Back to Golf on Oahu

Barber's Point Golf Course

Military Course 18 Holes - Par 72 - 6394 Yards NAS, Barber's Point, Hawaii 96862-5050 Tel: (808) 682-3088 Fax: (808) 682-4084 Green Fees (subject to change) (Military and Local Residents Only) Time/Day Kamaaina Weekdays 22.00 ; cart $10 per person Weekends 28.00 ; cart $10 per person After 3:00 pm weekdays 11.00 ; cart $5 per person After 3:30 pm weekends 14.00 ; cart $5 per person   Dress code: No tank tops or cutoffs

	Par	Yardage	Course Rating	Slope
White	72	6403	69.5	116

 

Built in 1963 Designed by William Bell

Greens: Bermuda Grass

Fairways: Bermuda Grass

Barbers Point Golf Course located on Oahu's Leeward coast near Campbell Industrial Park is the newest military course in the Islands, opening in 1966.

This course was constructed on portions of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station that were no longer needed for their original purposes--an aircraft parking apron, a bivouac area, and an office building area--all formerly located on the southeastern corner of the base. Because of the physical characteristics of the area on which the layout was built, the golf course is very flat. In fact, many of the greens were elevated several feet above the fairways in order to give the course some character.

Like most seaside courses, wind is a factor. This can be a problem because a number of the greens are very small.

There are two sets of tees at Barbers Point - regular and front tees. The yardage from the regular tees is 6,394. On the front nine, the 3rd, 4th and 8th holes seem to give golfers the most trouble. The 3rd is a sharp, dogleg right with trees to the right side. The green is elevated and sloped, and there is a huge tree on the left side, making placement of the tee shot important. The next hole, the 385-yard par-four 4th, is the number-one handicap hole on the course. It has a slight dogleg left, mostly beause of a tree placed on the left side of the fairway. With bunkers to carry and a sloping green, this is a tough hole.

The 218-yard par three 8th hole also plays into the wind, meaning the golfer must hit plenty of club to reach the green, which is larger than most on the course and is sloped to hold those tee shots that reach it.

On the back nine, the par-four 13th hole is a 399-yard dogleg left, a left-to-right crosswind and out-of-bounds on the left side. Golfers attempting to cut the dogleg find there is a large tree blocking approach shots from the left side. It is better to play this hole the way it is laid out.

The par-four 16th hole is not long, but it has a dogleg left and a green that challenges the golfer's accuracy on the approach shot.

The 18th is an excellent finishing hole. It is 347 yards into the prevailing trades, making club selection tenuous at best. It has an undulating, tiered green with bunkers all around it.

This course offers a clubhouse with a pro shop that doubles as office space for the PGA head pro and staff. Also in the building are a restaurant and locker facilities. Outside the pro shop there is a putting practice green and a chipping practice green as well. And the course features a full driving range with ball machines.

The signature hole on this course is #8, a 218-yard, par 3, requiring a tee shot directly into the wind. Local civilians are allowed to play this military course.

 

UPDATE - 08 MAR 2007   1330

The driving range at Barbers Point Golf Course is closed for renovations until August 1 (approximate end date). Updates will be posted periodically.

The renovation project will consist of installing a new automatic irrigation system, installing a few small target greens on the range and replacing stall dividers. The current starter building will be demolished due to termite and water damage and replaced with an inviting open-air picnic pavilion.

According to Robin Hashimoto, Barbers Point Golf Course Head Golf Professional, "The project will involve trenching through coral to install the main and lateral lines for the irrigation system. This initial phase will be the most challenging and will have the greatest impact on our ability to finish the project in a timely manner. Coral is dense and very difficult to get through."

Upon completion of the project, the irrigation system will use R-1 recycled water, to help conserve our natural resources. The irrigation system will also create a greener, more wholly aesthetic range and cut down on the dust. When patrons drive their balls on the newly renovated range, the new target greens will help them gauge their shots and improve their game on the course. The open-air pavilion which will replace the starter building will provide a place for golfers to relax and rest.

Tee times will still be available from 7 AM to 1:45 PM. The Pro Shop will also remain open daily, from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM.

We thank you for your patience as we work on providing you with the best facility possible.

For more information, call 682-1911.
 

 

Golf Pro Tips to help with your golf game in Hawaii Trade Winds The prevailing trade winds come directly from the northeast or from the direction of Diamond Head. If the winds are coming from the northeast, then the trade winds are blowing. If the wind is coming more from the south, then the Kona winds are blowing. "Kona" means south. The key to playing in the wind effectively is making the right club selection and to try to always make the wind your friend - in other words, don't fight it! Playing into the wind, take plenty of extra club and always swing within yourself. A hard aggressive swing puts more backspin on the ball causing it to fly higher and be more affected by the wind. As the Scot's would say, in the breeze, swing with ease! The same truth holds for down-wind shots - try to estimate the affect of the wind and choose the correct club. A crosswind will always magnify the direction of your ball - a slight fade can turn into a monster slice. So the key to playing into a crosswind is to try to work your ball against the wind. If the wind is a slice wind from left to right, then try to draw or hook your ball into the wind and vice-versa with a wind from right to left. Again, remember that the wind can be a friend if you allow for it!

Sand You will find that most of the Golf Courses here in Hawaii have beach sand. It may play a little different from what you're used to because it tends to be more granular and firmly packed. Luckily, you can avoid the dreaded plugged lie with this type of sand. Since the sand tends to be hard-packed, a sand wedge designed with minimum bounce will work best. A sand wedge with a lot of bounce will tend to deflect or "bounce" off of the firm sand and into the ball resulting in shots that fly over the green rather than land softly on them. If you're not sure of the bounce on your club, check with the Golf Shop. You also will want to avoid opening up the face of your sand wedge a lot since that creates additional bounce on your wedge. Good luck and remember you came to Hawaii to spend time on the sand.

Uneven Lies Swales and hills are a big part of most of the course designs in Hawaii and can make for some uneven lies. Remember to adjust the level of your shoulders to match the level of the slope. You will also need to adjust your balance to match the slope. On downhill lies, it's natural for your weight to be more on your downhill foot. To balance this out, try to place a little more weight on your uphill foot. Then, take a practice swing or two to see where the bottom of your swing is and then try to match your ball position to that bottom point.

Multi-tiered Greens A majority of our greens have multiple tiers. If you've missed the green on your approach, then getting it close to the pin is a real challenge. A high lofted pitch shot has a very small landing area to be successful. I would encourage you to consider chipping the ball with a lower lofted club to deal with these conditions. Keep the ball back in your stance, keep your hands slightly ahead of the ball to deliver a downward strike and always accelerate through the ball.

Reading Greens Most of the greens in Hawaii are Bermuda grass and tend to have "grain" in them. "Grain" means the tendency of the grass to lay over or to grow in a particular direction. A putt that is "down grain" will be faster and run farther than a putt of the same distance "into the grain". The best way to tell which direction the grain is growing is to look at grass on the edge of the cup. The grass will appear to be browner or slightly frayed on the side of the cup that is down grain so putts in that direction will be faster.   Generally speaking, the "grain" tends to grow in the same direction that the prevailing trade winds blow and also the setting sun.

 

 

Golf Etiquette Tips