Kaua‘i junior golfers tee off at Wailua Spring Classic Saturday

Kaua‘i’s junior golf scene got a home-island showcase at Wailua Golf Course, where the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association Spring Classic brought island players into a two-day, 36-hole stroke-play test on the county’s only municipal course.

The field was built around local families who know this course well. In the Boys 13-14 flight were Kai Taylor, Ayven Labuguen, Maverick Fitchett, Milo Schwartz and Solomon Frye. Lauryn Lee was listed in the Girls 13-14 division. Gage Bonnell and Owen Lewis played the Boys 11-12 flight, while Emi Sayegusa and Aya Hall were entered in Girls 11-12. Mason Tone, Easton Luke and Beckett Braun made up the all-Kaua‘i 9-hole flight, giving younger players their own stage on a course that has long served the island.

The first pairings were set for 11 a.m. Saturday, giving parents and supporters a clear time to gather along the opening holes. The shorter 9-hole flight played roughly 1,600 to 2,400 yards, while the Boys and Girls 11-12 groups were scheduled around 5,200 to 5,600 yards. The Boys and Girls 13-14 flights faced the longest setup, about 6,000 to 6,400 yards, a reminder that the event was designed to stretch players beyond a casual round and into tournament pressure.

For Kaua‘i juniors, the weekend mattered because it sat inside HSJGA’s larger pipeline. The nonprofit says it introduces the game of golf to Hawaii’s youth and develops life skills through fun, affordable and competitive programs. Its 2026 calendar also places the Kaua‘i Spring Classic in the Spring Series, and the association has pointed to a U.S. National Development Pathway meant to identify and develop the next generation of elite junior golfers through training, competition and growth beyond the game.

Wailua added its own weight to the competition. Kaua‘i County describes the course as an 18-hole public facility with a clubhouse, golf shop and restaurant. It began as a 9-hole course in the 1930s, expanded to 18 holes in 1961 or 1962, and was reshaped by Toyo Shirai. The course has also hosted major USGA events, which gives a youth tournament there a level of prestige that local players and families recognize immediately. The Spring Classic returned to Wailua after being played there in 2025, reinforcing the course’s role as a recurring gathering place for Kaua‘i’s next generation of golfers.