Home : Oahu for You : Outdoor Adventure & Sports : Land : Golf

Golfing on Oahu

Golfing on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Oahu is not like golfing back home. Besides sweeping views and the advantage of great weather all-year round, there are a few things you should know before you tee up on the gorgeous greens of Oahu.

WIND FACTOR:
For the newcomer, the one constant at all the courses on Oahu is the wind. As a general rule, the trade winds blow between 15 to 35 miles per hour and will exaggerate any mistake in your swing. This factor tends to make courses on Oahu relatively tame when the winds are low and very challenging when it gets gusty. Golfers will find Oahu courses to have wide, forgiving fairways.

GREENERY:
The ground is harder here and the ball runs more off the tee, and doesn’t stop as quickly on the greens. First-time golfers to the island should also be forewarned about putting on Bermuda greens which are grainier than traditional bentgrass greens and more difficult to read. The grain grows in the direction of the prevailing trade winds, which means more or less from east to west, toward the setting sun.

A LIST OF A FEW NOTABLE GOLF COURSES:
CORAL CREEK GOLF COURSE, EWA – 18-hole course with beautiful natural coral rock formations; Architect Robin Nelson

HAWAII PRINCE GOLF CLUB, EWA – 27-hole resort layout with three interchangeable nines; Designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay.

KAPOLEI GOLF COURSE, KAPOLEI – 18-hole championship layout; Architect Ted Robinson

KO OLINA GOLF CLUB, KO OLINA – 18-hole course previously listed in Golf Digest’s “Top 75 Resort Courses in the U.S.” ; Architect Ted Robinson

KOOLAU GOLF CLUB, KANEOHE – 18-hole course carved from a tropical forest, nestled below the famous Pali Lookout. Considered the toughest course in the nation from the back tees with a slope rating of 152 ; Designed by: Dick Nugent

LUANA HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, KAILUA – 18-hole course located in the back of beautiful Maunawili Valley ; Designed by Perry Dye.

MAKAHA RESORT GOLF CLUB, MAKAHA – 18-hole course spanning the rugged cliffs of the Waianae Mountains; Architect William Bell.

MILILANI GOLF CLUB, MILILANI – 18-hole course sitting on a plateau between the Ko olau and Waianae mountain ranges; Architect Bob Baldock

OLOMANA GOLF LINKS, WAIMANALO – 18-hole highly playable and rewarding course with great views, good scores and wonderful memories; Architect Bob Baldock

PEARL COUNTRY CLUB, AIEA – 18-hole course overlooking Pearl Harbor with panoramic vistas ; Architect Akiro Sato.

THE TURTLE BAY RESORT GOLF CLUB, KAHUKU, NORTH SHORE – Home to the ARNOLD PALMER COURSE and GEORGE FAZIO COURSE. Arnold Palmer Course is an 18-hole courses home to the Turtle Bay Championship winding around and over a wetlands sanctuary, and includes ironwood forests, stiff breezes and marshes; Designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay. The second 18-hole course is the George Fazio Course, a shorter, less demanding alternative designed by George Fazio.

WAIKELE GOLF CLUB, WAIPAHU – 18-hole course overlooking Pearl Harbor with colorful gardens; Architect Ted Robinson