Those leaves turning colors as college golf’s fall schedule concludes the next few weeks are looking suspiciously tropical.

Hawaii’s home collegiate tournament schedule is a bit skewed to start, but it is big.

Dixie State hosts its “Island Invitational” at Waikoloa Kings’ Oct. 23-24. The Utah school salvaged the event after a coaching change at Hawaii Pacific.

On the same dates down the road, the University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine — part of the Big West Conference — are expected to play gracious hosts at the annual Nanea Pac-12 Preview.

It gets better, and more sensible as the NCAA’s early season plays its back nine.

UH Hilo follows up the Island Invitational with its Dennis Rose Intercollegiate at Kings’ Oct. 27-28. A day later, the Rainbow Warriors open their Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational. The Rainbow Wahine Invitational starts at Leilehua on the day that ends the month, Halloween.

The fall island golf trail concludes at UH’s Kaanapali Classic, starting Nov. 5.

Teams could also play in Odessa, Texas, that week. There are other events in Gallatin, Tenn., Monkey Island, Okla., Foley, Ala., and Walla Walla, Wash., a bit earlier.

But really, wouldn’t you rather be here? If we didn’t have college golf, other teams would probably pay us to host tournaments.

The Kaanapali tournament is in its fourth year, after starting by popular demand.

“It only came about because we had so many teams on the waiting list for Kauai,” UH coach Ronn Miyashiro says. “I said ‘If we do something the end of the same week would you want to come?’ Within two days, we had 14 schools committed.”

Both UH men’s tournaments bring about 20 teams in. Hilo’s Division II events are smaller, and in jeopardy with smaller schools struggling to finance the long trip.

That trip is taken about five times each by Hawaii schools during a two-part season that ends in April or May. The first road trip for the HPU and Chaminade men will be to Hilo.

Ryan Acosta was named coach for HPU’s men and women in August, after serving as assistant at Brigham Young-Hawaii the last three years. The Seasiders closed their athletic program last spring, after hosting and winning the PacWest Conference Championship.

HPU’s women, led by PacWest runner-up Pranisa “Mint” Chimsuti, will play at Leilehua along with Hilo. Last year, seven golfers from Hawaii finished in the top 20 there, led by Brigham Young’s Rose Huang (‘Iolani), who has gone 1-2 in the event her first two seasons.

UH junior Kaci Masuda was ninth, and finished second last week at the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate, in Palm Desert, Calif. So did the Wahine, two shots behind Santa Clara, which was led by medalist — and Punahou graduate — Kristin Le. UH freshman Emma Lower took fourth.

“Kaci has everything you need in a good player,” says first-year Wahine coach Stephen Bidne. “Obviously she is nice to be around, she’s a good leader and she has great swing mechanics.”

Masuda traveled with four first-year teammates on Hawaii’s first two trips. The results were at different ends of the spectrum, with UH coming in 15th at the Coeur D’Alene Collegiate to open the season.

Bidne characterizes the upcoming Pac-12 Preview as a “fun” event for his team, which serves as co-host. That conference has four teams ranked in the top 10, including defending NCAA champion and No. 1 Arizona State.

The UH men have finished 13th and 16th in their first two starts and are coming off their low round of the season — 6-over 290 — Tuesday at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational in smoky Fairfax, Calif. Miyashiro has eight underclassmen in his 20th season, and one senior —Smart Kittirattanapaiboon, from Thailand.

UCLA, San Diego State, Colorado and Washington are in the field at Princeville. Cal, which won its MacKenzie Invitational, will be at Kaanapali, along with Georgia and LSU.

“We are not bringing in teams that, at this point in time, we can expect to beat,” concedes Miyashiro, who took Maui freshmen Justin Arcano and Justin Ngan on the last trip. “These schools have got money.

“We are lucky to have what we have, but in the scheme of things, what we have and what others have … there is a huge disparity.”

What Hawaii does have, without a doubt, are golf courses everyone wants to play. So, next semester, there will be more popular events here.

The spring season for men starts in early February, with Hilo’s 27th Amer Ari Invitational, always packed with ranked D-I teams. The PacWest Championships are at the end of April in Arizona.

Two weeks after Amer Ari, UH’s John A. Burns Intercollegiate is at Wailua. The Wahine host two more tournaments in March.