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FEATURES . COVER STORY PROJECT After a life-threatening bout with cancer, veteran golf analyst Mark Rolfing beats the odds and is now giving back in every way he knows how. NEXT by ANN MILLER . photography by MARCO GARCIA OR GOLF’S SAKE, THANK GOD “My cancer is the real reason why Chicago Rolfing has had a number of discus- MARK ROLFING DIDN’T HAVE and Ala Wai are projects that are gain- sions with the city about the future of ENOUGH GAME. WHO ELSE ing such momentum,” says Rolfing, whose golf here and keeps going back to the COULD HAVE IMAGINED, Stage 4 salivary gland cancer has been in game’s three basic problems: Too difficult, INSTIGATED AND NURTURED remission more than a year. “If we had not takes too long and costs too much. Fso many high-profile professional golf events gone through that, I can almost promise “Until we get serious about addressing in paradise? Who else could have taken his this would not be happening. These are those issues, there is no chance for growth, show—and Hawai‘i’s—on the road as the first such massive projects. If not for such a life- which means the game is not sustainable,” TV golf analyst without a major champi- changer, we wouldn’t have taken this on.” he says. “My hope is that we begin at the onship to his name? Who else could have How massive? Rolfing is now president of grass-roots level and zero-in on Ala Wai brought Tiger Woods and former POTUS— the non-profit Chicago Parks Golf Alliance. because we’ve got to start somewhere so let’s and Punahou alumni—Barack Obama He envisions the $30 million project to start there. Let’s have the city and county hit together for a project on Chicago’s South Side reconfigure two city courses as a place that the reset button and say ‘here’s our plan.’” that the Illinois-born Rolfing simply calls “the can change an entire community. It will Rolfing envisions all Hawai‘i’s golf as- future of sustainable urban golf in America"? be “the front yard” of Obama’s Presidential sociations under one roof at the course And really, who else could envision the heart Library, with Woods the lead designer. just mauka of Waikiki. He sees an 18-hole of Hawai‘i golf as a pulsating symbol of the On the Hawai‘i home front, he dreams course “with a little different character game’s future—and possibly Waikiki’s—that of Ala Wai Municipal becoming the model to it” because of renovations necessary entertains thousands and employs hundreds for the “sustainability of golf in Hawai‘i,” for it to hold water “if the 100-year storm along the mauka shore of Ala Wai Canal? to say nothing of the “beginning of the comes down the Ala Wai Canal.” At 68, and two years from a cancer refurbishment of the back side of Waikiki.” There would be a practice facility that diagnosis, the guy who lives on Kapalua Bay’s “It’s not like 30 years ago when you could combines golf and entertainment—some- oceanside fifth hole is not still just think- build a trophy golf course people paid a lot thing like Topgolf, now advertising 500 ing out of the box. The box has been blown of money for or a real estate development employment opportunities in Charlotte, up and Rolfing is on a tear powered by 40 where golf was an amenity, and it made N.C., its 33rd and latest site. The 17-year- years of astonishing accomplishments. sense to build these great courses,” Rolfing old company is known for double- and He sees an infinite future, along with wife insists. “The future of golf in Hawai‘i is based triple-decker ranges where guests— Debi, who has been an active partner on this on the growth of the game at the grass-roots about half have never golfed before—hit entire wild ride and the heartwarming per- level. If we stay stagnant or continue to micro-chipped golf balls at targets. sonal stories that have happened out of sight. lose ground, it’s not going be sustainable.” Rolfing’s new golf world would be a base for junior golfers and college teams and players of every age and skill level by day. “Mark is universallY RESPECTED IN THE Serious fun could take over at night. And those 100,000 tourists across the — THOS ROHR, PRESIDENT OF KAPALUA WORLD OF GOLF.” canal would have one more great option LAND CO. for entertainment. hiLuxury JUNE/JULY 2017 94 FEATURES . COVER STORY Ideally, such a massive conces- Their vision is to transform Jackson sion would help fund all six municipal Park—built in 1899—and South Shore—a courses, and some of