Golf and excitement are a couple of words that don’t always fit in the same sentence.

Because of the pace of play or the time it takes to complete a tournament, it doesn’t readily compare to a two-hour basketball game or a three-hour football matchup. But for those who follow the sport all four days and settle in comfortably for often a five-hour telecast, they appreciate the skill-set needed to focus on every shot or putt that comes the golfer’s way from the first hole until the last.

Hawaii fans were particularly lucky these past three weeks with the two PGA Tour events on Maui and Oahu, and the PGA Tour Champions get-together on the Big Island that produced sudden-death results as the sun settled on the horizon. They were treated to four extra holes in the Sentry Tournament of Champions before Justin Thomas beat Patrick Reed with a birdie at the 18th.

The Sony Open in Hawaii only needed one playoff hole before Australia’s Cameron Smith knocked off Brendan Steele, much to the delight of all the fans Down Under. And the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai was particularly entertaining with a three-way playoff that had Hall of Fame golfers Fred Couples and Ernie Els unable to solve Miguel Angel Jimenez, who outlasted that dynamic duo with a birdie putt on the second sudden-death hole at the 18th.

Pretty heady stuff, especially considering it happened for three consecutive weekends in the height of the National Football League playoffs. Fans who tuned in to the Golf Channel were treated to panoramic views of blue water and emerald greens. From the mountains of West Maui to the flatlands near Diamond Head to the picture-perfect location that is Hualalai, it sure beat sitting on a couch complaining to your significant other, “Baby, it’s cold outside.”

Granted, those who live in the island chain and the golfers visiting here had to deal with the wind and rain, but it just added to the drama of the three events played here. One thing that can turn a golf tournament upside down is weather. And while it wasn’t cold, those who attended the events got wet and muddy, but they still enjoyed watching Thomas recover for his win on Maui or Smith hoist a trophy on Oahu for all his fellow Aussies dealing with the brushfires or Jimenez holding off two legends of the game as he lit his victory cigar.

On an even better front for those same fans, Sentry signed a long-term deal to remain the title sponsor until 2030 and Mitsubishi also inked a new five-year contract to be the sponsor in the senior event that often showcases more recognizable names than the Sony Open. That contract is in the middle of a five-year deal and will likely result in another five years once that arrangement comes due.

It speaks well for those who enjoy professional golf locally. They can feel comfortable that the pros will be coming back and producing the kind of excitement that they witnessed these three weekends in January for years to come.