Golf on Oahu

If you ever find yourself on the island of Oahu, there are the standard tourist stops: Waikiki Beach, snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, hiking Diamond Head crater, and watching the surfers at North Shore.  For the record, my must-see/do while in Oahu list includes stops at the Pali Lookout, Lanikai Beach, swimming &/or snorkeling at the lagoons in Ko’olina, taking the scenic coastline drive from Waimanalo to Hawai’i Kai, and indulging in baked goods from Napoleon’s Bakery (which are in every Zippy’s restaurant; I recommend the Long John- a custard-filled elongated donut topped with powdered sugar- and the Haupia Cake- a coconut creme cake that tastes as good as it sounds).  For the visiting golfer, you might be surprised to hear that Oahu doesn’t have anything exciting to offer.  In fact, golf courses on Oahu have a reputation of being crowded, over-priced (if you are lacking a Hawai’i state-issued ID), and poorly maintained.  Golfers coming from the mainland will have to adjust to the different grasses & will need to learn to read the grain on the greens.  Those used to playing in softer conditions will marvel at how high that full swing lob wedge bounced in the air when it landed on the green.  If you’re lucky enough to play with a local, you’ll also need to somehow cope with the fact that your greens fees are $55 while your local playing partner pays $20.  Now that I’ve sold you on golfing on Oahu, here are the courses that I grew up playing (I’ll start with the munis):

Ala Wai GC

This is the busiest golf course in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.  As such, you may end up waiting a few hours just to get on the course and then will inevitably be greeted by slow play.  The course is short and very flat, while the greens can be sneaky fast (especially when putting down grain).  You’ll make a birdie or two, but it will take you all day to play (there are stories of people showing up at 7am only to wait until noon to get on the course and then not getting off the course until 5:30pm).

Favorite memory from Ala Wai: Seeing Michelle Wie play in person for the first time.  I watched her bomb a driver off of the first tee when she was about 12 years old.  

Pali GC

Nestled at the base of the dramatic Ko’olau mountain range are 18 holes carved out of the hilly rainforest.  The views of the Ko’olaus are spectacular, and from the higher parts of the course, there’s even a clear view of Chinaman’s Hat in the distance.  You’re bound to encounter some wildlife on the course- mostly wild chickens & feral cats, but you’ll also catch a glimpse of the occasional wild pig, mongoose, and peacock.  Some years ago on this course, an errant shot tragically struck and killed a Hawaiian owl.  While the fairways are lined with trees, these are some of the widest fairways you’ll see this side of a links course.  That being said, in dry conditions, these are also some of the firmest fairways and greens this side of a links course and the ball has a tendency to bounce its way into trouble.  Overall, the course conditions aren’t very good, but the starters are friendly (I’m more than a little biased, as I grew up playing the course and got to know the starters over the years) and the upclose view of the Ko’olau mountains never gets old.  Furthermore, the course provides a good challenge.  There’s plenty of elevation change, a good mix of short and long par 3s, and each of the par 5s also provide a unique challenge (two of them are reachable, two of them are three-shot holes).  Indeed, Pali has the reputation of being by far the most difficult municipal course on the island.  The city just poured a bunch of money into sprucing up the course, so even if you’ve played here before back when the conditions were downright bad and swore you’d never come back, you should give this course another try.  

Favorite memory from Pali: I’ve been playing this course since I first started golfing, so there are too many memories to count.  Of the thousands of shots that I’ve hit on the course, one really stands out.  One of the few narrow holes on the course is the par 4 thirteenth hole.  From the tee box, it looks like a dogleg right with out-of-bounds up the entire left side of the hole.  Indeed, a straight shot goes through the fairway and out of play, and the trees on the right side prevent me from playing my draw.  In other words, you pretty much have to hit a fade, which is a shot that I don’t pull off with much consistency. It’s a short hole that doesn’t require a driver, or even a 3-wood, but I can’t tell you how many 3 -irons and 5-woods I’ve hooked out of play on that tee shot.  I remember playing by myself when I was in high school and coming to the 13th tee.  At the time, I was playing with an old persimmon 5-wood.  I visualized hitting a low bullet fade that started at the left edge of the fairway and curved back to the middle.  It was a shot that I had never been able to execute, but I knew that it was the shot I needed to play.  The tee shot struck the sweet spot and screaming off the clubface came that low bullet fade.  I had finally done it- I had hit the perfect shot.  It was the first time I had picked out an exact target with an exact shot shape and trajectory in mind and executed it flawlessly.  That one shot had a profound effect on my confidence- it let me know that I was capable of playing at the next level.  

Ted Makalena GC

On the west side of the island next to a very industrial port is Makalena.  This is a great course for beginners because it is wide open, short, and flat as flat can be.  The soil here is strange- almost like silt- and they have a hard time growing grass on the stuff.  Almost all of the holes are straightforward with little elevation change.  The front nine offers extremely wide fairways, while things get slightly tighter on the back nine.  While the fairways are patchy, the greens are usually pretty decent, so you can roll in some putts out here.  Combine that with some very short par 4s and a handful of reachable par 5s and you’ve got yourself some birdies.  Other than that, there’s not much to get excited about.

Favorite memory from Makalena: I played here when I came home from college one summer.  I showed up after the morning wave was well into the course, and there was nobody around.  I played the front 9 in about an hour and hit the ball really well.  When I added up my score after the 9th hole, I had shot 4-under par, with four birdies and five pars.  I could have paid for another nine holes and played the back 9, but instead I put the clubs in the trunk and drove home.  I’m still not really sure why I didn’t make the turn- it was probably out of fear of making a mess of the back 9 and not breaking par for 18 holes (at the time, my best round for 18 holes was even par).

