Hawaii Kai Golf Course

Arrived at 4:03 to get a quick round in with a cart but small Asian dude wouldn’t let me. I had a group of 5 people so would have made them an easy $ 100 on the spot but no common sense from douchey Asian guy. Thanks for being the negative nancy everyone loves !

I wish 0 stars was an option. At 1:33pm, I was 3 minutes away from the course and called for a tee time. I was advised the tee closed at 1:30 and they could not accommodate me. I was only a single and the manager would not budge. I even offered to start on the 2^nd or 3^rd hole to make up for the time. Who turns away business at 1:36pm, only 6 minutes late? Last time I call and give them business, which is awful because I am a Hawaii Kai resident and play there quite a bit.

Ok so I played my first golf game ever here. So I don’t have much room for comparison but this course was pretty fun. I was told all holes were par 3 and it was relatively easy, well at least for the seasoned golfer. I didn’t find it too difficult and we went through all 18 holes in a little over a couple of hours. It was a lot of fun. Recommended for the beginner golfer.

This is where I first learned the game of golf… surprisingly (to me), 10 years ago, and I am still terrible at it!
Hawaii Kai Golf Course has two course: Executive, which is all Par-​3 holes, and Championship, which is a full course. It also has a driving range that opens till 10PM (last call for balls is 9PM), a practice putting green, a practice bunker, a restaurant, and banquet rooms.
The Par 3 is where I always play. It’s a pretty good course with holes of varying distances, difficulty, and left or right green locations. The farthest is only 180 yards and the closest is 49 yards, so this course is good to practice your approach shots and short game. You are playing up and into a small valley, and there are several holes where you are literally mountainside with bushes and tall grass on one side or both sides, which makes the hole very narrow, so any mishit, your ball is out of bounds and gone and you lose a stroke. The greens are mostly straight forward since you are playing up a mountain, but there are a couple of greens with various slopes and turns.
Overall, I enjoy playing this Par 3 course because it’s short and relaxing, and the people who play there are mostly old-​timers (who can still light it up!), tourists, families, couples, and young adults. There’s no pressure here to play at a certain pace, which is something I need to do myself! Great course to practice your shot accuracy and putting, and to start learning the game. The only real negative here is the holes are pretty close together, so you will definitely hear other groups chatting, cheering, or making random noise. I guess it’s good practice of tuning out distractions and honing your focus skills, but it’s the sudden noise that always gets me.
The Championship Course is very nice and well-​maintained. It’s relatively straight-​forward with wide fairways, and predominantly favors a right to left draw on almost all the holes. There’s quite a good amount of hazards from bunkers to water to drainage canals to roads to nice, high-​end residential single-​family homes. Similar to the Executive Course, this is a pretty laid back and relaxing course with no pressure to play uncomfortably fast.
The driving range isn’t that great. You’re hitting at a ridge that curves inward, so it’s fun to blast it over the fence and into the mountain! A lot of the hitting mats are super weatherworn, and about half of the hitting area is covered. The putting green is pretty small, and doesn’t offer a lot of severe uphill and downhill slopes or wide left and right turns. Not many individuals uses this, so it’s an excellent way to practice your lag puts and distance control. Even though, there’s a sign that says «No Chipping,» this putting green is great for chipping! ;)
The best part about this golf course is the restaurant! The food is great and always consistent! Hmmm, after I typed the previous sentence, I wondered if it has its own Unilocal page. It does!
I’ll type that out over there.
Overall, I really enjoy playing the Par-​3 here. It’s fun and relaxing, and that’s what I want out of golf, not too strenuous and not getting angry and easily frustrated! The staff here are awesome too! They’re all friendly and very nice. The cart guys are awesome!

Wish they would change a light bulb at the range!
Some have been out for over a year. Half the range is unusable at night. Terrible.

Hawaii Kai is our home course. We play here so often that we are a bit biased on ratings. Although this course can be challenging, it’s also very pleasurable and relaxing. Great layout, houses along some of the holes may be your biggest worry.

