Golf on Kauai is an experience you won’t soon forget due to the quality and character of all the island courses, municipal and resort alike. In order to maximize your golfing enjoyment, Kauai PGA golf professionals offer their advice on unique island conditions and how they may affect your ability to score in this uniquely beautiful golf setting.

Tropical climate grasses, such as Bermuda, is the most common of grasses found on the putting surfaces and fairways of Kauai golf courses. The Bermuda greens in particular have perplexed many fine putters who have played here. This article will help take some of the guesswork out of your golfing experience.

Also, the fickle Kauai winds offer velocity at times and are subject to changing moods that can deter your path to personal golf nirvana. Included are a couple of windy day tips to assist those who are preparing their golf vacation on Kauai and for those considering a golf outing.

PUTTING WITH GRAIN
Grain affects both the curve and speed of your putt. Putting directly against the grain slows your putt down; putting with the grain adds speed. If the grain runs across the line of your putt in the same direction as the slope of the green, it increases the break, especially as the ball slows down.

Bermuda grows westward toward the setting sun. The characteristically thick, coarse Bermuda grows in an upward swirl and its grain is strong and influential on the speed and direction of your putts. When you are practicing, you can test the grain by lightly dragging the palm of your hand across the grass. If the grass stands up, you’ve scraped your putter against the grain; if it stays down, you are with the grain. When you’re playing, the rules of golf don’t permit you to test the greens in this manner, but you can test the collar or apron without penalty. Just make sure it’s the same kind of grass as the putting surface before you include the information in your reading.

A golfer can also have a look at the inside edge of the hole to determine what direction the grass is growing to help determine speed of the putt. Onehalf of the edge is healthy while the other half of the edge is browning. Putting with the healthier, greener side of the hole is much faster than putting from the opposite direction.

STRENGTH OF THE WIND
The island of Kauai can become quite blustery; therefore, those golfers looking to gain an advantage must learn to manage the wind in order to outsmart the course.

First of all, be prepared to spend some time on the practice range prior to your endeavor on the course to figure out how you intend to battle the wind. Every golfer I know takes a different approach on how to handle the wind at hand.