This looks like a pass-fail exam. And it comes with a $1.5 million price tag, at least.
Kapalua Resort is stepping into the world of women's professional golf this week as it hosts the first Kapalua LPGA Classic at the Bay Course.
Now, at a place where the quality of tournaments has grown from a gathering of a few local and journeyman professionals in the Kapalua Open, to the unofficial offseason trendsetter Kapalua International, and finally, to the PGA Tour's season-opening, winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship, the ladies come calling with their tour that seems to be in a constant fight for attention.
The Women's Kemper Open left Wailea in 1992, leaving Maui without an LPGA stop.
Now, Kapalua is the only resort in America that hosts both the best men's tour and best women's tour in the world.
''I am very excited because it is great to have the LPGA at Kapalua, back on Maui,'' he said. '''I remember when we got started in 1982 with the (Women's) Kemper Open at Kaanapali, and then the later years when it was at Wailea. I think this is the right event for the Bay Course, I think it is the right time to bring an event here. The fall time, because fall has become fairly quiet. The event schedules have changed. Our event that was in the fall, the Kapalua International, became the Mercedes-Benz Championship. So I just think it is the right time and we are really excited about a full-field LPGA event with the top players in the world. Lorena Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam, our own touring pro Morgan Pressel. We are going to have some excitement here.''
Have no doubt, without a title sponsor yet, Kapalua is counting on the excitement part.
Nancy Cross, the tournament's executive director, said the LPGA players ''get the whole marketing aspect of what we are trying to achieve.''
Planos and Cross have traveled to several LPGA stops and have been receiving good feelings from the players in anticipation of playing here.
''They are all ready to come,'' Cross said. ''And we are ready to put on a good show.''
Make no mistake, that show is not only for fans on The Golf Channel, and in the gallery that officials hope will be lining the newly groomed and immaculate fairways on the Bay Course, but also for the possible title sponsors who must make the decision to lend their name and dollars to this event.
If anyone can do this, it is Kapalua. This is a place where somewhere around 750 volunteers are at work during the week of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, but only about 400 or so will be needed this week.
That is the difference between having 30 to 35 PGA Tour winners, their expectations and demands in a limited field, and the 132-player full field here this week, but with a lot less money on the line and a tour with a lot less clout.
''It is fun to get the team, this whole experience at Kapalua is 'how can you make hundreds work together to create the unified experience that golf championships at Kapalua are known for?' '' Planos said.
Planos said the improvements are resortwide.
''The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua has been completely renovated,'' he said. ''We have got Kapalua Villas and their gold program, the Bay Course has been almost completely redone, and it is in the best shape it has ever been in.''
It seems no mistake that the visiting media and the media room will be based in the Ritz. This event is also using the world-renowned Kapalua Golf Academy - and all of its up-to-the-minute technology - as a practice area. All of that will require some extensive shuttling from the Bay Course, but Kapalua knows what it is doing.
''We are letting the LPGA practice on the best practice facility in the state,'' Planos said. ''But we still have to shuttle them back and forth the first and 10th tees. There are some logistical things that you don't have with the Plantation Course (for the Mercedes).''
The bottom line is this event needs to go well to attract a title sponsor for this tournament that carries a $1.5 million purse. If it doesn't, there seems little doubt that in today's suddenly gloomy economy, this could be a short-lived experiment.
A look at the free admission for today through Wednesday practice rounds and pro-am - then just $10 a day for the tournament proper - shows that Kapalua wants folks on the grounds.
''We find most of our attendees are tourists who happen to be on island,'' Cross said.
To that end, the Kahului Airport is decked out in player posters and advertisements.
''I don't see that there is anyone landing on Maui who doesn't see we are doing this event,'' Cross said.
Playing host to both events - remember the Mercedes is about 2 1/2 months away - is far from easy.
''This is the most detailed practice round we have ever gone through for Mercedes,'' Planos said.
Looking at the track record, it is easy to believe that Planos and Cross, who have been working together doing this kind of thing for a quarter century, and their team can pull it off.
''For us, I think in the preparation that has been a big responsibility is something that we are going to fulfill,'' Cross said.
A look at the evolution of men's tournaments listed earlier that has taken place at Kapalua makes the confidence shown by Planos and Cross understandable.
A tour of the 18th green area at the Bay Course late last week with tournament director Jim Felechner showed that this event is not taking a backseat to anything. With a new putting green, new short-game area, beautiful fairways, 14 regrassed greens, and more than 60 new teeing areas, the Bay is ready to shine like its big brother, the Plantation.
The LPGA, for its part, looks like a great partner for Kapalua to tap into the Asian market. But let's remember the LPGA is the same organization that has clashed with media outlets in the 50th state enough for those outlets to ignore covering an event on Oahu a few years back. Much more recently was the decision to suspend and fine players if they couldn't speak English, a mandate that the LPGA has backed off on.
The LPGA is showing support by holding its annual meeting here this week in conjunction with this event.
It still comes back to the fact that the bottom line is, well, the bottom line.
New network and cable television agreements will be coming for the LPGA next year, which adds intrigue.
''We are trying to find the right partner every day,'' Planos said. ''Ideally we would know somewhere around the first of the year.''
Ironically, just in time for the Mercedes.
''Both events are now year-round activities for us,'' Planos said. ''Our priority right now is the Bay Course and running this Kapalua
LPGA Classic as close to the Mercedes mode as we can. As soon as we tear down, we are right back to Mercedes.''
* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com
