Lee, Reinhart excited to start new Leadbetter Academy at The Dunes

KAHULUI -- Eddie Lee knows that his new gig at The Dunes at Maui Lani is special. Lee will coordinate the new David Leadbetter Academy at the Central Maui golf course after 10 years of doing the same thing at Wailea.

The Leadbetter Academy at The Dunes will be just the 10th currently operating in North America, and only the second west of the Mississippi River.

Lee says Leadbetter is the best golf instructor in the world. Lee's official title is Director of Instruction for The Dunes at Maui Lani Leadbetter Golf Academy.

"We're really fortunate to have that relationship with David, for at least the last 10 years," Lee said Tuesday at The Dunes. "It was a decision that was made not just myself with David, his blessing, but also with the golf course. To get that going on and to be one of 10, that's pretty cool I think -- the only one in Hawaii."

There are four Leadbetter academies in Florida, and one each in Georgia, Wisconsin, New Jersey, New York and British Columbia.

"They're very exclusive," Lee said.

The idea of the academy at The Dunes, which is set to open Jan. 1 after starting to develop the operation on Nov. 1, is largely to develop juniors and future teaching professionals.

"Our goal at The Dunes is to be able to create a system of training for assistant pros who were junior golfers who grew up on Maui," said Scott Reinhart, the PGA Director of Golf at The Dunes. "If they want to pursue a sports career in golf, they should be able to get a job here as an assistant pro, get trained thoroughly, not only in operations, but in instruction and coaching as well. Then, they could take that and go anywhere and get a head pro job on their own, create a golf career out of it -- we want to be that stepping ground."

Reinhart worked at the Kapalua Golf Academy under Ben Hongo. Reinhart also worked on his own game under Lee when Lee ran a Leadbetter Academy at Wailea from 2008-18.

"To leave Kapalua, come here, be the director of golf and then to have Eddie come here, it's like Christmas," Reinhart said.

The plan to start the Leadbetter Academy at The Dunes came together quickly.

Lee was playing The Dunes course in September when Reinhart drove by while inspecting the course.

"He said, 'How's it going? What's going on?' " Reinhart said. "I said basically, 'We're trying to get some more challenges, trying to get some things going around here.' Basically, he said, 'Leadbetter is interested in looking at the facility' and it just evolved from there."

The facilities at The Dunes at Maui Lani are key to the whole process, Lee said. The course has a large, lighted driving range and other practice grounds near the clubhouse.

Lee began his career in Hawaii at Kapalua in 1991, moved to Wailea in 1996 and worked there for 22 years as the director of instruction, and started a golf academy at Hualalai on the Big Island in 2018.

Lee first hooked up with Leadbetter when the instruction guru was in Hawaii working with pupil Michelle Wie at Wailea.

"He came up to the range and fell in love with the range at Wailea," Lee said. "He said, 'I want to start an academy.' He said, 'You can come to Florida and train or stay and co-exist.' So, I went home, talked to my wife and said, 'I'm going to move to Florida for three months, not get paid, but I will be training under the best, I think the greatest instructor who ever lived.' And she said, 'Go.' "

He came back to Wailea and opened the academy there. After things drew to a close for Leadbetter at Wailea, Lee wasn't sure he would ever get the opportunity to work for his mentor again.

When he thought of the facilities available, he knew The Dunes was the right place for the new Leadbetter Academy.

"First of all, the relationship with Scott -- I've known Scott from Kapalua, we worked together -- and then just looking at the facilities, looking at the range, the space, the opportunity, it's a diamond in the rough," Lee said. "It's huge plus it's centrally located. It has big junior golf presence. There's junior golfers that have come out of here that are playing for a living. And also the golf course, it's ranked as one of the toughest in the state -- that's why we play the Maui Open here. It's a great golf course, great programs, First Tee.

"There's just many, many programs and platforms to elevate the game, from young kids to old people."

The plan will start with Lee training five or six assistant teaching pros about the Leadbetter philosophy.

"We're fortunate, first of all, it's good timing," Lee said. "It just makes sense with everything that's going on in 2020 -- we're essentially starting anew in 2021. ... I like this facility and everything about it and just fell in love with it."

Lee noted the success of Maui junior golfers as another reason to start the Leadbetter Academy in Kahului. Baldwin High School standout Lana Calibuso-Kwee plans to sign her National Letter of Intent to play golf at Texas A&M today.

"Maui always develops a tremendous junior golf stable and we want to continue that tradition," Lee said. "From Sam Cyr to Alex Chiarella to Lana, they have all walked these halls."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.