After lunch, we headed to the starter where we paired up with the two other guys who had attended the academy with us that morning. We had a little time, so we hit a few on the visually stunning range and then warmed up the flatsticks on the greens that Ben had coached us about that morning.
The Plantation course rental clubs were Titleist AP2 irons with 913 metals, with a Cameron Laguna 2 putter.
I get the irons and woods choice, but the putter model still befuddles me. It seemed like we should have had "more-normal" Newport 2’s instead of the more unique Laguna 2 head. I have a Laguna 2 in the arsenal, and I like it, but it still seems weird that it was the rental putter. But hey, it was a Cameron putter in a rental set. How cool is that?
Anyway, we teed off on #1. I actually hit a good drive, in spite of first tee nerves and we were all ready for a memorable round. Here is a time-lapse video that I shot of the first ten holes using a Sony Action Cam. See if you can guess what made the round one to remember.
Yep, rain. I knew that it rains in the afternoon in Maui, but everyone I talked to said that it only rains for a bit and then clears out.
We had rain holes 3-18. Not just rain, but strong winds and pouring rain. I know it's a cliche to site Caddyshack is a golf article, but that is the type of storm we are talking about here. I quickly understood why the carts came with built-in rain covers for the clubs.
The four of us were totally soaked. I actually poured water out of my shoes after the round. Thankfully it was still fairly warm out. Even as wet as it was, the Plantation course was amazing. I wish that we could have had better weather so that I could truly appreciate it more, but playing that round in the downpour with my father-in-law is not something I will soon forget. Plus, I now have a great reason to go back and play again.
Overall, it was obvious that Ben was not trying to give each one of the students the same general golf curriculum, but rather individual tips and drills tailored to the needs of the individual. If I was a Maui resident, I would definitely sign up for additional lessons with Ben.