Hawaii is one of the world's great golf destinations. It's a lot more trouble exporting golf from paradise.

Dean Wilson (Rainier Ehrhardt/Staff)

"Just coming over here for one week, it takes a bit of energy," explains Dean Wilson, a native of the farthest flung state in the union.

It took 37 years of energy to get Wilson from Hawaii into the Masters Tournament. He and U.S. Public Links champion Casey Watabu make up the largest Hawaiian contingent ever to reach Augusta National Golf Club.

It's seems fitting considering the banner year island golfers have produced.

"We had the best year that Hawaii has ever had," Wilson said of Hawaiian golf stars making waves in 2006.

Tad Fujikawa, 15, qualified for last year's U.S. Open and became the youngest golfer in 50 years to make a PGA Tour cut when he practically stole the show at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. Kimberly Kim, 14, became the youngest U.S. Women's Amateur champion last year. Honolulu native Parker McLachlin earned his PGA Tour card through Q school last fall.

And, of course, there's constant headline maker Michelle Wie, who hasn't won anything but acclaim since breaking onto the scene at age 12 as the Women's Public Links champion.

These are heady days for a state that is a much bigger golf destination than it is a proving ground.

"I think the toughest thing being from Hawaii is that it's so beautiful and obviously you want to stay there," said Wilson, a six-time winner on the Japan Tour who broke through with a PGA Tour victory at the now defunct International last summer. "So it's a little tougher to travel. If you grew up in Florida or Texas, you can go to college at a very good Division I school very easily. In Hawaii, you have to go to the University of Hawaii or go away from home. So that's tough on an 18-year-old kid."

It's even tougher when the time comes to turn pro. None of the best mini-tours are just a drive away. It's a full-time travel commitment to even get started.

It's no surprise that of the five players from Hawaii to ever qualify for the Masters - all of them public course players growing up - three made it as amateurs. Watabu got in this year by defeating Anthony Kim in the Public Links.

Prior to Wilson, David Ishii was the only pro to make it, qualifying as the winner of the 1990 Hawaiian Open.

Guy Yamamoto played in 1995 as the Public Links champion. Stan Souza made it in 1977 as a U.S. Amateur semifinalist.

None of them came close to making the cut.

Wilson understands the difficulties. His limited experience in significant junior tournaments kept him off the radar of college coaches. The only scholarship offer he got was from Brigham Young's Hawaii campus.

"I'd never even heard about it," Wilson said. "My idea was to go there and then transfer up to a Division I school. ... I just kind of wanted to get out of Hawaii and go away for school."

After a strong season, Wilson was invited to join the main BYU team as a walk-on. He got a golf bag, practice privileges and a room assignment with Mike Weir. But he lagged behind the scholarship players when it came to making the traveling squad.

Wilson wasn't happy, and he complained to his coach.

"I was telling him I thought he was wrong about the way he handled his team," he said. "Of course, I was a 19-year-old kid who had no business telling a coach how to run the team."

Coach Karl Tucker made it clear with his response.

"You're a dime a dozen, and I can get another one just like you tomorrow," Tucker said. "For all I care, you can just paddle your canoe on back home."

That was the kick-start Wilson needed.

"As soon as he said that I thought about it, and he was exactly right," Wilson said. "I was just another kid who could shoot 72.

"He could get another one the next day, so it put me in my place and made me realize that until I shoot the number I had no business telling anybody how they should do things.''

Wilson eventually made his way onto the travel roster, and it took him back home to Hawaii for the first time in three years. He had intentionally stayed away to harden himself for a traveling lifestyle.

"I even stayed away at Christmas and summers," he said. "I wanted to get tougher that way. ... It just doesn't seem that there have been a lot of guys who have been willing to do that. I think that's the big difference from growing up there."

One player who did make it was Ishii. Wilson remembers watching on TV in his dorm room in Utah as Ishii won the 1990 Hawaiian Open.

It was a major moment for an island native with dreams of playing on the PGA Tour.

"So when David won, I thought, well, there, that proves that some guy from Hawaii can win," Wilson said.

"And if David can win, maybe someday I can win."

Wilson feels the same way about the Masters. He got a taste of the Augusta National experience when Weir took him as a guest the year after winning the 2003 Masters.

"It was a great comfort zone for me," Wilson said. "I was looking at him not as the reigning Masters champion but my college roommate and good buddy. It was comfortable."

Wilson has never met Watabu, but hopes their experiences can serve as an example for successors from Hawaii.

He wants to start a foundation to help junior golfers from Hawaii travel to play tournaments on the mainland.

"Maybe it will give some encouragement to some of the kids seeing what Tad and Casey and I'm doing and showing that they can do it too," Wilson said. "We were just public course players growing up there. That's my hope."

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.