The PGA Tour season begins with a celebration of the champions of the previous year. That celebration takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, hosted once again by the beautiful Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui, Hawaii. If there is a better job in America than being the Head Professional at a championship course, located in the middle of paradise -- well, we'd like to know of it. But it's not all sun, sand, and surf for the man responsible for the operations at The Plantation Course in Kapalua. PGA.com talked with David Rau, the PGA Head Professional at the Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course, about his job, his course, and the pressure of hosting the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

PGA.com: David, your course hosts the first event of the PGA Tour season. Do you feel any added pressure or stress in establishing the bar for the season?

Rau: Oh sure, there's always pressure when you host a tour event, but we embrace the challenge. We have a motto that states, "The PGA Tour starts here." It's an honor for us to host the best players in the world and to kick off the season. Any tour event is special, but yes, it's pretty great to have the first event of the year.

PGA.com: You're the PGA Head Professional at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. That can't be all bad. What's the greatest challenge for you in your day-to-day duties?

Rau: The greatest challenge is the same here as it is in a lot of places -- weather. That is especially true for us. We are on the northwest side of the island, so we actually get a good bit more precipitation than the other side of the island. It does rain a good bit here. The upside to that is the grass is always plush and really green. It's a beautiful course.

PGA.com: How has the course been affected by all the exposure that the Mercedes-Benz Championship offers? Do you and your staff feel any additional pressure to give your paying clientele a tour-quality experience when they play the course?

Rau: The exposure has done wonders for the course. It's been just great for us. We do tend to get lots of feedback, both from the PGA Tour players and our regular clientele. And the truth is, we listen to what they say and do what we can to make their experience here even more enjoyable. Last year, we redid every green. We've just done bunker renovations. All of this is a result of what we hear from the golfers who play here. People see the course on TV and they will pay a good amount to play here. We're honored. And yeah, it keeps us on our toes.

PGA.com: Are you a fan of the PGA Tour? What players do you expect to play well on your course?

Rau: Sure, I follow the tour. I definitely enjoy being a viewer to the greatest players in the world. As for who will play well here, I think you have to go with Stuart Appleby. He's won three in a row here, so I guess his game fits the course really well. And the way Tiger has been playing, you know he's going to be in the mix. [Editor's note: This interview was completed just before Woods' announcement that he would not be participating in this year's tournament.]

PGA.com: Have you played the course as it is set up for the PGA Tour players? What would surprise the average golfer about how the course is set up for the Tour? What do you think an 18-handicap player would shoot if he played your course from the tour tees under tournament conditions?

Rau: I sometimes can play the course after the tournament, but hardly ever before. The thing that most golfers don't realize is how fast the greens are for the Tour players and how thick the rough can be. Most amateur players would really struggle with those two changes. But scoring here really depends on the weather. If it's calm, the course can give up some good scores. But if it's really windy, like it was last year, anyone will really struggle to post a good number.

PGA.com: So the amateur 18-handicap?

Rau: The average 18-handicap golfer would struggle to break 100.

PGA.com: I think you're being overly kind.

Rau: Maybe [laughter].