Moving to Hawaii - Probably

18th Legion · October 21, 2009

Insights for Locals

Hey Hawaii Wrxers,

Yep another Howly (Is that spelled right)? It is highly possible I will be moving to Oahu, but will occasionally travel to every island. Can't give away the possible employer until it is final. But as I try to make up my mind about leaving the Mainland . . .

What are some insights that locals should know?
Are public courses hard to get on?
Are courses (besides resort and private) priced reasonable?
Golf Course Discounts / Books?
Best courses for locals?
Is golf gear higher - is it best to buy new gear here and have it shipped with my household goods?

(I have made lists of Golf Courses and Golf Shops - I see Roger Dunn operates there).

Any other things that "someone should know but was afraid to ask" is much appreciated. I have completed work projects in Oahu and Maui before and of course love what I see. I haven't played golf though.

propredicr · October 22, 2009

Not to put a damper on your joy, but, my last three rental tenants (this year) cut out of town many months early because their contracts were cancelled. All were with large, reputable companies. Good luck!

rok78 · October 22, 2009

[quote name='18th Legion' post='2019547' date='Oct 21 2009, 02:30 PM'][b]Hey Hawaii Wrxers, [/b]

Yep another Howly (Is that spelled right)? It is highly possible I will be moving to Oahu, but will occasionally travel to every island. Can't give away the possible employer until it is final. But as I try to make up my mind about leaving the Mainland . . .
[list]
[*]What are some insights that locals should know?
[*]Are public courses hard to get on?
[*]Are courses (besides resort and private) priced reasonable?
[*]Golf Course Discounts / Books?
[*]Best courses for locals?
[*]Is golf gear higher - is it best to buy new gear here and have it shipped with my household goods?
[/list]

(I have made lists of Golf Courses and Golf Shops - I see Roger Dunn operates there).

Any other things that "someone should know but was afraid to ask" is much appreciated. I have completed work projects in Oahu and Maui before and of course love what I see. I haven't played golf though.[/quote]

Once you are a resident, the local rates are usually the best you can get unless you get gift certs or specials courses run every now and then. The muni's can be hard to get a time on, but most public courses are relatively easy to get a tee time at, especially on the weekdays. Prices are similar to mainland for most things, but less Big Box stores so some discounts go wanting. But there's always ebay right? Just have to put up with people charging you ridiculous shipping costs because you live in Hawaii, even though USPS is the same as anywhere else.

Hope some of that helps. Good luck on your decision.

mauiatheart · October 23, 2009

First, it is spelled Haole.

When it comes to golf, you don't have to worry. All it takes is a Hawaii driver's license to get the local ("kamaaina") rate. So once you get settled, make sure that this is one of the first things you do. The kamaaina rate does not just apply to golf, so make sure you do this.

For the most part, the courses on Oahu run between $45-$80 for non-munis. Munis are less, but I haven't played one in a while so I am not sure what the costs are.

Once you are here, getting to know the courses is best done by experience, not books (at least that is what I am thinking you meant when you asked about books).

The best course, is the one that you like the most. All of the courses have very friendly staff who make you feel welcome.

I don't beleive that golf equipment is higher here than on the mainland, but I rarely do comparisons. As ROK mentioned, if you are ordering from the Edwin Watts, or Ebay crowd, shipping does tend to be quite high. But there shouldn't be a problem getting reasonably priced equipment. I wouldn't buy anything special just because you think it may be cheaper to buy it on the mainland.

Dr. Hook · October 24, 2009

Concur with everything in mauiatheart's post. As far as Kama'aina (pronounced KA-MA-EYE-NA, and Hawaiian for "local") rates at muni courses, the green were fees were recently raised to an "astounding" $15 per round with a City and County golf card (which can be obtained with a Hawaii driver's license). Carts are a few bucks more.

We have many courses and a year-round golf season. Many have websites, so you can probably put Google to good use.