Mission accomplished. Jay Feely, the New York Jets kicker, was out to make the best of a situation I wouldn't wish upon my future mother-in-law--moving. Feely had to get from Florida to New Jersey in a U-Haul while towing a minivan on his way to the start of the NFL season. Feely's not exactly Jed Clampett, but he did find black gold in the form of the game of golf on this journey through states. And he was traveling with family. Scroll down and start from "Day 1" if you need to catch up. This is Feely's final diary post as a guest blogger on this trip. He played three rounds but only 43 holes. And as of Bayonne, it looks like he's still in line for an all-expenses-paid golf getaway to Ireland.

The U-Haul arrived without incident at my home in New Jersey at 2 a.m. After unpacking in the morning and returning the truck, my move was officially over. However, my brother John and I were not yet done with our trip. I wanted to take John to one of my favorite courses--Bayonne (pictured above). In order to build Bayonne, there was 7.5 million cubic feet of dirt added to a land fill along the Hudson River that looks out to the Manhattan skyline and past Lady Liberty. The end result is a masterpiece that rivals any of the competition.

When I moved to New Jersey for the first time, I had no bigger misconception about the New York City area than my ignorance concerning the quality of golf. Courses like Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Bethpage Black and Shinnecock are all legendary. The other stalwarts are Trump National Bedminster, Liberty National, Ridgewood, Ballyowen, and Bayonne.

From the minute you drive through the entrance to Bayonne you are transposed to a different world. Each hole meanders through its own maze surrounded by hills covered in tall grass. You're looking at New York City and yet you can't believe you're so close. The course is not long but there is no room for error. Hit it in the fescue and don’t bother wasting your time to look because, even if you find it, you can't hit it out.

The weather was not cooperating even though the clubhouse was brimming with golfers frothing at their mouths to play Bayonne’s playground. We waited two hours before we got in seven holes. That's when the lightning drove us all off the course for good. My brother John (pictured above on the right) said it best back in the clubhouse, “Seven holes at Bayonne is as good as 18 anywhere else.”

The purpose of any golf trip with your buddies entails so much more than just golf. It's building relationships and celebrating those relationships through the common bond of golf. John and I were able laugh and golf, and even laugh at our golf. But more than anything else, we just enjoyed being together. Not too bad for a move across country. 

My brothers are still on the hook for our trip to Ireland but they have another year to refine their games. Their best bet is always in January or February, right after the NFL season ends and I haven’t played in five months. Whether I pay or they pay, the end result will be an experience of a lifetime.

--Jay Feely

Jay Feely (No. 3), kicker for the New York Jets, is a guest blogger this week. This is his third installment about moving from Florida to New Jersey for the start of the football season. He's driving a loaded U-Haul, towing a mini-van and a brother with clubs. Along the road they've been stopping to play golf. Scroll down for his first two posts. Day 3 is about their round at Pinehurst No. 2. Feely says he "slapped it around for a 73."


The U-Haul made its grand entrance to the Carolina Hotel at 4 a.m. I debated pulling Big Bertha (John named the U-Haul) into valet parking for the hilarity of it, but picked a more discreet parking spot in the back of the lot. After driving ten hours and arriving at 4 a.m., just making it on time to our 8:40 tee time was a success. John and I stood on the first tee of Pinehurst No. 2 spurred on by our love of golf, not by sleep. To be sure this trip isn’t just about moving or great golf, it’s about an experience. An experience shared by two brothers who don’t get to do this often due to our own family obligations.

That sentiment is at the heart of the Pinehurst philosophy. Their combination of iconic golf coupled with a world-class spa and resort is meant to inspire an experience. You can go there just to play golf or you can bring the family and cultivate those precious relationships.

We were there to play golf at it’s finest. I decided to play from the blue tees with John so we were hitting together (at 6800 yards, it’s still a stern test). The course is much more open than I imagined. In fact, neither of us lost a ball all day (quite a feat considering John’s 99). The course is revered for its sense of history and the Donald Ross greens. From Donald Ross to Ben Hogan to Payne Stewart, golf’s pioneers and icons have all been a part of Pinehurst’s history. This history played a part, no doubt, in the USGA’s decision to bring the men's and women's U.S. Opens back to Pinehurst in 2014.

