For about 100 years you actually had to go to the Manoa Cup to follow it in “real” time. Walk the heartbreak hills and valleys of Oahu Country Club and try to follow multiple matches.
That was before 808golf.com, which introduced “live” results to local golf along with much more. President and webmaster Sean Lunasco started the website in 2000 because …”I love to play golf. I was just trying to barter with the courses to play free golf.”
It worked, too well.
“It came to a point where I could pretty much play wherever,” Lunasco said, “but I hardly play because I started thinking the site could be something special. l put a lot of time and effort into it and just a little time into golf. It turned into a pretty full-time thing.”
First he focused on featuring golf courses. With a little nudge from his golfing friends, he began posting and archiving results. Then came bio pages for golfers, schedules, tee times and a fling with broadcasting.
He has a (Michelle) “Wie Watch” link and another that goes to Parker McLachlin’s website. This year Lunasco added “Inside & Outside the Ropes with Hawaii LPGA Tour Rookies” Ayaka Kaneko and Stephanie Kono.
The Honolulu pros have proved to be engaging and concise, offering glimpses into golf and life on tour. Both bragged on the “amazing food” in Alabama and thanked Hawaii fans for the “home cooking” at Ko Olina.
“I figure people would be looking for those pages,” Lunasco says. “It’s stuff they write themselves. I thought people would be interested in knowing their thoughts after each tournament, just their thoughts in their rookie year. Michelle would want money to do it and I can’t pay her.”
A few years ago Lunasco, whose background is in computer networking, asked a friend from electrical school to write a program for live results. The site started with the Manoa Cup, running hole-by-hole results the final two days, then moved on to the Hawaii Pearl Open.
The Hawaii State Golf Association, which runs the Manoa Cup, caught up the past two years when the U.S. Golf Association developed its own program. Live results will return for the 104th Manoa Cup, coming up June 11.
Now Lunasco “fills in the blanks” at tournaments and keeps remarkably busy. He has some sponsors, but is so low-key he finally brought someone in this year to help him market his site. He’s “pretty sure” it is financially viable, but up to now it has mostly been a labor of love.
And a great resource for those who like to follow the finest Hawaii golfers. “Anything to do with tournaments,” Lunasco says, gets the most hits.
TV is also making a foray into the state’s golf world. Hawaii TV Golf kicked off this year, showcasing local talent. It broadcast the final round of the Mid-Pacific Open live on KWHE (14) with six cameras, then showed repeats a week later.
“It went as well as it could go for the first time … ,” operations manager Jason Kotani said. “Everybody seemed happy with it, happy seeing local golfers on TV.”
Kotani hopes to show the Manoa Cup on a delayed basis, but is running into complications. He is also looking at showing some junior events this summer.
