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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Ocean: 1, 6-man canoe crew: 0"}]

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AuntyBrandi

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Wipe out!</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @AuntyBrandi, who ate it big time.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Wipe out!

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 is celebrating its 104th birthday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 10 with free treats, goodies and prizes at its factory store. The event is open to the public.

Attendees can look forward to free treats, including one free soda cracker box per guest (regular price $4.99). There will also be exclusive in-store discounts, along with chances to win prizes throughout the day. For instance, in a Plinko-style game, individuals can drop a chip down a peg board in an attempt to win prizes. 

Guests can also enjoy free hot dogs, cupcakes and free scoops of 

’s famous sherbet; the Asato Family truck will be in the factory’s parking lot. Sherbet flavors will be revealed at the event. 

Guests can also look forward to samples from Almond Tree Toffee 

— which is now available for purchase at Diamond Bakery's factory store — and Huff 'n Puff. 

Limited visitor parking and street parking are available. 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Diamond Bakery original soda crackers 100625

<title>Diamond Bakery is celebrating its 104th birthday this Friday</title>

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 10, customers can enjoy free soda cracker boxes, free scoops of Asato Family Shop’s famous sherbet, free hot dogs, a chance to win prizes and more.

Diamond Bakery is celebrating its 104th birthday this Friday

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

The people have spoken, casting their votes for the best hotels and resorts across the Islands in Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach

. It previously was ranked No. 1 in 2023, as well.

 earlier this year, which is part of a multi-phase, multi-year renovation.

Mike Kass, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, said in a statement that the honor is a testament to the "passion, dedication and excellence" of the hotel's more than 250 staff members "

who bring the spirit of The Ritz-Carlton to life each and every day

Rounding out the top 10 Hawai‘i hotels are 

The Laylow Waikīkī, Autograph Collection

, located on the Big Island's Kohala Coast, ranks No. 1 on the list of 

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection

Hundreds of thousands of people submitted their ratings between April 1 and June 30, and the results were tabulated by Condé Nast. Read more about the methodology 

A number of Hawai‘i hotels were also recently ranked among the best in the U.S. in the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Read more about those 

HNLRR Exterior HERO 2022

<title>Hawai‘i hotels, resorts recognized in Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards</title>

Hundreds of thousands of people voted between April 1 and June 30 to find the best hotels, resorts, cruise lines, spas, cities and more around the world, including the top hotels and resorts in Hawai‘i.

Hawai‘i hotels, resorts recognized in Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

Sports

Columnists

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"I'd like to talk with you about golf."}]

When one mentions the game of golf, what comes to mind?

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Well, it's a few things:"}]

While reactions range from positive to not-so-positive, golf is the most popular participation sport in Hawai‘i.

There are nearly 100,000 "local" golfers playing on 75 public and private courses, according to the 

I suggest that other individual "ball" sports, such as tennis and pickleball, would fall short of these numbers.

The Hawai‘i golf industry has a direct/indirect economic impact of $3.4 billion on the state's economy, per the 

Hawai‘i Golf Industry – 2023 Economic Report Summary

A celebrated sub-section of Oahu golf is the Honolulu Municipal Golf Courses.

The six muni courses include Ala Wai, Ted Makalena, ‘Ewa Villages, The Pali, West Loch, and Kahuku.

The attractions include the cost value, online tee times, promotion of walking the courses, and accessibility to the entire island.

Golf is a game that teaches life lessons.

Junior golf programs are excellent in introducing the game to our local youth.

The teachings of discipline, commitment, goal setting, and respect are invaluable and are at the center of perpetuating the game for generations.

It's the only sport that relies on self-policing.

You call rule violations on yourself, you enter your own score, and you play the game without referees and judges.

Those who subscribe to these principles respect the game and remain stewards for others to follow.

The concept of sportsmanship has long been associated with golf.

You can learn a great deal about a person by playing a round of golf together, based on how they play the game and how they treat others on the course.

However, there are some players who show no respect, integrity, or sportsmanship at all. You may even find them in your own groups.

But sportsmanship is not only on the course but with those who are fans.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Ryder Cup 2025"}]

The recently completed Ryder Cup 2025 will go down in history as the 

and vitriolic event in golf's storied history. 

In 1927, British businessman Samuel Ryder established a British vs. American golf competition.

For years, and indeed, decades, America dominated.

To increase competition, the field expanded from simply the British to all of Europe.

It worked, and the biennial, three-day event has become one of the most watched and celebrated competitions worldwide.

And that is why what transpired at Bethpage Black, New York, will forever be a stain.

At the core, players are playing for pride and country.

But this time, the American team was promised more than honor and bragging rights. Only they were promised money.

A protest by one American player then led other players to demand compensation.

Should they have demanded monetary compensation for playing the Ryder Cup? No.

Qualifying to be on a Ryder Cup team is the literal dream of an American golfer. To play for your country on the world stage exceeds 

Two U.S. players refused the personal payment, but 10 more appeared to have accepted it.

However, it was not just the American players putting on a show.

In fact, it was the American spectators who truly betrayed the Ryder Cup by acting like buffoons.

During what was supposed to be an honorable and civil game of golf, the spectators hurled profane and personal insults at the European players. The unfair impeding of play and abysmal conduct was utterly disgusting and unilaterally unacceptable.

This boorish behavior escalated when, after the Europeans won the cup, a twisted idiot tried to hit European player Rory McIlroy as he was leaving the course with his wife.

Instead, whatever the spectator threw struck his wife.

Ironically, Erica, McIlroy's wife, is American, as is their young daughter. McIlroy has repeatedly sung his praises for America, which he calls home.

Is this how he and his family deserve to be treated?

U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley never issued an apology for the abhorrent way our people acted.

It took PGA Hall of Fame member and former Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson to step up when Bradley did not.

The scurrilous conduct of so many angered the legendary Tiger Woods, while others in the game denounced the play of the drunken and unruly "fans".

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"How do you fix this?"}]

You can never put the toothpaste back in the tube again.

However, the brutish atmosphere at Bethpage Black can never be allowed again. Clearly stated rules of conduct, with violations resulting in immediate discharge from the next Ryder Cup tournament grounds in four years, would be a start.

Ryder Cup Getty Images 2237626491

<title>Hamada: Golf gets a black eye</title>

Nearly 100,000 Hawai‘i golfers take to local courses every year, so a lot of kama‘āina likely saw what went down at the Ryder Cup. Not much aloha spirit on display in Farmingdale.

Hamada: Golf gets a black eye

[{"type":"text","text":"The votes have been tallied."}]

 in Wailea was recently named among the top waterfront hotels and resorts in the country, coming in at No. 8 on USA Today's 10Best list of 

 in the U.S. It's the only Hawai‘i resort named to that list this year.

USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards aim to rank the 10 best in several areas of travel, lifestyle and other categories.

Other Hawai‘i hotels and resorts were among those on other 10Best lists this year.

Kōloa Landing Resort at Po‘ipū, Autograph Collection

Kōloa Landing Resort at Po‘ipū also took the top spot on the list of 

 on Kaua‘i's North Shore was No. 2 on the list of 

And an entire list was dedicated to finding the 

. Kōloa Landing Resort at Po‘ipū took the No. 1 spot on that list, followed by the 

A number of resorts in the Islands were also among those included on U.S. News & World Report's 

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Wipe out!

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Wipe out!

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Dreams do come true

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Going big

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Take a trip

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Too busy vibing

Most read