Golf goes to shoot and hula in sunny Hawaii

A nine-hour flight to an exotic place, flowers in bloom and bikinis abound, world class links with a Polynesian flair - is this heaven? No, it's a Michigan men's golf trip.

The Wolverines depart Saturday, leaving weather that's forecasted to be cold and rainy to travel to Hawaii, where the temperature hovers constantly around 72 degrees and the grass is always green.

They will stay a week, playing two tournaments on two islands. Next Monday and Tuesday they will compete in the Hawaii Invitational, played at Ko'olau Golf Course in Honolulu. The tournament will consist of 11 teams, some with an international element. Teams from both Japan and Australia will compete, along with domestic representatives from Minnesota and Indiana.

"The school from Japan is purely golf-oriented, they'll be very good," Michigan coach Jim Carras said. "Aside from the few Big Ten schools, I really have no idea what the competition will look like."

The competition won't be the only surprise to the golfers, however.

"I've never played there, but people claim the golf course is unbelievable," Carras said. "The steepness of the terrain is unthinkable, but we have to remember, it's all relative. All the teams have to play the same course."

After a day's hiatus, the team will hop to the big island, where Hapuna Gold Course will hold the Mauna Kea Collegiate Invitational. Purdue will join up with the other Big Ten schools in another 11-team tournament, played Thursday and Friday.

Michigan will send the same lineup it did to last month's Stanford Invitational to Hawaii - Michael Harris, Andy Matthews, Scott Hayes, Andy Chapman, and Mike Affeldt.

Back at home, the Wolverines have been busy practicing their game and keeping their minds on golf.

"We haven't played a tournament for almost a month, so we have been trying to practice as much as we can," Carras said. "It's been tough with this weather, but the practice we've done has been good."

Carras wants his team to focus primarily on golf and not on the surf.

"I talked to the guys, and I asked that this wouldn't be a vacation tournament," Carras said. "Rather, this should be a golf tournament with fun to follow."

This will be the first time the program has left the continental United States.

"This is definitely the most exotic trip we've taken," Carras said. "I look at it as a way to reward the kids. It's an opportunity to do something completely different."

11-19-99