Hawaii
is world renown for its unique collection of
picturesque, challenging golf courses. But while
they don't get much attention, and probably
won't be featured on any sort of Travel Channel
feature any time soon, Oahu's municipal golf
courses provide an economical yet entertaining
experience for local golfers.
With six of these city and county-run courses on
O'ahu to choose from - Ala Wai, Ewa Villages,
Kahuku, Ted Makalena, Pali, and West Loch -
local golfers may enjoy relatively inexpensive
alternatives to the well-known private, resort,
and public courses. According to Matthew Hall,
PGA, the Director of Golf at the prestigious
Turtle Bay Resort and President of the Aloha
Section PGA, playing the municipal courses can
add new facets to a golfer's game.
"Obviously when you play a municipal
course, you're giving up some of the better
conditions (and amenities) that you would get at
other golf courses," he says. "You've
got to be a little more creative with some of
your shots, and the types of shots you hit are
going to be based on the types of lies you
have."
Because municipal courses have limited
maintenance budgets, the grass is usually firmer
than typical well-groomed playing surfaces. This
forces golfers to use better ball control
because, as Hall says, "you have to learn
to create a little more spin (to keep the ball
from rolling quickly off the green). It's a
great way to improve upon your scoring."
When it comes to price, it's hard to top the
rates of municipal courses. For a local resident
with a Golf ID card, an 18-hole round costs just
$12 on weekdays, and $16 on weekends; the price
is cut in half for nine holes of play. For
locals with a valid drivers license who do not
have a Golf ID (one can be acquired at a
municipal course for free), $4 is added to the
price of the round. There is also a $16 charge
to rent a golf cart, but this is optional.
The deal is even sweeter for juniors (ages 8-17)
and seniors (ages 65 and above), as the rate is
discounted to $7 on weekdays and $9 on weekends
for 18 holes. Juniors and seniors also have the
option of purchasing a "punch card"
that allows a golfer to play 10 full rounds for
just $12 and $32, respectively, in a one month
period.
"To me, that's the beauty of golf: you can
go out and pay six dollars and play some place,
or you can play (somewhere for) a hundred here
in this state and still have as much enjoyment
depending on what you're looking for," Hall
says.
As
the popularity of golf is bolstered by the play
of superstars like Tiger Woods and local aces
including Tadd Fujikawa who are revolutionizing
the way the game is played, more fans have been
getting off the recliners and hitting the links.
The presence of municipal courses only makes it
easier for golfers to get out and enjoy the
game.
Ala Wai Golf Course is by far Oahu's most
recognized municipal course, and was even dubbed
the busiest golf course by the "Guinness
Book of World Records." Golfers flock to
Ala Wai because of its relatively forgiving flat
layout, large practice range and centralized
location-the course is situated on the mauka
bank of the Ala Wai Canal, and customers can
enter easily just off Kapahulu Avenue. Tee times
are tough to come by at Ala Wai, though, as
roughly 500 rounds of golf are played per day.
"Lower-fee golf courses are really going to
be the future of the game because that's what is
going to attract more people," Hall says.
"To make it cost-efficient for somebody to
get involved in golf, they might be able to come
out and play more, have access to go out and
work on their game. For us, as people in the
industry, we're more interested in not only
attracting more golfers to the game, but
retaining them. I don't want the guy that's
going to come out and play once, I want the guy
that, while he may only play at my facility
once, he's going to go play at some other
courses as well."
Kahuku Golf Course usually falls short on most
lists of O'ahu's most popular courses because it
only contains a simple nine-hole, Par 35 layout
spanning about 2,700 yards. But, the municipal
course on Oahu's north shore is frequented by
Hawai'i golf hall of famer Lance Suzuki who
likes to use the venue to work on his short
game.
"If you're looking for a hidden gem, like
an unfound course, (Kahuku) would be it,"
says Hall, who also considers the location to be
one of the best seaside courses in the state.
"Somebody that hasn't been out there needs
to go and experience that course. That sounds
weird coming from a guy that has, arguably, one
of the best courses in the state right down the
road, but it is one of the prettiest places I've
seen. It will be a very memorable course, and
would be a great place to take a junior golfer
out and try to experience what golf is really
about."
For more information on Oahu's municipal golf
courses, or to book a tee time, call the
automated reservation system at 296-2000, or go
to honolulu.gov/des/golf/index1.htm.
