Golf on Oahu, Hawaii

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Oahu is the most populated island in the Hawaiian archipelago and that most frequently visited so it stands to reason it also possesses the most golf courses. With nearly 40 courses that cater to all types of players from those seeking private country club experiences to military facilities along with a number of municipal courses, the full range of golfing opportunities exists in the island home of the 11th largest metropolitan area in the USA, the City and County of Honolulu. Golfers will find courses to match their skill level and budget between visits to iconic surfing beaches and some of the best snorkeling and diving spots on the planet. The 2 Championship courses at Turtle Bay on the North Shore are perhaps the preeminent resort courses on Oahu. Respectively referred to as the Palmer (designed by Golf Legend Arnold Palmer) and the Fazio (George Fazio’s only Hawaiian design) these 2 tests of golfing acumen present very different personalities. The Palmer will provide opportunities for the skilled golfer to use every club in their bag at this top 100 in the USA course while the Fazio is a more “laid back” design emphasizing fun. Both courses are visually stunning with their location along the rugged oceanfront. The Kahuku Municipal Golf Course, also on the North Shore, is a 9 hole links style course routed right along the beachfront with bargain rates. Windward Oahu offers a number of fine layouts. At the base of the Koolau Ridge lies Koolau Golf Club carved into a verdant rain forest. At one time this track was considered the toughest in the USA which its slope rating of 152 from the tournament tees at 7,310 yards confirms. The Pali Golf Course, also at the foot of the Koolau Mountains is a local favorite. Olamana Golf links is in the same vicinity as Koolau but closer to the ocean which provides for pleasant rounds in a sunny location on rolling fairways. East Honolulu presents 2 courses at Hawaii Kai. The Championship Course, designed by the renowned architect William Bell stretches to only 6,600 yards from the tips but an ardent test nonetheless with the typically windy conditions. Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed the 9 hole Executive Course next door to take advantage of the exceptional views of the Koko Head crater and gorgeous shoreline. In the shadow of Diamond Head is found the private Wailae Country Club, home of the PGA Tour’s Sony Open available to play for sponsored guests only. In the heart of Waikiki is found one of the busiest public tracks in all of the USA, Ala Wai Golf Course sees more than 140,000 rounds each year located less than a mile from the iconic beachfront. The nine hole semi-private course near Honolulu’s international airport known as Moanalua Golf Club was built in 1898, the first course ever built in Hawaii. Just west of downtown Honolulu a number of other fine golf options are found amid typically dry and breezy conditions. Hawaii Country Club is a sporty track with dramatic mountain views. It’s located in what is referred to as the Fort Weaver Road/Kunia Highway Corridor that boasts a total of 10 golf courses in close proximity. Among others nearby are included Mililani Golf Course, a traditional parkland layout carved between stands of Norfolk Pines, Royal Kunia Country Club, a Robin Nelson design that boasts sweeping views of Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and downtown Honolulu, Pearl Country Club and Waikele Country Club, a Ted Robinson offering with his hallmark water features that are part of a master planned community. Further to the west, on the Ewa Plain and Leeward Coast of Oahu, Kapolei Golf Course, the former home of an LPGA Tour event is joined by Ko’Olina (also a host to Champion’s Tour and LPGA events) as two exemplary Ted Robinson tracks complete with his signature design features. Coral Creek Golf Club is one of the newest tracks on Oahu and is joined by the Ewa Beach Golf Club and the municipal layout known as Ewa Villages Golf Club as worthy tests of prototypical island golf. Carved from coral rock and surrounded by mature landscape the three 9’s of Hawaii Prince Golf Club will give visiting golfers all they can handle with water on more than half the holes. Throw in a mix of facilities available to those with military privileges and it’s easy to see why Oahu has earned a reputation as a golfer’s paradise. Add the dream to Play Golf on Oahu and start planning just which of these worthy courses demand your attention. Your golfing trip of a lifetime is just waiting for you.

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