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Hawaii Kai Championship Golf Course

Public Course 18 Holes - Par 72 - 6350 Yards 91-1760 Park Row Street, Ewa Beach, Hawaii 96706 Tel: (808) 681-0220 Fax: (808) 681-6024 Head Professional: John Inzer, PGA Green Fees (subject to change) Time/Day Kamaaina Non-Resident Weekdays 42.00 90.00 After 11:00 am 35.00 N/A After 1:00 pm N/A 60.00 After 2:00 pm 27.00 N/A Weekends 50.00 100.00 From 1:00-1:30 pm 42.00 80.00 after 1 pm Call for special Senior and Junior rates. Dress code: No tank tops or cutoffs

 

Par Yardage Course Rating Slope Blue 72 6686 71.4 127 White 72 6350 69.6 123 Red 72 5719 N/A N/A

 

Built in 1973 Designed by William F. Bell

Greens: Bermuda Grass

Fairways: Bermuda Grass

 

The Hawaii Kai Championship Course is one of two 18-hole layouts at the Hawaii Kai Golf Complex, located on the mauka (mountain) side of Kalanianaole Highway, a few hundred yards from the Halona Blowhole on the eastern side of Oahu, and just fifteen miles from Waikiki. The par-72 Championship Course was designed by golf architect William Bell, and opened in 1973, 11 years after Hawaii Kai's Executive Course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. opened.

The Championship Course measures 6,686 yards from the back tees and features wide fairways, large greens with well-placed bunkers, and beautiful scenery. The coastline along this area of Oahu is probably the most beautiful on the island, and just the drive around Koko Head Park is an adventure.

 

But even more fun is a round on this challenging course, whether played from the regular or championship tees. Always in excellent condition despite heavy play, this popular oceanside course boasts the largest greens in the state (up to 10,000 square feet). Every tee of the Championship Course offers views of the Makapuu Cliffs, Pacific Ocean and the rugged eastern Oahu coastline.

Wind is a significant factor on the Hawaii Kai Championship Course. When the tradewinds pick up - and that is a frequent occurance on this part of the island - they can take the spin off downwind shots and create a club selection problem on those holes where the golfer is playing into the wind. For most golfers who are not accustomed to playing this course, there is a tendency to underclub on the ten holes which play against the wind. When approaching the downwind holes, the player should shoot for the fronts of the greens, then reverse the technique on the upwind holes, ad aim for the backs of the greens.

There is very little rough to contend with on the Championship Course, and grain really is not a big factor with the Tifton Dwarf grass. Golfers who are regulars here know that it is the break that determines the putt. The greens on this course are faster than most, another factor to keep in mind.

But for the golfer who takes into account both the wind and break conditions, the Hawaii Kai Championship Course is a challenge and a pleasure to play.

Take hole number 5, a short (120 yards from the regular tee) par three with very little margin for error, otherwise the ball lands in the kiawe trees. Trees and out-of-bounds lie along the left side, and a stream crosses in front of the green, which is surrounded by six bunkers and backed by trees.

Number 7 is a 395-yard (from the regular tee) par-four hole that plays into the trades with out-of-bounds left and a lateral water hazard right. A lay-up shot is required off the tee to set up an approach shot that must carry water and sand to an undulating green. This tricky hole deserves its number-one handicap status.

Hole number 9, a straight par five, is the longest on the course at 565 yards from the championship tee (545 from the regular tee). It sports a lateral water hazard to the right of the men's tee, trees and out-of-bounds left, and a double-bunkered green. There are also two fairway bunkers on this one.

Depending on how it is played, hole number 13 could be unlucky. It's a 403-yard par-four sharp dogleg left with a large pond smack in the center of the fairway. There's out-of-bounds right and left on this one, as well as a pair of bunkers at the green. Setting up the approach shot is key here.

Another challenging hole (and the number-two handicap), number 14 is a long (505-yards) uphill par-five dogleg right, with out-of-bounds to both the left and right of the fairway. Two sand traps are placed at the lower left of the fairway and one at the lower right where they can gobble up drives, and the green is protected by four bunkers, including one in front.

The finishing hole is not the most difficult, with a handicap rating of 10. But it is tricky. It's a 353-yard par-four dogleg left with out-of-bounds all along the left side and a fairway bunker at the dog's knee. Three more bunkers guard the green left and right, making the 19th hole break that much harder to reach.

The Clubhouse features a well-stocked pro shop that is one of the finest in the state. The 2nd floor restaurant and cocktail lounge offers beautiful views of the Pacific and the Makapuu Cliffs, and is a great place for lunch or dinner. Hawaii Kai's large, lighted driving range offers both natural and artificial grass hitting areas and is open daily from 7:30 am until 9 pm. Other facilities include a snack bar and locker rooms. There also is a putting green and a practice green for bunker and short chip shots.

Shirts and shoes are required on the Championship Course. Powered golf cars also are also mandatory on the Championship Course. Reservations are required for tee times, and can be made up to a week in advance.

 

Hawaii Kai Golf Course Website

 

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.

 

 

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