Neither John nor I played our best at Pinehurst. I sprayed it off the tee and didn’t putt well, but neither the rough nor the greens were that intimidating. In fact, the greens were smooth and receptive, not something I expect to hear during the Open coverage. I slapped it around for a 73, and my case of “liprosy” (as Tiger would say) continued. John had another up and down round but broke 100. He made an interesting observation about the world-class course. Even though he didn’t hit the ball well, it wasn't unplayable for your average golfer. Some of his best shots were recovery shots from the trees or bunkers. Compare that to a course like Whistling Straits (which I love), the fescue made it a miserable round for John up there.

 (John and Jay Feely pose with the statue of Payne Stewart at Pinehurst No. 2)

As we got back in Big Bertha and departed Pinehurst, I was reflecting on why I love golf so much. You can struggle and still have a great day, laughing at stories or enjoying the solitude of a walk in God’s majestic setting. Whether it’s a resort executive course like Eagle Bay in Park Rapids, Minn., or a world class resort like Pinehurst, the greatness lies in your appreciation of the experience, not your performance. Like so much in life, the journey is much more rewarding than the destination.

--Jay Feely

Jay Feely, No. 3, hired leg for the New York Jets, is swinging his way from Florida to New Jersey. He's driving a U-Haul, towing a mini-van and he has invited club-carrying family members to join him. They're playing three courses, passing through seven states and settling one long standing family bet: who pays for the buddies trip to Ireland? Here is Feely's second installment of making the most out of moving before the start of the NFL season (scroll down for Day 1):


For me golf is definitely not a good walk spoiled. On this trip it is our Manna that we are awaiting.

Took off this morning a little late after we had trouble loading the wife’s sweet minivan onto the trailer (not only do I have to own one because of my wife, but now I have to drive it across the country). Picture me driving down the highway in a U-Haul truck with a minivan in tow. Not quite the glamorous vision many have of a NFL athlete. Nonetheless, I arrived at Southern Dunes in Haines City, Fl., fired up for my round against my brothers. In addition my Dad, Coach Tom Feely (football not golf), joined us and we added another game: My Dad and I versus John and Ryan, total team score.

Southern Dunes is a wonderful gem in a sleepy southern town. I listened to some country music on my way in to get into the element. The course is ranked No. 6 in the state of Florida by Golf Digest and it's a Top 50 public course in the country according to Golf World's 2009 Reader's Choice Awards. Its signature element is the expansive and punishing 183 bunkers that litter the course. They're not unfair, but demand precision. I got in two bunkers (one led to a double bogey), the rest of my family had much more affinity for them.

John and Ryan will have to wait for another round to sing Garth Brooks’ “Ireland” because I was hitting the ball well and making putts early. I shot even par 72, though I lipped out for an eagle and for birdie three times. Ryan had a couple of blow up holes but managed a 92. John is an anatomy and AP environmental science high school teacher, so of course he wanted to explore as much of the property as he could. He struggled to break 100. My Dad hit one of his best drives ever, thanks to his new Nike driver, but the Dunes took a toll on his score. He can't blame the Dunes though for missing a six-footer on 18 to win the match for our team. (Blame your partner for the bad read, Dad.)

               (The Feely boys. From left to right: Tom, John, Ryan and Jay.) 

Great day today on the course, let's do it again tomorrow on the famed Pinehurst No. 2.

--Jay Feely

Last week I was forwarded a message from the Golf Digest inbox. The caller introduced himself as Jay Feely, an avid golfer and Golf Digest reader who also happens to be the kicker for the New York Jets. Feely explained he was going to liven up the otherwise skin-crawling experience of moving himself from Florida to New Jersey by turning it into a golf trip. He said he was involving his brothers and a family bet, and as they made their way up the coast, they would be stopping for three rounds of golf.

Feely wanted to know if Golf Digest would be interested in printing his story and pictures of the courses he hit en route to the start of the football season. My short answer: of course. I called Feely back and told him I’ve been printing reader’s trip reports on my blog and that this might be the perfect outlet for his scores and anecdotes.

So here’s the first of four installments of Jay Feely’s diary:

How many times have you moved and had a good time? That's my goal this week as I depart Miami and move my family’s belongings to New Jersey for the season. That season would be the New York Jets football season. I am Jay Feely, kicker for the Jets, and training camp starts on Thursday morning, July 30th.

My wife and I have been married 11 years and we’ve moved seven times. I'm not complaining, I’ve been lucky enough to play in the NFL for nine years, but it has necessitated a lot of moves.

