I’ve taken part in the Vay K Pro-Am several times over the years, six days at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui, four rounds of golf and done in a way, especially for golf pros, that’s extremely affordable for where it’s played.
It’s also done in a way that allows pros like myself to make it a family vacation, which brings an important benefit to the table.
It’s nothing we could afford to do if we just went to Maui on our own, but through this event, we make it a family vacation and stay a couple of extra days and have a wonderful time.
My daughter Azalea has had every one of her birthdays in Hawaii and she’s four now, so she’s pretty spoiled. I don’t know what I’m going to do with her once she’s 16.
Her and her brother Lane start talking about it in the summer when our pool opens for the summer. From that point on, they start talking a bout Hawaii because they spend so much time in the pool there, so there’s a six-month build-up to actually going.
It’s great to go after the season when you might get photos e-mailed to you of the kids in the pool, but by the time you get home in the evening, they’re tired of being in the pool all day, so this family vacation offers me the opportunity to spend more time with them in that kind of atmosphere.
One of the great things about the Pro-Am is that we play early, about a 7:30-8 a.m. shotgun, so you’re back to the hotel by around 1, giving us four or five hours of daylight to spend at the pool with the kids.
The other nice thing about the set-up is that we golf Monday and Tuesday, then have an off-day on Wednesday when you can do whatever you want with the family, before playing again Thursday and Friday.
I already know the dates for next year and we’re planning to go. That time with the family emphasizes the things with the family that you appreciate.