that expansion. country club until 1974—into an 18-hole “Golf can be an amazing hub for activity, championship golf course with a family- and I truly believe Ala Wai should always be oriented short course and a practice facility. a golf course, but it is a huge footprint of land The plan is to have at least 80 percent of for a public golf facility,” Rolfing says. “There the renovation cost funded by donations, is ample space not utilized right now. My a model Rolfing calls unique in the game. thought is, with a little reconfiguring, you The project, like Ala Wai, is close to could help solve flooding problems and at the his heart for infinite reasons, not the least same time, create spaces for other activities. being his cancer diagnosis. He remem- “At this point I’m a cheerleader, instigator, bers the day he got it, two hours before a dot connector,” he says. “Am I going to be the meeting with the Chicago Park District. guy who figures it out? Maybe not. Can I be a “The doctor said what you have is ex- factor in finding the right people to figure it tremely serious,” Rolfing recalls. “The tumor out and get it together? The answer is yes.” has got to come out immediately. There Chicago thought the same thing, along is small chance of recovering. I remember with Obama who, like Rolfing, sees the talking to Debi and making the decision South Shore development as a grass-roots not to cancel the meeting and not to tell initiative that can have a huge impact on the them what occurred two hours before. community. The Obamas’ wedding recep- “We went in there thinking we have tion was at the South Shore Cultural Center a chance to make a difference. I’m go- on the current site and his Presidential ing to beat this cancer and I’m going to FROM TOP: Rolfing reports live Library will be there in the future. really re-think why I do things, have more from the LPGA LOTTE Champi- “Obama called Tiger,” Rolfing recalls, “and of a sense of urgency and conviction. I onship as NBC’s Golf Channel in effect said, ‘I’d like you to get involved.’ can do it if I have more of a sense of hope. analyst; Rolfing greets profes- sional golfer Michelle Wie with Within 10 or 11 days Tiger had arranged to In a matter of a couple hours, my whole a hug (photos by Marco Garcia). come spend the day with me up there, looking outlook on the diagnosis changed. “It was on four continents, and two disappoint- roommate at DePauw University—rose Rohr, President of Kapalua Land OPPOSITE PAGE: Rolfing with at the site and trying to understand what’s go- my best day and my worst day. Without his wife Debi and their “angel ing PGA Tour Q-school appearances, Mark to head pro at Kapalua. His gift for golf Co., he was planning to take a job babies” (photo courtesy Mark and ing on, on a beautiful summer day in August.” a doubt, they were the same day.” and Debi arrived on Maui in late 1975. and being good company made him the as head pro at Pebble Beach. Debi Rolfing). Woods’ first reaction to the site was “Where The Rolfings also consider the day they Debi worked her way into a successful resort’s point man for VIP visitors like “I said to Mark, ‘Are you sure you just are all the kids?” He kept asking Rolfing the landed in Hawai‘i one of their best. After real estate career and Mark—former Vice Pres. Gerald Ford and Jackie Stewart. want to be a head golf professional? I think same question while they looked it over. many mostly forgettable golf tournaments President Dan Quayle’s golf teammate and Soon after, Rolfing told Thos you can do way more,’” Rohr recalls. “He hiLuxury JUNE/JULY 2017 96 INDULGE . COVER STORY $110,000 and David Ishii won out over an “I had never thought about it before,” impressive fi eld. Th e next year Greg Norman Rolfi ng said of TV. “I didn’t plan for it, had got his fi rst victory in the U.S. at what was no idea I could communicate. Th ere was CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP: Debi Rolfing with Arnold Palmer circa 1978; The Governor's Dinner now known as the Kapalua International. no Gary McCord or David Feherty back in honor of Mark Rolfing Day Proclamation on Feb. 23, 2016; The Rolfings founded The Mark and Debi Rolfing Charitable Foundation, providing “cradle care” for newborns. Debi First place alone was worth $100,000. then. If you hadn’t won a major champi- is pictured here with baby Samuel Marcus (photos courtesy Mark and Debi Rolfing).

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