This time I decided to make a golf trip out of the move. I roped my brother John into driving with me based on a promise of free golf and a free flight home. I’m leaving Monday, July 27th, driving to Orlando to pick John up, and stopping at Southern Dunes outside Orlando for one last hurrah with my two younger brothers: John and Ryan. We have an ongoing bet--they have three years to beat me head-to-head (either one of them) on any course and I have to pay for us all to go on a dream trip to Ireland. If they don’t beat me, they pick up the tab.

Three years is almost up and it hasn’t happened, although we had one very close call: all square headed into 18 with Ryan--he made a bogey and I made par. The rub for them is that I carry a 1-handicap and they are both about 14s. I gave them an extension until next June when we depart on our pilgrimage to our ancestor’s homeland. This week John gets three cracks at me on three very tough courses, Southern Dunes, Pinehurst No. 2 and Bayonne. Three awesome courses, one awesome move, and then right to my conditioning test Thursday morning for the Jets.

I’ll keep you posted on our rounds, stories, and if the U-Haul breaks down.

--Jay Feely

One last post about the Pinehurst Trip Planner winners.

In writing the Golf Digest Ambush, I've dropped in on 16 buddies trips taking place all over the country. Each trip is different, but there also some similarities. The one consistent observation is that the trip planner gets overlooked, taken for granted and abused. And then it’s time to start sorting out details for next year’s trip. So Golf Digest held a contest a few months ago. We asked that you nominate your buddies trip planner in a 100-word essay. We asked that you tell us why your trip planner, in all of his or her selflessness, deserved a three-day pampering at Pinehurst, one of the ultimate buddies trip destinations. We picked six winners who we considered the Top Gun of executing the ideal buddies trip itinerary. This contest, and this trip to Pinehurst, was to give a little back to the givers of golf.

From July 16-18 my colleague Pete Finch and I, along with our hosts at Pinehurst and our partners at Callaway, treated these six winners like golf royalty. As far as we were concerned they were Jack, Arnie, Annika, Phil, Tiger and Tom for a few days. We played the Pinehurst perfecta: No. 8, No. 4 and No. 2. The day we played No. 2 we had individual caddies with the player's names on the backs of the bibs--which NEVER gets old. There were spa treatments, poolside iced teas, steaks, wine, bike rides and chocolates on their pillows at night before they went to bed. In exchange we asked them to pass on their secrets, through a series of interviews, for a story we will produce for the December Golf Digest.

Our winners each brought a unique perspective to planning a trip based on their core group, their destination(s) and their priorities. We had Dave Walker of Scarborough, Ontario who has been planning a trip of 100-plus golfers every year for 20 years. His group always goes to Bristol Harbour Resort in Canandaigua, NY in the spring. We had Barbara Berwick, of Marina Del Rey, Calif., who plans the perfect all female buddies trip to Pine Needles. They play for green jackets and they don’t put the clubs away when the sun goes down, they play night golf with glow balls. Roy Griffin, of Snellville, GA, is a specialist at getting his group to St. Andrews every year and ALWAYS gets tee times on the Old Course. Bob Sandt, of Park City, UT, has found a buddies trip destination deal in Cozumel, Mexico. Neil Thomson, of Charleston, SC, annually leads his 15 friends to an affordable Sea Island in the shoulder season. And Calvin Weide, of Claremont, NH, knows Myrtle Beach like the back of his worn out golf glove.

Here are some of the pictures and thank you letters we received last week:

From Barbara Berwick (pictured above):

As one of the lucky winners of your Pinehurst Trip Planners Contest, I’d like to thank you for making such an incredible experience possible. For the last six years I've made the side trek from my annual buddies trip at Pine Needles (we call it “Almost Pinehurst”) to the veranda at the real Pinehurst, to sit in the rockers with a glass of wine, watch the players come up 18, and dream the dream that one day it could be me. I’m working on finding a new dream now.
 
Although my fellow contest winners (and Matt and Pete for that matter) are not as pretty as the buddies I normally travel with, they did not let me down nonetheless. The trip had all the elements I could hope for. The competition was fierce, yet fun. I was fortunate to be on the winning team, albeit carried the whole way. I was truly queen for three days. (Let’s not call the other winners this, though.) I can’t thank you and your magazine enough for making this possible.

