THE FRONT NINE

PICK OF THE CROP

The Hualālai Farmers’ Market brings an incredible array of seasonal produce to Hualālai Club Members each Wednesday (except in September) from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the Ke‘olu Clubhouse event lawn. The resort’s relationships with first-rate boutique farmers in Waimea and Kealakekua ensure that only the highest-quality, naturally grown products are on offer. Complementing the farmers’ delectable offerings are tasty delights from Ke‘olu’s culinary team, including chef Junior Ulep’s jams—in flavors such as white pineapple with vanilla and honey, poha berry with honey, and Hilo papaya—and pastry chef Lisa Siu’s scones, quiches, chicken potpies, and more. Chef Junior also mans the stoves, creating made-to-order omelets and fruit pancakes that give market-goers still more reasons to linger. 808.325.8450

Train with a Legend

Dave Scott—the six-time Ironman World Champion and USA Triathlon Hall of Famer—has returned to the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai for the fourth consecutive year with his Dave Scott Triathlon Training Experience. “I’m thrilled to bring this triathlon training experience back to Hualālai,” says Scott. “Each participant will learn my personal methods for training more deliberately and more efficiently and will leave with the confidence of knowing how to train fewer hours to become better and faster triathletes.” The five-day clinics led by Scott and his team stress individualized coaching for the triathlon’s races—swimming, cycling, and running—plus strength training, flexibility, and nutrition. New this year: participants will take on the Ironman’s official 2.4-mile swim course in Kailua-Kona Bay. The last two clinics of 2019 are scheduled for June 17 to 21 and July 29 to August 2 and include a pre-camp consultation, video analysis, group meals, triathlon apparel, and a postcamp training prescription. The price is $2,000 per person (accommodations are additional), and each clinic is limited to 10 participants. 808.325.8000 or 888.340.5662

Ace of Clubs

This summer and fall, the Hualālai Tennis Club has something for players of all skill levels. Head tennis pro Mark Willman and his team of esteemed coaches—including two top players in Hawai‘i, Gannon Nicoll and Spencer Mendoza—offer individual lessons and group clinics for adults and kids alike. Those who are up for a seriously enjoyable match may wish to consider the Play the Pro Challenge: For a small fee, a Member or resort guest can go against one of the club’s pros. “If they take the set, the fee is refunded,” says Willman. “It’s not only good fun, but it keeps us on top of our game.” Giving back to the community is also part of the club’s game plan each September, when a one-day doubles tournament is held to benefit cancer research in Hawai‘i. To schedule court time, sign up for a lesson, or learn more about special exhibitions and tournaments, contact the Club Concierge. 808.325.8450

LAND OF DREAMS

Pi‘iuka Estates

Hualālai’s latest enclave, Pi‘iuka Estates, has just 12 lots—the last ocean-view, fairway-fronting homesites at the resort—and the first six have been released. “With the introduction of this newest neighborhood, we are committed to maintaining low-density development and protecting the exclusivity of our Hualālai community,” says Robert Kildow, Hualālai Realty’s director of residential sales and principal broker. The initial releases, one of which has already sold, are priced from $2 million to $2.4 million and range in size from about 23,000 square feet to more than 47,000 square feet. The last six lots will be released later this year. All of the custom-home lots are situated along the 14th fairway of the Members-only Ke‘olu Golf Course, within walking distance of the Ke‘olu Clubhouse. The amenities of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai are a short golf-cart ride away, as are those of the private Hualālai Club. 808.325.8500, hualalairealty.com

That’s Entertainment

The Four Seasons Resort Hualālai’s Beach Tree restaurant is serving up music and entertainment for the whole family. “On Friday and Saturday evenings, hula dancers join the musicians from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., while live music continues nightly until 9 p.m.,” says Kekoa Kapua, Beach Tree’s general manager. “We’re a family-friendly venue, and it’s not unusual for kids to join the dancers while their parents get to relax over cocktails and dinner while keeping a close watch on their children playing and dancing nearby,” he says. Beach Tree, with its swaying palms and expansive lawns leading directly to the beach, is pure paradise, and the menu is equally satisfying, offering tropical-​ inspired Italian cuisine, signature cocktails, and a sophisticated wine list. Contemporary acoustic tunes by Vaughn Valentino and Hawaiian classics by Kevin Kealoha (left) and Kunia Galdeira (right) are among the distinctive sounds that often round out the scene. 808.325.8000

THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS

Every Wednesday in the summer, Ke’olu restaurant’s chef Junior Ulep shares his talents—and culinary secrets—with Hualālai Members during dynamic, hands-on cooking classes. Limited to just eight participants, the O‘ahu native’s Cooking with Chef Junior sessions typically take place on the oceanview restaurant’s lānai, beginning at 11:30 a.m. and featuring a lunch with the day’s special dish at 12:30 p.m. “With our warm climate and our Members’ active lifestyle, we typically feature a lighter dish for this midday meal,” says Ulep. “And with a variety of awesome Hawaiian fish to choose from, that’s almost always a top-pick featured ingredient.” Classically trained in French cooking, he admits to “going off recipe” all the time and encourages participants to do the same: “Be creative! With the highest-quality, morning-fresh ingredients, you can’t go wrong.” The class with lunch is priced at $45 to $50 per person, depending on the menu, and reservations are a must. 808.325.8450

