Golf
The Ala Wai
Golf Course gets about 500 reservations per day,
making it one of the busiest courses in the
world. With so many rounds, it is no wonder
why Ala Wai is one of the fastest playing
courses anywhere.
This
18-hole, par-70 is set on the edge of
Waikiki, with views of Diamond Head and the
Koolau Mountain Range. One of the reasons
that the Ala Wai golf course is so popular
is because of its reasonable green fees and
great location.
The Ala
Wai Golf Course opened the first nine holes
on September 13, 1931, as the first public
course in the Islands. The course was built
on the Territorial Fairgrounds on 150 acres
of land. The second nine holes were opened
on July 10, 1937, followed by the clubhouse
in 1948. In 1989, seven holes of the front
nine were redesigned by Nelson & Wright.
The course
is a flat but challenging adventure, and the
much needed renovations and changes have
greatly enhanced the way the course plays.
The
par-four 1st hole is now a dogleg right. The
front layout now offers a pond behind the
2nd hole. The 3rd hole is a new dogleg right
par five. It follows much of the old number
6 hole fairway. Number 4 is a very short par
four with trees and sand traps coming into play.
The 5th hole is a well- bunkered par three.
The new 6th hole is roughly where the old
2nd hole was, and the new 7th looks a lot
like the old number 1 hole. The par-three
8th and par-four 9th remain basically
unchanged.
The wide, flat open terrain has
very few trees, so wind can be a factor in
your club selection. Robin Nelson says the
most challenging hole is the new par-five
3rd hole, whose green wraps around a
Monkeypod tree. Still one of the most
challenging holes is the 18th, with its
narrow fairway bordering the Ala Wai Canal,
a tight green, and a stream trickling
through its middle. Another challenging hole
is the par-three 11th, which plays 186 yards
straight into the wind.
On the
Makai side (toward the ocean) is the Ala Wai
Canal, bordered by hotels and condominiums which
form the skyline of Waikiki. The fairways
for holes number 14 and 18 run along the Ala Wai Canal.
On the
Mauka (mountain) side are condos and homes
rising up the slopes of the Koolau Range.
Showers on this side of the island are
usually brief and are more likely in the
early morning or late afternoon. Downpours
are rare, but light sprinkles of rain
occasionally are blown from showers falling
over the Koolau Range several miles away.
Because of
the heavy play at Ala Wai, it is recommended
that tee times are made one week in advance
if possible.
Single golfers and twosomes can usually
avoid tee times by signing up on a waiting
list. The course is equipped with a driving
rang and pro shop; a good way to warm up
while waiting for your tee time.
When first built in 1931, the Ala
Wai Golf Course was run by the Territorial
Fair Commission until Hawaii was admitted as
a state in 1959. The Commission was
abolished, and the City and County of
Honolulu was then given control of the land.
After much controversy and deliberation,
Honolulu officials decided to permit the
continued use of this valuable property as a
municipal golf course.
There was
a great deal of pressure on officials from
investors to develop this prime real estate
into hotels or condominiums. In fact, at the
reopening of the course in 1989, Honolulu
Mayor Frank Fasi told newspaper reporters
that the city has been offered $2 billion
for the real estate by Japanese investors.
The newest
addition is a two-story 24,000-square-foot
clubhouse, which includes offices, a
restaurant, pro shop, lockers, storage, and
a second-floor community recreation room.
Ala Wai Golf Course
404 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Phone: (808) 296-2000