From Neil Thomson (the lefty):

Thanks again for a memorable weekend under the North Carolina Pines. Golf Digest and the Pinehurst resort treated us like royalty. The perfect combination of having a set-agenda (tee times; private dinners; spa appointments), but also keeping it loose and lively (bikes to the Pine Crest; singing with Clarence Levine; nightcaps at the Ryder Cup Lounge; Matty G's tweets; and catching plenty of snippets of Tom Watson's magical run at Turnberry). Everything transpired at the ideal pace--relaxing, but the competitive juices flowed at the appropriate times.

For such a short trip, I truly think all six winners (plus the two captains) were able to develop some palpable golf camaraderie--and we all benefited from the round-table discussion of our various buddy trips.

On a personal note, I have been relentlessly boasting to my friends and family back here in Charleston, SC. About 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning up there, sitting in the 91st hole snack shack with Ginella--eating the recommended “1st Tee” nutrition bar--shaking off some Pine Crest cobwebs, I did not anticipate putting together my career low round! After a ho-hum 90 at No. 4 the day before, my thought was to somehow break 90 on the daunting No. 2. To be able to fire a 78 (with those North-South Am pins!) I was (and still am) on cloud nine! I think Payne would have respected my par-par-par-par finish. It felt pretty sweet--cracking a Heineken on the 18th fairway, moments before sticking my approach to 10 feet . . . I Just wanted to make my Ponce boys proud!

Anyway, what a capper to wonderful weekend of historic golf; good laughs; and friendships born and renewed. That is what it’s all about.


From Calvin Weide:

I had a great time at Pinehurst despite my lack of a short game. I’ll be popping one of my many gifts, “Secrets of the Short Game” by Phil Mickelson, in the DVD Player. There is no doubt this will get plenty of play over the next few weeks, months, and possibly years while I search for the perfect game.
 
I really don’t want to know how I was selected, but I’m extremely grateful and will always remember this trip as a highlight of my life. Thanks again for the incredible time.

Roy, Bob, Neil, Dave and Barbara--I enjoyed meeting all of you and hearing your stories about golf and your buddies trips. I hope to be hearing more from you in the future. Each of you were excellent company both during the rounds, and after the rounds, when participating in extra-curricular activities.


From Bob Sandt:

I can't even emphasize what a great time I had with you guys at Pinehurst. It was one of the best trips of my life and I have had some good ones! The trip was first class all the way and you all made me feel very special.


From Roy Griffin:

What a blast we had! The service at Pinehurst could not have been better. It took me about five minutes to get out of the accustomed trip planning, decision making mode, and enjoy the pampering. The entire experience was unforgettable, and certainly something I never would have been able to do without Golf Digest.  Playing Pinehurst  No. 4 and No. 8 was special.  Playing No. 2 is one of those life experiences for a golfer that you check off your short list. The caddy bib with my name on it, signed by all of the great people I shared those three unbelievable days with, is a prized possession. I also picked up some great ideas from the others that will be put to use for future buddy trips.  I still can't believe I was so fortunate to be chosen. Thanks again for an experience that was over the top.


From Dave Walker:

Hi Guys. I arrived home Saturday night and had to carry my bags into the house myself. There were no chocolates on my pillow when I went to bed and the next morning I asked where the buffet breakfast was and was told there were apples and bananas on the table. Oh God, I am back in Realityville. They expect me to work at work and really looked at me funny when I cracked a beer at 10 a.m. Monday morning. I just wanted to take a moment to thank Golf Digest and Pinehurst for the most memorable time. I will share my story with my guys come December when our web site gets cranking for our 21st Annual Watsons Springfest once again.


As you can read, it was clear we accomplished our goal. We pampered and impressed the best of the best. They deserved it.

Back row, from left to right: Dave Walker, Roy Griffin, Calvin Weide, Bob Sandt and Matt Ginella. Front row, from left to right: Kate Nicholson (Golf Digest's staff Top Gun trip planner), Barbara Berwick and Pete Finch.

--Matty G.

There was a real chance the Greenbrier had reached a point of no return. The owners of the famed and historical resort were lame ducks in search of a sale, management was in limbo, the staff who had not already been let go were threatening a strike . . . again. Sitting with both cheeks flush on an economic hot seat, a luxury resort was sending warnings to their loyal customers--if you still decide to come see us, we might not have enough staff to serve you. As crazy as it seems, the Greenbrier was better described as the Brownbrier, but that wouldn't be right either because that would've indicated there was still some sense of color. The situation was so bad, even Detroit was collectively sympathetic to White Sulphur Springs.

