Hawaii Golf Course Conditions & Reports

[mauiatheart]

5/2 kapolei - Course is in great condition. No wind. HOT.

[jelizaga]

Hawaii Prince C/B 730 AM.

 

Course was in good shape. Greens were a little slow on C, but faster on B.

[jelizaga]

Pearl CC

 

11:50 tee time.

 

Course in good shape. Some wet spots. Greens were in good shape but a little slow.

[armydiver]

Ko olau - played yesterday with friend visiting from the mainland. He was duly impressed by the scenery. as for the conditions.... The course is cart path only on the back 9, though the course wasnt particularly soggy. They had recently aerated the front half of the greens, so all pins were in the back. (nothing like adding yards to an already tough track, we played the back tees) The greens are the grainiest I have ever seen, anywhere. Literally couldnt hit a putt from one end of the green to another, started hitting long putts with a hybrid. The rough is all crab grass, but the fairways were better than usual, with hardly any standing water. I would only recommend Ko olau to visitors as it is a unique experience that you will always remember, as for me, the condition of the course is frustating so I will stay away until maybe July.

[jelizaga]

Kapolei 8:30

There was some water on the course, but overall it was in good shape. Greens were nice, but on the slower side.

[mauiatheart]

5/23/09 - Waikele.

 

Greens just aerated. Big holes on the greens made for a frustrating putting round. I would avoid playing there if possible for at least 2-3 weeks.

[Redhaze737]

5/21 Wailea Old Blue. The driving range being into nets (yep, I said nets) is a little bogus, but the course is in good shape.

[Redhaze737]

5/22 Makena North. Great course in great shape. Nice views too.

 

On a side note, the South course is being renovated for a new housing development plus new grass throughout, according to the restaurant folks. I heard from someone else that they are going to make the South course private. Maybe because of the new housing? Does anyone know if this is true? The South course runs along the ocean. It would be a shame to lose the chance to play there.

[mauiatheart]

5/22 Makena North. Great course in great shape. Nice views too.

 

On a side note, the South course is being renovated for a new housing development plus new grass throughout, according to the restaurant folks. I heard from someone else that they are going to make the South course private. Maybe because of the new housing? Does anyone know if this is true? The South course runs along the ocean. It would be a shame to lose the chance to play there.

 

 

I'll put what I heard concerning the South course on the Hale Walaau thread to keep this thread on topic.

[armydiver]

Played Kapalua's plantation course on Maui last Sat. It was hands down the nicest course I have ever played. Conditions were pristine, the greens were pretty grainy though as is the norm for Hawaii. I highly recommend it.

 

I pulled into the wrong course at first ( the non platation course, cant remember the name) anyway it looked beautiful as well. The driving range was more scenic than most holes on Oahu. Cant wait to go back and play that one. How lucky are we to live here?

[Redhaze737]

Played Koolau 06/15/09. The course is in good condition with the exception of the bunkers. No sand in the bunkers. None, zippo, nada. I understand it rains a lot over there so the sand gets compacted and it's expensive, especially in this economy to keep a course in top shape. But.........come on, let's get some sand guys.

[therkow]

played Navy-Marine a few days ago, greens are in much better condition now...some of em even have grass! :D I forget which, but one on the front nine was still kinda dicey in spots, but 10x better than t was earlier in the year

[mudslinga]

7/20 Ala Wai, teed off at 6:45, finished at 9:50, fairways and greens in great shape, although 10 and 11 has been punched but is recovering, its still pretty smooth and fast going downgrain...Must go early...I was in line from 4:30 am...

[pitbull808]

[quote name='mudslinga' post='1835213' date='Jul 21 2009, 03:17 PM']7/20 Ala Wai, teed off at 6:45, finished at 9:50, fairways and greens in great shape, although 10 and 11 has been punched but is recovering, its still pretty smooth and fast going downgrain...Must go early...I was in line from 4:30 am...[/quote]

Hmmmm...I know that bag. Nice to see you're practicing.

RK..this past Saturday. I don't know what it is about this place but the greens are never consistent. One week it's fast the next it's slow. This past weekend it was a mix. Rough..longer then it's been in ages. At times I felt I need to be strong as Tiger to get the ball out. Then again..shouldn't have been in there to begin with.

Teed off at 6:30...finished at 9:45am.

[chet123]

Played Turtle Bay Palmer 7/22 They were doing something with the fairways but they were terrible They had them cut down way to low. A few holes barly had any grass in the fairway it was all dirt frem being cut so low. Greens were nice and rough wasnt bad.


Has anyone played Ko Olina recently? I want to know the conditions as i have a 2 some tomorrow. Thanks

[jelizaga]

8/1 Hoakalei

Lucky enough to play Hoakalei today. The course is in good shape, but the greens were a little on the slow side. Huge fairways, small greens and lots of bunkers. If you drive the ball well you can shoot a good score. Fun track.

