On June 29, 2020, Local 142 Sports Coordinators decided to cancel all Statewide Local Sports Tournaments for golf, basketball & softball.
The COVID-19 pandemic strained inter-island travel by requiring 14-day quarantines and other social distancing practices implemented by the Governor’s proclamations. If a Division wanted to host a tournament for their Division only, they had the option to do so.
Hawaii Division sees opportunity for morale boost
Sports coordinator Tristie Licoan and Hawaii Division full-time officers (FTOs) assessed their membership and strongly felt that hosting an event could help boost the memberships’ morale, especially for those going through COVID-related obstacles such as temporary layoffs, financial hardships, mental worries, and limited social and physical interactions.
Sure enough, by mid-July, Division FTOs confirmed strong interest (exhibited by 17 teams playing with three members or more) from members from resorts along the Kohala Coast.
With the assistance of Business Agent George Martin and Union house Mauna Kea Resort Management, Mauna Kea Resort Golf Course offered ILWU Local 142 to host a tournament.
Prioritizing safety in unprecedented times
Naturally, all planning for the event revolved around the COVID pandemic. Hawaii Division took extra precautions in its planning stages all the way up to the end of game play, to make sure CDC and DOH guidelines were followed to a tee.
The tournament provided an opportunity for members to socialize no matter what industry they belonged to, and inspired camaraderie, so these extra efforts were well worth it.
Game day September 26, 2020
The weather on game day was prime conditions for a golf tournament: a full day of sunshine with very light trade and onshore winds.
First team to tee off was at 8:15 a.m. and 10 minutes for each team thereafter.
Reusable cloth and disposable masks including inserts about CDC guidelines of mask wearing, local testing locations, symptoms of COVID and self health evaluation inserts were distributed to all players upon registration, along with a few donated items, such as individual packed snacks and golf balls.
Additional thoughtful safety accommodations
Each golf cart was equipped with a bottle of hand sanitizer spray and two bottles of water in separate coolers to limit the touching of surfaces.
There were no sand bottles on the cart to fill divots. The green cups were filled with FuNoodles, so no one would need to remove the flag from the hole to retrieve their ball.
Usually tournaments end with an awards banquet, but this time, because of the no gatherings larger than ten at a time rule, there were bentos prepared by the resort’s chefs for the golfers to pick up instead.
Generosity and hard work make it possible
The Division received donations from numerous entities, such as mayoral candidate Mitch Roth, Golf Treasures, Civil Defense, and Hawaii Division FTOs.
The Division calculated the team and individual winners using the Peoria scratch play system.
It was a very close game between the top ten players, with scores all within five strokes of each other. The first, second and third place winners received golf bag tags donated by Golf Treasures. Individual male and female winners received a special belt.
Upon registration, all players received a raffle ticket, so they could have a chance to win prizes donated from Local 142 and Hawaii Division FTOs that included: two Insta-Pots; ILWU Local 142 HydroFlasks; (article based on reporting by Business Agent Tristie Licoan; mahalo Tristie!) getting through these Foodland and Starbucks gift cards; Tommy Armour Golf Clubs; Hawaii Division Logo embroidered golf shirts; and a 24 pack of Kirkland golf balls.
Nothing about this tournament was normal to say the least, save for the weather. But with a minimal budget, Hawaii Division made it work.
It was a much-needed opportunity for members to come together in solidarity and camaraderie. It is a testament to the strength and character of ILWU members that they wanted to support a Union golf course and that they were able to come together with conscientious respect for safety guidelines. The photos you see are mostly unmasked, but masks were worn for the duration of the tournament. Mahalo to the members and Hawaii Division for making this tournament an uplifting success.
Left photo: Jonathan Thiebaut Unit 1516 Mahi Golf Course, Chris Mendiola Unit 1517 Hilton Waikoloa Village, Chad Osaki Unit 1516. Middle photo Big Island Stevedores team: Angel Bustamante, Aaron Soong, Vernon Padlewski, Ashferd Kelson. Right photo: David Imata, Senior Clerk Sui Ling Poy, Business Agent Jennifer Yadao, Business Agent Tristie Licoan.
Left photo Hawaii Longshore Team: Ryan Longakit, Randy Molina, Lance Wilson, Sherri Wilson. Middle photo Unit 1513 Waikoloa Village Golf Course: Brenden Kihoi, Kekani Santos, Keoni Santos, Luke Pauli. Right photo: Josh Umeda Unit 1517 Hilton Waikoloa Village, Cassius Ching Unit 1516 Mahi Golf Course, Reyn Matsu Unit 1516.