Indiana University Athletics
Hawai'i Diary: Laura Nochta
3/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
March 21, 2009
Day 1 –Friday, March 13th
Our first day of spring break started with a departure to Indianapolis airport at 6:15 am. We gladly said goodbye to the 30 degree weather and prepared ourselves for the 10 hours of flight time ahead. Our first stop, Minneapolis for a quick lay over and then headed straight to Honolulu. We were anxious the entire flight, so none of us could catch a few winks. Luckily there were lots of movies to choose from and several meals to gorge ourselves with the entire flight. We landed in Honolulu around 3:30 Hawaii time, 9:30 Bloomington time and I was exhausted! We retrieved our 12 pieces of luggage and loaded up our van. The scenery, beautiful and the temperature, perfect! Then we headed to dinner and found a California Pizza Kitchen at a local mall near where our host family’s home was located. For the 5th time that day we stuffed our faces and headed to the house. We stayed at Dr. Argyl Bacon’s home, a medical grad of 1950. Unfortunately, he was not in town, but we were glad that he gave his home to us for the week. That night we just relaxed and went to bed early.
Day 2- Saturday, March 14th
Today was our day to recover from jet lag. I had gone to bed at 7:30 the night before so could not sleep past 6. We had planned to go snorkeling in the morning, but it had been storming for hours, so a friend of Coach Brophy’s took us on a tour of the island. When Coach Brophy played her senior year in this event she had stayed with a Notre Dame alumni, Harrison Chung, and he was nice enough to show us the beauty of Oahu. We made a few stops along our trip one was to get our feet wet in the North Shore waters. The waves were huge and we almost got sucked under! We then stopped for lunch at a local place right along the beach called Crouching Lion. We finished our trip with a stop to one of Hawaii’s best shaved ice stores called Kokonuts. It is one of President Obama’s favorite spots to visit when he returns to Oahu. I think all the girls will agree with me that it was amazing and the perfect ending to a great tour. That afternoon we practiced at a local golf club and had dinner at another Indiana alumni’s home, where Coach Wallman stayed. There we vegged out on pizza and enjoyed the amazing view from his home of the entire city of Honolulu.
Day 3- Sunday, March 15th
Happy Birthday to ME!!!! Yes, it was my birthday. The big 21st! We spent our day at the golf course for our practice round. We played on a Marine Base at a course called Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course. We really enjoyed the round, especially the 13-15th holes which lined the shores of the Pacific. We took some great pictures and I know that when we think back to this trip that is one of the things we will always remember. That night we went to Hard Rock Café where we met up with Coach Brophy’s parents who were in town. It was a great evening of fun, but we went to bed early knowing that the next day, the first round of the tournament, would be a long day.
Day 4- Monday, March 16th
The first round of the event. We got an early start with our alarms buzzing at 4:45 am. We quickly made breakfast and left for the course around 5:30. We were paired with the University of Hawaii and Texas A&M. A shotgun sounded at 7:30 sharp and we began our round. Around 8 o’clock every day there is a bugle call to start the day and also to honor the Marines on base. It only lasts for a minute so we quietly wait and then when it is finished we continue playing. One nice surprise was Coach Brophy’s parents showed up during the middle of the round to help cheer us on. I made birdie on the first hole they watched. After the round was over, we had lunch at the Officer’s Club which was provided by the tournament. Then we headed to the practice range where we hit balls and played competitive games with each other. That night we had dinner at The Counter, a famous burger joint. One thing is for sure, no matter how we play that day, we always eat well! Then it was off to bed. I was tired and probably didn’t make it past 9 o’clock before my head hit the pillow.
Day 5- March 17th
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Another early start. Up at 4:45, left at 5:30, tee off at 7:30. This day we played with Texas A&M and Texas El Paso. The weather had been really great and today it wasn’t any worse. The overcast skies made it a warm 75 degrees, not too hot and definitely not too cold. After the round, we stayed to have lunch again at the Officer’s Club and practiced for awhile. We got back to the house pretty early, so us girls headed down to the beach which was only 3 blocks away and got to stick our feet in the sand and relax. That night we went to a local Chinese restaurant and met up with Mr. Chung and his wife as well as another IU law graduate, Mr. Hee and his wife. It was a real cultural experience. Mr. Chung gave us all beautiful purple leis and candies. It was a great dinner. We said our goodbyes and headed home for a good nights sleep.
Day 6-March 18th
Last round of the event. We were matched up with Boise State and a team from Japan. Even though there was a huge language barrier we laughed and had a great time with the Japanese team. We all really pushed ourselves to put together a great round for this day. We knew what we were capable of pulling off and we ended up shooting the low round of the day. We always say one of our goals is to win the day and that round we did. After the conclusion of the round we ate our final meal at the Officer’s Club and watched the awards ceremony where we were given a 3rd place trophy and leis. That afternoon we went to Pearl Harbor and toured the U.S.S. Arizona Monument. It was sad to see the long list of names that were engraved on the monument of people who lost their lives in that battle. It was something we all had been looking forward to the entire trip and we were glad that we were able to see it. That evening we went our host daughter-in-law’s restaurant, which served authentic Thai food. It was something that I never had tried before, but I was willing to give it a go and I actually enjoyed it. Then it was bed time for me and the rest of the girls. We had a big day planned for our final full day in Hawaii.
Day 7- March 19th
Amber, Coach Brophy, and I woke up early and hiked up Diamond Head Crater. It was a good workout! At the top of the crater we took lots of pictures and caught our breath. When we got back to the house everyone else had woken up and we got ready to go snorkeling. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the beach there was a sign saying that it was close due jellyfish. I guess our snorkeling experience wasn’t meant to be. By then it was lunch time and we headed to Zippy’s, a Hawaiian favorite. We went back to the house, showered and got ready for a day down on Waikiki Beach. We spent about 4 hours down on the Waikiki strip shopping at the International Market and other great stores buying souvenirs for our friends and family. That night we went to eat our last dinner at a place called El Bistro, a French restaurant. It was my favorite meal of the entire trip. It ended up being a really late meal so as soon as we got back to the house the girls and I crashed.
Day 8-March 20th
Our last day in Hawaii. We slept in a little, but then spent the morning cleaning and packing. We left around lunchtime and grabbed a bite to eat before we left for the airport. We stopped at a place recommended to us by Dr. Bacon called Café Laufer. We all had soups, salads and sandwiches. We then headed for the airport for our 5:00 departure for Minneapolis. Hopefully I will pass out on the plane and sleep for most of the day. Luckily this flight an hour and a half shorter than our flight to Honolulu. We will not get in to Indianapolis till 10 o’clock Saturday morning.
We had an amazing time in Hawaii. None of us had been there before and it was a great way to spend our spring break. We met some amazing people and enjoyed the culture. Next time, we WILL go snorkeling!