Ewa Villages GC

In a very residential neighborhood on the west side of the island is arguably the best municipal on Oahu.  The conditions at Ewa Villages are much better than the other munis, and it’s a good track to boot.  There’s just the right amount of elevation change and a nice mix of challenging and easy holes.  The fairways are just right- they’re wide enough for you to bomb you’re driver, but narrow enough to force you to pick a target and play a shot.  There are trees and hazards in all the right places, and when the wind is blowing, it’s a pretty darn good test of golf, as the longer holes are dead into the wind.  Play it from the forward tees, and it’s pretty easy.  From the back tees on a windy day, you’ll make your fair share of bogeys or worse.  Unfortunately, everyone knows about this little gem, so the place gets really crowded and rounds here can take a while.  

Favorite memory from Ewa Villages:  Accidentally hitting into the group in front of us when they were 310 yards away (slightly downhill tee shot + a sudden downwind gust + firm fairways = HUGE drives).  

West Loch GC

In the same general area as Ewa Villages is this short muni that features lots of hazards and doglegs.  It’s also extremely popular and can take forever to play.  I’ve only played here twice, but I remember the layout being really funky (long walks between holes), play being really slow, and some nice par 3s.  

    Favorite memory from West Loch: Watching a buddy of mine stripe a high soft 4-iron to within a few feet of the cup on a par 3.  Did I mention it was his first round of golf in a year and a half?  Yeah, he’s one of those guys.  

Kahuku GC

Just a handful of minutes down the road from the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore is this hidden gem (there are even locals who’ve never heard of this place) of a 9-hole links course.  Kahuku Golf Course is a true links course with very few trees, small greens, and fierce wind that blows in off of the Pacific Ocean, whose white-sand shore abuts the east side of the course.  Shots that land in the fairway kick up a puff of sand.  When you inspect the fairway more closely, you see what causes this- the fairways are comprised of clumps of grass with sand in between them.  The local rule that we always play by states that, provided you are not in a hazard, you can place your ball on the nearest clump of grass if you find your ball in a sandy spot.  Indeed, this is an authentic, old school links course.  It’s like going back in time, when the greens ran at about 6 on the stimp and it only took an hour and a half to play 9 holes.  There is no proshop and no snack bar.  In fact, I don’t think they even have golf carts.  There’s just a shack that houses the starter and a few porta potties.  So load up your golf bag with sunscreen, snacks, and a whole lot of water.  Oh, and don’t forget your camera as there are beautiful ocean views throughout the course.  

    Favorite memory from Kahuku: I’ve made three of my four holes-in-one on this course, one of which came on the 310-yard par 4 fifth hole.  I was also 3-under through 14 holes when I walked off the course with my buddy because he was too frustrated by his poor play to continue.  

Public Courses (a step up from the munis)

Olomana GC

Tucked away in a little corner between Kailua & Waimanalo is the golf course where Michelle Wie learned how to play.  This is a fun course with a little bit of everything- elevation change, water hazards, swirling winds, birdie holes, and holes where bogey is actually not a bad score.  While the conditions can be inconsistent (for whatever reason, the bunkers here are always in terrible condition, but the fairways and greens are pretty good), on the whole it’s a step up from the munis.  It’s also a very popular course and play can get really backed up.  The front nine is pretty straightforward, but things get a little more challenging (and interesting) on the back nine.  I’ve only played the course a handful of times, but I’ve always enjoyed my rounds here because it’s the type of course that rewards good shots.  

    Favorite memory from Olomana: Taking my first golf lesson from the legendary Lloyd Nakama who offered almost no advice on my full swing, but gave me invaluable advice on how to approach the short game.  After my 2nd lesson with Mr. Nakama I was frustrated by how little help he offered with my full swing and I told my father that he should save his money.  It wasn’t until much later that I fully appreciated how important Mr. Nakama’s advice was in improving my short game.  

Leileihua GC

While Pali & Kahuku have a lot more sentimental value because I’ve played so many rounds there, Leileihua is my favorite “championship” course to play on Oahu.  Leileihua is a military course that is open to the public.  As such, if you are a civilian, you just might find yourself waiting for a while to play as military players are prioritized.  The golf course is maintained at a level that makes all of the munis and most other public courses on the island seem like goat tracks.  It doesn’t feel like you’re even on Oahu when you’re on the course, which features fairways lined with tall mature pine trees.  The temperature is always at least 5 degrees cooler here than in Honolulu, and there are no ocean or mountain views.  What you will see are beautiful and challenging golf holes.  While the course is fairly flat, the elevation changes on the course are significant enough to require an extra club or two.  Though there are several very short holes, on the whole the course is sneaky long.  The fairways are generous, but if you miss them, the penalty can be quite severe.  What I love about the course is how well maintained the turf is both on and around the greens, which means that you can still put up a decent score even if you’re missing greens.  

    Favorite memory of Leileihua: I played here with my father when I came home from college one summer.  I was struggling with my golf swing at the time, hitting big hooks that put me in the left trees most of the round.  However, my short game was razor sharp.  I probably only hit two or three fairways and two or three greens that day, but I ended up shooting 77 or 78.  Upon adding up the scores my father turned to me and said, “That’s the ugliest round in the seventies I’ve ever seen!”  Indeed, that was my college golfing career in a nutshell.