Hawaii Kai Golf Course, Oahu
With views of Maui and Molokai on clear days and the Pacific Ocean from every hole, the Hawaii Kai Golf Course can be found in East Honolulu, a distance of about 13 miles from Waikiki. This golf course is comprised of a championship course and an executive course. Players should be able to see whales playing in the Pacific during the summer or spouting water as they make their way to waters off Maui to give birth during the winter months. The tropical winds from the ocean make play both enjoyable and challenging on both courses.
The 18-hole Hawaii Kai championship course, designed by William Bell, is a mere 6,500 yards in length, but it is challenging and the windy conditions are a significant factor. These can affect the spin of downward shots, which can make selecting the right clubs something of a problem where players are hitting into the wind. Many players tend to under club, particularly those who are not accustomed to the course or the conditions. However, with a number of well-placed bunkers around the course, the large greens and wide fairways give all players a fair chance. Along the way, golfers will enjoy great scenery because the coastline along this course is possibly the most beautiful on Oahu.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior, the executive 18-hole course is also relatively short at 2,223-yards but its small, sloping greens make it quite challenging. The design is such that the course snakes upwards and downwards along the base of the Makapuu Cliffs with panoramic views of the coastline and a view of the Koko Head Crater from every hole. While trade winds always have a bearing, the greens are always in excellent condition with a tendency to be fast, particularly in the summer season.
The comfortable restaurant/banquet facilities at Hawaill Kai Golf Course are newly refurbished, and visitors are offered a choice of two climate-controlled, full bar service rooms in which to enjoy meals or host functions. The Koko Head Room is the larger of the two and overlooks the Koko Head Crater, the picturesque Koolau Mountains, and both golf courses. The Molokai Room provides a more intimate setting and overlooks the beautiful shoreline of East Oahu and the Ka`iwi Channel. The two rooms can be combined to seat up to 250 people if or when a special occasion requires it.
