Hawaii has been, and probably will always be, an embarrassment of golf riches, with every island competing with its neighbor to feature the most spectacular layouts for resort play.
What do you expect when you mix year-round sunshine, pleasant and warm scenery with dramatic oceanside views, some of the world’s best architects, not to mention a stray whale sighting and miles of sandy beaches together?
But in the rush to get to the uncrowded and dramatic shaped outer islands, golfers often miss a chance to discover some overlooked golfing gems on the capital island of Oahu.
A majority of the flights from the U.S. mainland come directly into the large and open-air Honolulu International Airport, and many leave just as quickly for the outlying islands. That could be a mistake because with 80 percent of the island’s population living on Oahu, the island also has the most courses – nearly 35 – the vast majority of which are open to the public.
“The Oahu golf market is a very competitive one with lots of different courses and different styles,” said Ted McAneeley, Corporate Director of Golf for the three Prince Golf Properties on the island, but primarily stationed at the 27-hole Hawaii Prince on Oahu’s West Shore. “The competition forces the courses to work harder and that’s worked out better for the golfers, either local or tourist.”
The Arnold Palmer design just off Ewa Beach is a prime example of a fine course that could be overlooked in a rush to another island. There are no dramatic ocean views or thundering waterfalls at Hawaii Prince, just solid and scenic golf against the backdrop of the Waianae mountain range. McAneeley said the course does more than 40,000 rounds a year between local, military and Oahu tourists, at a fraction of the cost of more famous resorts.
The 27 holes, not to mention the extensive practice facility, large clubhouse and restaurant, give the Prince Course, tied to the luxury hotel of the same name in Waikiki, maximum flexibility for locals and tourists alike.
Nearby Coral Creek also has a solid facility and four-star designation from Golf Digest, but is most famous for being the first course in Hawaii to convert to Seaside Paspalum grass, which can be watered by and thrive on salt water.
“It’s made a huge difference for the entire island,” McAneeley said. “At first, people doubted if it could really work, but it looks better and grows healthier than almost anything on the island.”
Other notable courses on the southern half of the island include the Ko‘olau Golf Club, which has long boasted the reputation as the toughest course and highest slope rating in America with a 152. While the toughest anywhere designation is certainly open to personal interpretation, the par-72, jungle-style Dick Wilson design with dense brush, plenty of water and sand, not to mention slick greens, is certainly tough enough for most.
Ko Olina, on the sunny Leeward Coast, hosted the LPGA Tour’s Hawaii stop for five years and was the annual home of the NFL’s Pro Bowl Golf Tournament. The par-72 Ted Robinson design next to the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort also played host to former President Bill Clinton, who came to Hawaii on a golfing vacation while in office.
As far as current presidents, Hawaii native Barack Obama usually plays his golf on the public Olomana Golf Links, where he first learned the game, and the semi-private Launa Hills Country Club, near the rented home where he stays during his annual vacation.
The North Shore of Oahu is known as the countryside of the island, and is the site of its most famous public course as well. The Turtle Bay Resort features two championship courses, one designed by Arnold Palmer, and the other, which is the original course at Turtle Bay, done by George Fazio. Both courses have hosted LPGA and Champions Tour events including the original Senior Skins Game on the Fazio Course and the Champions Tour Turtle Bay tournament on the recently renovated Palmer Course.
With five miles of sandy coastline and a 443-room oceanview resort, Turtle Bay is a quick getaway from the Waikiki hustle and bustle. “People don’t realize how big the resort is and how we’re the only facility on the island with 36 holes,” said Keoki Wallace, Turtle Bay’s Manager of Public Relations.
The resort may be in for a bigger piece of the professional golf action as Korean company SBS recently became title sponsor of the season-opening PGA Tour winners-only championship and is possibly thinking of moving the tournament from Maui closer to its Honolulu home office.
The newest course on Oahu is the Royal Kunia, which offers sweeping views of the Honolulu skyline and Diamond Head. The par-72 layout, designed by Hawaii’s Robin Nelson, opened in 2002.
Other worthy golfing options on Oahu include the oldest course on the island, Moanalua Country Club, which Samuel Mills Damon built in 1898. Speaking of old, the private Waialae Country Club is one of the oldest sites on the PGA Tour, having hosted the PGA Tour event since 1965. Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, Lee Trevino, Corey Pavin and Lanny Wadkins all have won here.
If you want to stay close to downtown and busy Waikiki beach, Oahu has that covered as well. The municipal Ala Wai is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the busiest muni golf course in the U.S., with more than 100,000 rounds played annually.
Of course, when Oahu golf is finished for the day, there are a seemingly limitless number of luxury hotels, island dining of all kinds, and plenty of shaved ice stands to be the capper on a perfect day.
So the next time you are in the Hawaiian paradise, don’t feel the immediate need to rush off to the more publicized and pricier outer islands. Stay around Oahu for a while and experience some fine overlooked golfing finds.
For more information on Oahu golf go to www.visit-oahu.com or call 1-877-525-OAHU (6248).
Art Stricklin is an award-winning golf writer, and his work has been published in dozens of national, regional and international publications including Sports Illustrated, Golf Connoisseur, American Way, Reuters, the British Open Program, R&A Yearbook and Augusta National Golf Club. He has won dozens of awards and a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in Public Service.
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