7 TASTE OF HAWKE’S BAY

Mark your calendar for the week of November 17 (stay tuned for the exact date), when the Hualālai Grille cohosts the Craggy Range Wine Dinner with Terry and Mary Peabody. Longtime guests of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai, the Peabodys are vintner proprietors of the renowned Craggy Range winery in Hawke’s Bay, a premier wine-growing region on New Zealand’s North Island. “They’re two of the kindest, most genuine people you will ever have the good fortune to meet,” says Shelley Smith, Hualālai Resort’s assistant director of food and beverage. “We’re delighted to have them here with us again, sharing their delicious wines with our Members and guests.” Smith says the evening will begin with a sunset reception and pupus (appetizers), followed by a five-course tasting menu paired with such Craggy Range varietals as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The menu will be created and prepared by executive sous chef James Ebreo, a veteran member of the resort’s culinary team. Space is limited to 30 guests in Hualālai Grille’s private dining room. 808.325.8000

Happy Campers

Founded in Maine in 1947, Camp Manitou is once again camping out at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. The Hualālai summer camp, which is also hosted at the resort during other peak seasons (festive and spring break), is designed for children ages 9 to 15, but it also offers adventures for the entire family—parents, too. The all-inclusive, single- and multi-day programming features an array of cultural, recreational, and explorative activities both on and off the property. “Some of the children-only off-site activities include visiting secret beaches, exploring lava tubes and waterfalls, kayaking and snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay, and stargazing at Maunakea,” says Morgan Suzuki, director of public relations at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. Family Day Adventures, such as hiking in the enchanting Pololū Valley at the north end of Hawai‘i Island, are private, fullday excursions customized for the individual guest family. Camp Manitou’s Hawai‘i summer dates are set for July 2 to August 24 but subject to change. 808.325.8000

Always a Splash Hit

Now in its 17th year, Hualālai’s Annual Canoe Regatta moves from its traditional first-Friday-in-August date (commemorating the 2002 opening of the Hualālai Canoe Club) to Friday, July 5, in 2019. “To ensure as many Members as possible get to enjoy this great day out on the water, we’ve switched the date to the first Friday in July,” says Trent Fischer, director of Hualālai’s Alaka‘i Nalu, noting that the resort’s peak time for Members being in-house during the summer has shifted a bit, from August to July. The action gets underway with six-man outrigger canoe races and stand-up paddleboarding races, and an awards lunch takes place at the Hualālai Canoe Club once the last contest finishes. 808.325.8450

FACES OF HUALĀLAI

The wonderful Hualālai staff likely need no introduction—they’ve probably had the pleasure of serving you before, maybe you’veknown each other for years. So instead of an introduction, consider the below a chance to catch up with a few friends,before the resort reunites you once again.

Kiiwaikapu “Kapu” Hoapili

This summer, Charmaine Kiiwaikapu “Kapu” Hoapili will welcome guests to the Ka‘ūpūlehu Cultural Center—located across from the lobby of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai, next to the golf pro shop and looking out on the 18th hole—for a special premiere. “On June 11, we’re going to celebrate King Kamehameha Day here at the property,” says Mea Ho‘okipa (hospitality ambassador) Hoapili, who is also a former Hualālai Club concierge, a kumu hula (teacher of hula), and an award-winning hula dancer (she’s been practicing the art form since she was about three years old). “We’ll have different types of hulas and share some of his special music. Kamehameha was a great part of Hawai‘i history, so we’re excited to share his legacy.” Reservations are not needed for the day’s two performances. “Everything at the cultural center is complimentary to our guests,” she says. “You cannot buy aloha; aloha is shared—that’s one of our sayings here.”

Derek “Brown Bear” Haspe

“Everybody kind of knows me as Brown Bear,” says Hualālai’s golf starter, Derek “Brown Bear” Haspe. “I used to participate in this golf tournament, and everyone had nicknames, so since I was a fan of Jack Nicklaus, aka the Golden Bear, I told them, ‘Since the Golden Bear is taken, call me the Brown Bear.’ ” A fixture at Hualālai— he came aboard 23 years ago, when only the Nicklaus course had been built—he’s looking forward to the resort’s new golf academy. “I think it’ll be a really nice option for golfers and our Members,” he says. “I’m excited to see what they have available.” Still, what the onetime desk jockey and accomplished marathoner and triathlete most eagerly anticipates is prepping each golfer for a great game: “I’m the last one they see, basically, before they get out on the course, so whatever’s happened before that, I try to get them in the right frame of mind and get them out there.”

Rita Hirai

Where there’s water, there’s Rita Hirai. “I came to Hawai‘i in 1974,” says the swim coach and New York native. “I was always in the ocean and swimming back [East]. I like to say, ‘I think the stork dropped me off in the wrong place and I found my way home.’ ” During college, she worked in Honolulu. “I got to help with a lot of the big surf contests, teach kids how to recreate safely in the ocean,” she says. “We used to build paipo boards from plywood and teach the kids how to do it. Then we’d take them down to the Wall in WaikĪkĪ where they’d go paipo boarding.” This summer, safety and fun will be the focus of her Keiki swim classes at the Hualālai Canoe Club. “I’ve been here 20 years, so I’ve started teaching some of my earliest clients’ children. It’s amazing to walk through the property and have a man come up to me and say, ‘Rita! You taught me to swim!’ It’s very cool. I have these relationships, and I think that’s what Hualālai is about.”