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Kalakaua Golf Course

Military Golf Course Bldg. 2104 Schofield Barracks, HI 96857 Tel:(808) 655-9833 Fax:(808) 655-9818 Holes: 18 Par: 72 Yardage: Women 5818; Men 6186 Yds. Amenities: Restaurant, Club Rentals, Pro Shop, Driving Range, Cocktails, Golf Lessons Green Fees (subject to change) Kamaaina/U.S. civilians. Open to local residents Kamaaina/U.S. civilians 26.00 non-U.S. guests 52.00 Juniors 17 & Under 12.00 After 3:30 pm Half Price Carts are $8 per rider Dress code: No tank tops or cutoffs

 

The bunkers on Kalakaua Golf Course are not too difficult, as most are shallow and small. However, there is one hole - the par-four 3rd - that must be played carefully because of the deep bunker between the tee box and the pin. It is a very short par-four hole - around 290 yards - but with the bunker, plus the out-of-bounds markers along the right side of the fairway and behind the green, golfers must use careful strategy to make par on this hole.

Conversely, little strategy is needed for the par-five 9th hole (the same one the P-40s used to land on) except to hit with all you've got in order to reach the pin in regulation. The road to the left is out-of-bounds, so placement as well as length is the aim for this hole.

Another par five, number 14, has a sharp dogleg right that forces the golfer to play the left side of the fairway, as everything moves right and there is an out-of-bounds stake all along that side because of a fenced-off building. This memorable hole has golfers talking to themselves if they do not place the tee shot and second shot just right.

The course's toughest hole is the par-four 10th hole, whose fairwy usually gives a golfer a downhill lie. From that lie, the golfer must carry his or her next shot to the green because of sand traps, and the lie makes this a very tough approach to hold the green.

 

 

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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