Boy, how things have changed. After a triple decker cake of good news, the Greenbrier's big frown has been turned upside down. In May the Greenbrier was bought bailed out by Jim Justice, the West Virgina coal operator. Justice paid off debts and made peace with the bitter employees. And then last week the Greenbrier's pro emeritus and famous face of the resort, Tom Watson, wins the British Open. (I know he lost in a playoff, but technically no one had a lower score than he did). And then today Jerry West, one of the most respected names of the NBA, signed on to be a "partner."

And so I say, good for the Greenbrier. The more I come across sub par service, mediocre courses and bad business models, I'm sure the game of golf needs a correction phase. Private courses are going to resort courses, resort courses are going public and public courses are closing. The trickle down is tough, but I think it's necessary. And the laws of natural selection stimulate strength over the course of time. Which is where golf will get to eventually--a game more affordable and thus, more accessible. As it should be.

But the Greenbrier is not a place that should go away. It's too cool, with too much history and too much good golf. The last time I was there was with Tom Watson. I asked him why he liked the Greenbrier and he said he appreciated the fact that it was a splash of formality in an otherwise informal society. I suspect Justice and West will lighten things up a little bit. But hopefully they don't change too much. I love the place. If you're in the area you have to tour the famous bunker, do the off-road driving school, go bowling, feed a falcon or play Old White (built by C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor in 1914 and was redone by Lester George in 2006). That being said, I wouldn't be upset if the floral design theme in the main hotel jumped the train company, CSX, that was the old owners.

Maybe now that the Greenbrier is getting healthy, they will offer their sympathetic friends in Detroit a special discount.

--Matty G. 

On Monday after major championships the photo department for Golf World needs an extra set of eyes. I come in and provide bullpen relief. It's like getting a two pitch save because a bulk of the work is done on-site by the photographers, who shoot the pictures, and Christian Iooss, who edits it down from thousands to a few hundred. Once the writers file their stories, I go through the batch of selects and pair pictures with the appropriate prose. Last week at Turnberry Dom Furore, J.D. Cuban and Donald Miralle were roaming my favorite course in the world packing 40-pound lenses and a keen sense and understanding of their mission: document history. Like the old impressionists well before shutterbug technology, our photographer's cameras are their brushes, the little memory cards are their canvas.

After we put the magazine to bed, I put together a photo essay of some of the best you won't see in Golf World this week. Here's one of my favorites:

Here's a link to a lot of hard work and a small slice of golf history.

--Matty G.

If you've been following along, you know my brother lives on the North Shore of Oahu. Which, if you're a beach and surf fan, is like having Bandon Dunes in your backyard. The three surf spots: Pipeline, Sunset Beach and Waimea, are all within a few miles of each other.

I go out there every year at Christmas to see my brother's family, hang out with his cool Hawaiian wife and their three perfect kids. At least that's what I lead them to believe.

MSN Travel has just blown my cover. They produced a list of "The World's Sexiest Beach Escapes."

Sexiness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. But with surf, sand, sun and swimsuits, beaches are universally hot--and we’re not just talking about the summer temperatures. We’ve scoured the globe to find the best beaches that offer sexiness in all its forms (including, yes, eye candy).

Oahu’s North Shore, Hawaii: Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach gets the limelight, but it also draws the tourists--seemingly all of them. Ditch the crowds by doing as the locals do: Head to the north side of the island (and if you’re into people-watching at beaches, you’ll definitely want to see these locals). The North Shore is surf central, where the huge waves attract throngs of boarders … and bikinis. If you’re still hot to hit Waikiki, no worries: Oahu’s small enough that you can do them both in a day.

Fortunately a pair of strained eye muscles doesn't affect a golf game. Just beyond all the surf spots is the Turtle Bay Resort. The Palmer Course is always on our list of America's 100 Greatest Public, the George Fazio Course is great for kids and couples golf and Lei Lei's, the restaurant around the corner from the clubhouse, makes a burger as delicious as the North Shore scenery.

Here's a link to the MSN article. Pictures two and three should brighten up your Monday. (Ladies, find your way to image number four.)

--Matty G.
 

The Pinehurst Trip Planner Contest wrapped up today as the new Old Tom of Scotland was playing the 18th hole at Turnberry. Everyone expected a T-Dub to be leading after round three of the British Open, but no one had Tom Watson over Tiger Woods.