[propredicr]

On vacation and thought I'd take a ride out to New Ewa... to check out the greens everyone talks about. Course was nice and lush and the rough was...ROUGH! Fairways were a little soggy on the front nine. Greens were pretty nice and quick for the most part on the front nine, but, the back nine was very inconsistent and grainy. Maybe it was because for a Tuesday early morning tee time, it took 5 1/2 hours to complete the round and it gave the grass plenty of time to grow.

On a Tuesday morning and over 5 1/2 hours? Oh, HELL NO! Unfortunately, not worth the long drive out there. Sorry.

[pitbull808]

6:30 Tee Time Royal Kunia
Course: Aerated this past Monday. Unfortunately there wasn't enough sand on the greens to fill the holes well. Putting wasn't too awful but hopefully the greens will get better quick
Price: $45 instead of the regular $62 That was a major plus!

[Redhaze737]

They're punching the back portion of the greens at Koolau today. The front, which they punched a couple weeks ago is coming along pretty good. Another week or so the roll will be fine on the front.

[pitbull808]

New Ewa Beach Golf Club
6:44am Time....finished in a little over 3 hours
$62/Kamaaina Price/weekend
Course Conditions...Super. No aerating. Fairways plush. Rough was very rough. I can't stand how it grabs the club there.

I never used to like this place because I felt every hole looked the same. A few years later and the Kiawe trees have really grown out and helped to give the holes shape and narrow the fairways. Which makes it tougher because the rough there is brutal. Greens were great with very good speed. A little tough to get the ball to stop since they're so crowned and sloped but very nice to putt on.

The only negative other then the rough...they should hand out divot tools to everyone on the first tee...nobody seems to fix ball marks on the greens! I found myself fixing my own plus another 2-3 every hole!

[Ed Settle]

[quote name='pitbull808' post='1985984' date='Oct 3 2009, 06:24 PM']The only negative other then the rough...they should hand out divot tools to everyone on the first tee...nobody seems to fix ball marks on the greens! I found myself fixing my own plus another 2-3 every hole![/quote]

That is a seperate thread all to itself. I was on vacation and asked at the pro shop how much for their logo divot tool. The pro said $10 or if you will use it it's free. LOL

[propredicr]

6:45 am
Ko'olau

Unfortunately, it was raining when we tee'd off and was on and off throughout. Back nine it cleared a little.
Fairways' were shloggy, as anticipated this time of year. Plugged several in the fairway or up near the green...never to be seen again. 15/16 had about 2 inches of water around the apron.

Surprisingly, the greens rolled very nicely. #18 is truly a blind tee-shot, now. The growth is so thick in the ravine in front of the tee box, you can't even see option #1 fairway.

I'm happy. Got the hall pass today and even with cart path only and rain delays, finished in 3 1/2 hours, taking our time... and was -1 on the par 3's.

[pitbull808]

0630hrs Royal Kunia....anyone getting tired of my RK reports?

3 hour round. Rained on us for the 1st hole but cleared up pretty well after the 2nd. Looks like winter is arriving here as it's getting darker later and those darn drizzling rainy days are coming.

Greens have improved a bit in the last week. I heard they had a meeting with the greens guy and the Gm told him to get them faster. Well..after my first hole putt went five feet past the hole, I guess you could say they got some of their speed back. Very inconsistent though throughout the course. Some were fast, some slow but at least they all held the ball well. Hopefully they'll get it right soon.

They seemed to have gotten a lot of rain recently as there were areas that weren't cut due to the mushy conditions. Other then those areas, the rough was pretty mild.

All in all, another great day on the golf course instead of work or furlough.

[propredicr]

6:45 am Kapolei. 5 hours. Foursome, cart path only.
Windy, with slightly overcast skies.
Greens firm (noticed a lot of pitch marks) and seemed to be running true.
Fairways, some were soggy due to rain last night.
$65
Rough, same as usual...sticky.
The times that I've been to Kapolei thsi year, it is consistently in good condition (except the saturated fairways).

[propredicr]

12:00 Royal Kunia
Had heard the greens were messed up so was hesitant to go. Called and spoke to the staff and they said 8/10.
Course is in good shape (nice and lush due to the rain)...light sprinkles and 10-20 mph winds.
Fairways firm. Bunkers (unfortunately, I got some practice) were inconsistent...some rock hard, some medium course.
Greens are in good condition and still inconsistent, but, hold the ball. Some of the pins are in wicked positions. Nice!
Rough is pretty easy to play out of, unlike the courses down in Ewa, you can actually get your club to move through it.
$45 and you can't beat a two-some 3 hour round.

[rok78]

Forgot to report earlier, but I got to play Hoakalei yesterday. Very little wind and basically perfect conditions.

Bar none, probably the best greens I've played all year. Not that fast, but very consistent and super receptive. Greens were on the smaller side and when they were bigger, sectioned off by mild slopes. Nothing unfair at all, and framed by bunkers on every hole. I have never spun back so many wedge and iron shots in one round in my life. And the greens aren't sloped that much or were that fast.

