still in one piece.
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I liked the motion of the bunker raking, almost an old farming scene. I think the camera ban is because people take photos during the action and disturb the golfers, but it’s not hard to wait a moment and not have any issues. In the end I didn’t mind not following the golf as I had a good walk and saw a lot of interesting stuff, which will be appearing here over the coming days/weeks.
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Yikes, hope you’re still in one piece after this groundbreaking paparazzi-reveal 😄 I like the volcano background
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Luckily this is Hawaii so the golf marshals were pretty relaxed at the event. It is a gorgeous course with the volcano in one direction and the ocean in the other.
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