A few weeks ago, by way of 100 word essays, Golf Digest selected six of the best trip planners in the country with the goal to give back to the givers of the game. Pinehurst threw in golf, spa treatments and food. Callaway contributed uPro range finders, clothes and shoes. We picked up drinks, caddies and transportation. All that we asked of the winners was to pass on some of their expertise. In several interviews throughout the week my colleague Pete Finch and I picked the planner's brains about where they go, how they get there, the courses they play, how much they pay, etc.

From tips on how to guarantee you get a tee time on the Old Course, to navigating The Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, these planners were willing to share all that they've learned from the trial and tribulations of traveling to play golf. The story about what we learned will be in an upcoming issue of Golf Digest.

We had a fictional few days. We played the Pinehurst perfecta: No. 8, No. 4 and No. 2. We had caddies with our names on their backs, shook hips with a pack of blue-haired cougars at the Pine Crest Inn, ate potato chips out of chest hair poolside and washed it down with southern sweet tea vodkas. Bike rides, Bobby Hill, Clarence Levine and lots of caffeine, we sampled the best of what Southern Pines has to offer.

I've been playing around with Twitter (wheresmattyg) for a few weeks. Today I was posting observations throughout our round on Pinehurst No. 2--the site of both U.S. Opens in 2014.

I'll be posting more from future rounds on great golf courses. I'll also blog about it. And then I'll Facebook a link to my blog. And then I'll text a friend about my Facebook link to my blog about what's eventually going to end up in the magazine.

All these technological advances, and yet Tom Watson, 59, is still playing in the final pairing of a major. Now that's good golf theater. Anybody but Lucas Glover.

--Matty G.

Last week I was reporting an Away Game on the North Shore of Kauai--an island of 50,000 residents that gets over a million visitors a year. I played the Prince Course (No. 67 on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest), Wailua Municipal Golf Course (a $15 green fee makes it a better value than Bethpage Black) and Poipu Bay (until 2006 was the home of the Grand Slam of Golf for 13 years). I also had a tour of the new St. Regis going in where the old Princeville Resort was located (scheduled to open later this year), I took a boat along the Na Pali Coast and I took a two hour surf lesson in Hanalei Bay, one of the nicest bays and backdrops on planet earth. I was paddling around in the watery office of Taylor, my surf instructor. Taylor's the young Tiger of surf instruction--raw talent with a bright future.


Name: Taylor Kaluahine-Reid

Age: 19

Hobbies: “I love to cook,” she says. “I might want to go to culinary school. But I’m not sure what I want to do.”

Short story: Born and raised in Princeville, Kaluahine-Reid has been surfing since she was five, when she rode on the front of her father’s board. She’s patient, thorough and does a great job of making relevant associations to help you understand what she’s teaching. “Do you know how when you ride a horse, you look where you want to go?” she asked. “That’s the same concept for surfing.”

What you learn: Surf jargon, getting to know your board, how to paddle and how to stand up. Once you’re in the water, the instructor is by your side as they teach you about channels, egg-beating your legs to turn the board and how to know when a bump in the distance will grow to be a wave.  Kaluahine-Reid says she has a 100 percent success rate getting her students up and riding, with only one exception. “He was 75-years old and overweight,” she says with frustration. “And he had bad knees!”

Company details: Hawaiian Surfing Adventures in Hanalei Bay (hawaiiansurfingadventures.com; 808-482-0749). For a group lesson (four people per instructor) it’s $65 for 2 hours (boards and surf shirts are provided). A semi-private lesson (two to three students) is $75/two hours. A private lesson is $95/two hours. Lessons are offered all year long. Waves are much bigger in the winter but Hanalei Bay always offers small wave options that are perfect for beginners. Return students can rent boards for $5 per hour or $15 for the day.

Taylor’s tips: “Your position on the board is key. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet. Be committed to the wave--you’ve got to want it to catch it. And have fun. That’s the most important thing.”

Local Knowledge: Kaluahine-Reid strongly suggests hiking the Na Pali coast to Hanakapia, which is two miles from the end of the road on the North Shore. “But don’t swim,” she says. “The water is very dangerous on that beach.”

Restaurant suggestions: “I like Postcards or Kintaros. Or Sushi Bushido, but that’s just for you--it’s a local secret.”

Golf: “I was pretty good when I was playing a lot. I can hit a good drive because I’m strong from all this surfing.”

Favorite Course: The Makai Course at Princeville. “The Prince Course is too expensive.”

--Matty G.