There are a LOT of bunkers throughout the course. They make tee shots very tricky, especially when water comes into play. My only criticism of the course was that the bunkers had too much sand and were very soft and fluffy, not my favorite type of sand, especially in fairway bunkers. Although the trees aren't mature, IMHO only one hole would really need them from a strategy perspective. Otherwise, the course could benefit from them cosmetically.

The yardage from the tips would be absolutely brutal, even without wind. But add wind and speeding up the greens, I could definitely see them hosting a tour event there and it being a good track.

Overall a couple of holes were a bit repetitive, but otherwise it was a good mix, and very fun. I could play that course again and again.

And they have a challenge, where if you go the whole round without ending up in a bunker, then you get a dozen Pro V1s. I lasted 4 holes.

[propredicr]

ROK
Is it completely private, now, or can the public get on. If so, what is the fee? Thanks.

[rok78]

[quote name='propredicr' post='2138247' date='Dec 21 2009, 08:19 PM']ROK
Is it completely private, now, or can the public get on. If so, what is the fee? Thanks.[/quote]

It is still private, you have to know a member to play.

[hapa]

I was back home for the holidays and played some golf. I figure I contribute to this thread since I've been an avid reader. I can't recall the days I played but my stay was from December 12th til January 6th. Here we go:

Ko Olina
Time: first one out (6:45am)
Temp: 69*
Weather: Clear skies
Course was in good shape. I did notice that some of the greens had grass plugs that made the greens look spotty in some areas. I believe they are trying to introduce some type of new grass on the greens. Greens were alittle bumpy but they were definitly playable and consistant. Did notice some wet spot on the fairways but it was very minor. Rough areas were medium height and nopt to bad. 3 hour round.

Barbers Point
Time: 10:45am
Temp: 78*-83*
Weather: Clear skies and no trade winds (hot!)
I've seen the course in better condition. Everything look like it could use more water. Fairways and greens looked dry with some bare spots on the greens and fairways. Greens were consistant(slow)for the most part. Had a hard time holding some greens since it was so dry. They need to add more sand in the bunkers. Rough areas were bare and short. Sometimes there were not much of a definition line between the fairway and roughs areas. Great view of the new private course next door though. 5 hour round.

Leilehua
Time: 9:55am
Temp: 76*-80*
Weather: showers during the first 3 holes than turned to cloudy skies during the next few holes and lastly turned to clear sunny skies. Made for a hot and humid round towards the end. Again, no trade windows (hot!)
Some fairways were soggy from the night and morning rains. Greens were receptive due to the wet conditions. Overall the course was in pretty good condition for Leilehua standards. Definitly a better course to play right not versus Barbers point. Greens were on the slow side but they were all consistant. rough areas were in the short to medium range. 5 hour round.

Navy Marine
Time: 10am
Temp: 77*- 82*
Weather: Rained pretty hard the night before and some morning showers. the skies became clear as we started our round which made for a humid day.
Best condition course out of the other 2 military courses. Greens and fairways were in good condition. Some wet areas but nothing that affected your drive or iron play. greens were consistant and medium speed. Rough was in the medium range and alittle sticky. 5.5 hour round (whew!)

Mililani
Time: 1:30pm
Temp: 82*
Weather: clear skies with again, no trade winds
The course needs some much needed TLC. everything was bare and dry. Greens were inconsistant and bare in some areas. Fairways were dry at best with alot of bare and red dirt areas. They are seeding the front portion of #02 fairway so that area is blocked off but it does not affect play. I hope the new owners can turn my home town course around. 4 hour round.

[pitbull808]

April 2, 2010
Mililani Golf Club
$39 Good Friday Special
Weather Conditions: Drizzly throughout the round.
Course Conditions: Rugged. Greens about a 4 on a scale of 1-10. Fairways..more like weed farms. About a 3 on the scale.

I understand the new owners are going to put in a lot of money into the course. It seriously needs it. Kobayahi group killed this place. It hasn't been the same since the Sports Shinko ownership. The greens are supposed to be changed to all paspalum. Good? I don't know..never really cares for paspalum. But I guess it's cheaper to upkeep. The putting green closest to the parking lot is their "test" green where's they're growing the paspalum. I'm not sure when they're going to close the course for the changing of the greens and new sprinkler system but I think Makalena is probably in better condition!

I'd skip playing this place unless it's the last course open on the island. At $39 they're charging way too much.

April 3, 2010
Royal Kunia
$62 weekend rate.
Weather Conditions: Drizzly for the first five holes. Dried up pretty good after that.
Course conditions: Pretty nice as always. Greens were a bit bumpy and slow. For the price, I think they really have to get their greens a lot more consistent. Some weeks it's rolling good and the following slow and bumpy. I rate them currently at about a 7.

I believe they're closing the course this week for aeration and then opening on Saturday. They will not be giving a discount on green fees but are offering double stamps for those who have the frequent player cards on Saturday. There will be a 10% discount at the restaurant though.