Golf in Hawaii

Bushy · January 16, 2006

Hi everyone I am visiting Hawaii in May and watching the Sony Open this weekend has got me dreaming.. I am visiting Oahu and Maui for a total of 14 nights and probably want to fit in 6 rounds of golf but don't want to blow my budget in the first few days as tee times can be expensive. Can you recommend some courses on the islands that represent value for money but also have the wow factor. Any information would be appreciated.

golfhawaii · January 17, 2006

Hi everyone I am visiting Hawaii in May and watching the Sony Open this weekend has got me dreaming.. I am visiting Oahu and Maui for a total of 14 nights and probably want to fit in 6 rounds of golf but don't want to blow my budget in the first few days as tee times can be expensive. Can you recommend some courses on the islands that represent value for money but also have the wow factor. Any information would be appreciated.

Check out www.808golf.com for course info.

Bill Walsh · January 18, 2006

It has been some since I have been to Maui. But, someone told me before I went to ask for afternnon rates. I did this at Kapalua and the rate was 1/2 of the normal rate. I think the time was 2:00 PM. The two guys they partnered us with did not know to ask and payed full boat. Hope it still works. and, enjoy.

k_h · January 19, 2006

I don't know if they do afternoon rates anymore. They basically have two rates, kamaaina (local) rate and tourist rate, usually double that of kamaaina. Military courses do have twilight rates. Good luck and enjoy the islands! I'll be moving there soon.

Lord Thomas · January 19, 2006

I was on Maui in June, and Kapalua still had the "twilight" rates, that are about half price and start at 2:00. I would recommend taking advantage of those to stretch your dollar a little bit farther.

Also on Maui are the Kaanapali golf courses which are fairly nice, a course called the Dunes at Maui Lani, which looked nice but I didn't play, and a few courses at Makena on the south side of Maui which are also supposed to be nice.

-Thomas

pitbull808 · January 19, 2006

Hi everyone I am visiting Hawaii in May and watching the Sony Open this weekend has got me dreaming.. I am visiting Oahu and Maui for a total of 14 nights and probably want to fit in 6 rounds of golf but don't want to blow my budget in the first few days as tee times can be expensive. Can you recommend some courses on the islands that represent value for money but also have the wow factor. Any information would be appreciated.

Check out www.808golf.com for course info.

That's the place to go for the course info. It will lead you to pics and also some of the golf course websites.

As previous posters have said, there is the Kamaaina and Tourist rate. If you're in Hawaii for an extended perioud of time which it appears you will be and will be playing multiple rounds of golf it might be worthwhile getting a Hawaii State ID card. I believe it cost something like $15 but unless you're at the office standing in line at 8am when they open, the wait to get the ID card can take upwards of 4 hours. The usual wait at 8am is about 1.5hours. If you need information on this PM with you address and I'll send you an application form with the details of things you need to bring to get the ID. Since you are not a resident, the ID will probably only be valid during your stay in Hawaii.

Courses I'd want to play on Oahu for sure would be the Palmer Course at Turtle Bay, site of the Champions tour and LPGA tournaments. Ko Olina, site of this years 1st LPGA Fields Open. Koolau, noted for being one of the toughest in the world. Other lesser known but fairly challenging courses would be Coral Creek, Makaha West, and Kapolei.

Have a great vacation!

mizuno · January 20, 2006

I was in Maui in March 2005 and at that time Kapalua was still offering a twilight rate of $100 (approximately 1/2 the regular rate) beginning at 2:00 pm to play the Plantation course.

On their website they are still offering the $100 twilight rate beginning at 2:10 pm.

http://www.kapalua.com/golf/reservations.html

I wouldn't start much later than 2:00 pm though. I booked the 2:00 pm tee time and because they were running behind we didn't tee off until about 2:20. We played our round in a little over 4 hours. We hit our tee shots on 18 as the bottom of the sun kissed the horizon and putted out as the sun sank below the horizon.

Could not have asked for a more scenic finish!!

Bushy · February 1, 2006

Thanks for your feedback guys I really appreciate it, all those courses look fantastic I cant wait to get out there and hit some balls in the sunshine. Any other thoughts would be appreciated..

mizuno · February 1, 2006

Since you are going to be on Maui there are also packages that include the ferry to Lanai, a round at The Experience at Koele in the morning, The Challenge at Manele in the afternoon and the return ferry back to Maui. I am not sure of the exact price but I believe it is in the range of $300 - 400. I would think you could find more details on the web.

I played the Challenge at Manele last week and it was in great shape with lots of scenic holes. I did not get to play The Experience at Koele, but I talked to a couple of guys on the shuttle that bought the package deal and they both said it was great experience.

gonewild · February 1, 2006

We spent Christmas on Oahu and I had the chance to play Ko'olau. Cost was $150 I believe, but when you reach the 18th they have a sign up stating you can play again for cart fee. They also had a special that you could play again within one week for $60 if you presented your receipt from the previous round. The course was in excellent condition. Many of the holes had forced carries, overall a great course and well worth looking into.

We also played 9 holes at a muni course, Ted something I believe. This course was also in good condition and was very reasonably priced. The only thing I didn't like, we played behind a 6some. When I questioned that later, I was told that was not uncommon.

Big D McGee · February 6, 2006

I played Ko Olina in O'ahu this past November. Easily the best course I've ever played. No ocean views, but lots of nice bunkers and man-made ponds. From the 10th green to the 11th tee you drive under a waterfall!

The finishing hole is great too. It's a medium-length par-4, with a generous fairway and water all down the right side, leading to a waterfall and large pond near the green. Make sure your approach shot is accurate, as ther may be a "gallery" watching you from the bar which sits out over the pond!

The only quibble I had was the fairways lined with houses. They were actually in the process of building some the day I played.