Paradise Weddings & Travel - Hickam Mamala Bay Golf Course

The 18-hole military golf course at Mamala Bay on Hickam Air Force Base measures 6,419 yards. That doesn't seem that long until one factors in the steady, sometimes strong, tradewinds on this course.
Only one of the four par-five holes on this course is less than 500 yards in length, and even that one normally plays with the trades, so it is an easy birdie hole for the low handicappers.

The three other par-five holes are another story, however. The 9th is a 524-yard hole that plays into the trades to an elevated green. The 11th hole is a little longer, but goes with the wind and has a wide fairway. That hole also features water and a sharp dogleg just off the tee box, creating a psychological problem for the insecure golfer. The other par-five hole is the 15th, with Mamala Bay and the Reef Runway all along its left bank. This dogleg left also has the wind at the golfer's back most of the time, but it is not an easy birdie hole because of the huge bunker to the right side that seems to grab approach shots meant for the green.

With three long par-fives, it stands to reason that there would be some rather short par-four holes on this course. There are two. One has plenty of bunkers; the other has a green that is hard to hold downwind. There also are some long par-four holes, and at least four of them are playing into strong trades, making them all the more challenging.

But probably the most challenging aspect of this golf course is the grain of the Bermuda grass greens. Golfers unfamiliar with the Hickam Mamala Bay Golf Course may have difficulty accepting the fact that most of the grain goes toward the ocean, taking the putts with it. They soon learn, however, that they must play for more break toward the ocean.

There are few hills on this relatively flat course, so the main concerns of the golfer here are wind, length and grain. The only elevated area is at the 1st and 10th hole trees, the 9th green, and around the clubhouse.

The Hickam Mamala Bay offers a driving range with ball machines that take quarters. And there is a chipping green and a putting green close to the clubhouse. The pro shop has a manager and fully-stocked shelves. Golf clubs and golf carts are available for rental, although golf carts are not mandatory here (which is the case at all Oahu military courses).

The greens are Bermuda grass, with varying degrees of hardness. The golfer at Hickam Mamala Bay must learn which greens hole and which ones do not. Some greens are cup-shaped, but all of them have grain that goes toward the ocean.

There was once a gate near the course permitting easy access by golfers from the community. But when the Reef Runway was built and other related changes came about at the adjacent Honolulu International Airport, golfers were routed through the main gate at Hickam.

Hickam's Mamala Bay layout was designed by golf architect Bob Baldock and was opened in 1966. The base also boasts the Hickam Par-Three Course, which opened on the base with 9 holes in 1959.

Green fees are on a sliding scale based on military rank, and some restrictions apply. Golfers should call for tee times up to three days in advance. Shirts with sleeves, and shoes, are required.

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