Okay, let me start by saying, I give this course a 5 out of 5 hands down, but thats me. I give it that for my own personal enjoyment of this course. I am actually giving it a 3 of 5 stars for all of the people using Unilocal for reliable reviews to find the best course on Oahu. This course has a few different variations to it. There is the regular course, the Par-​3 and driving range. I haven’t played their regular course so that isn’t going in my review.
Let’s begin with the Par-​3. Personally I love this course. My family are members of both Waialae Country Club and Oahu Country Club. The only reason I mention that is if I wanted to play a great course I could, but that’s not why you come here. This Par-​3 is great because everyone can play. My entire group of friends can walk up in t-​shirts and play 18 holes together without worrying of the rate of play, dress code or rules. But that’s the beauty of this course! It’s relaxed and everyone can have fun. The price is also reasonable. I think it’s around $ 20 including carts. The holes are not the longest, but hey its a Par-​3!
Next, the driving range. It is decent. Nothing special to it. There are retirees that work the range from selling the balls to picking them up. Another great thing is they have lights for night. My friends come here frequently and bring a 12 pack. No one says anything and we can have some fun.
Lastly I need to mention the employees. Everyone there is great. A lot of older employees who love golf and probably do it for discounts. But, I need to mention the one employee. There is one guy who is miserable. Whenever my friends walk in to play he gives us the most condescending attitude ever. Not sure his name, which doesn’t help, but be careful.
Overall, it’s a 3 out of 5. Head here if you are looking for some relaxing fun. It’s nothing special but will get the job done!

Great value! $ 22 gets you a cart rental and 18 holes of golf on the executive course — $ 12 if you choose to walk. For that price, it’s pretty darn hard to complain. The beautiful mountain view and distant ocean view doesn’t hurt either. The staff members are super friendly and low key and so far, we’ve never had to book a tee time. or wait to get on. If you come on a weekday, you will likely feel as though you have the course to yourself. Overall, a great place for a laid back day of golf with a few drinks, or champion juice as I like to call it. :) Ryan, the golf pro is also a great, patient instructor. My husband and I have both taken lessons with him and have really noticed an improvement in our game.

I played last Saturday and was shocked to see ALL the sandtraps were crusted hard. You could not use a sand wedge or even dig your shoes into the surfaces. Only way to play was try to putt if the lip was low enough or chip it. Went over the green five times into bunkers on opposite side. Was not golf as it should be. The temporary tee box on # 3 par five is in disrepair. If you cannot keep the mats in playable shape, then how about some grass or just flat soil. After all these years, why not move the tees out into the fairway? Cannot believe the Aloha section PGA has not set a deadline for permanent solution. Most golfers slice so the left side is not a factor. Greens are always so nice and fairways too. Owners should take more pride in overall course conditions especially with the recent price increases.

Excellent service! Course was in great shape, friendly staff. They remembered our names from a few days prior.

The Hawaii Kai Championship golf course found along the beautiful eastern coastline of the Island of Oahu is no longer the course I remembered it to be. With obvious signs of neglect and no upgrades to justify the green and cart fees. The once crowded parking area is now full of available open stalls. Clearly reflecting a decline in the course’s popularity and an increase in competitive pricing and more courses to choose from. The golf course which was one of my favorite playgrounds of the past has dwindled to nothing more than a high priced Public Links Class course.
With all that said and an exception to the fees, the Championship golf course is still a fun place to play. Some of the challenges you’ll face here is the more than often strong wind factor and avoiding crashing someone’s backyard BBQ (homes come into play throughout the golf course). To save yourself from embarrassment or possible liability it would be a wise choice to play safer and less aggressive shots.
Also at this location is an Executive 18 hole Par 3 golf course. A favorite among the beginning golfers community. The driving range has a roofed area with golf mats as well as an open natural grass area. Awkwardly there is a sand bunker practice area a distance away from the driving range and practice putting greens next to the clubhouse. The Pro shop has a very limited selection of items. A modest little restaurant is located next to the Pro shop on the ground floor. Not sure what the second floor is currently being used for or if it’s being used at all. Last I remember is that it used to be the main dining area and downstairs was a snack bar.
Well anyway, if you’re already here, forget the negatives of this review and enjoy your game. Then go ahead and post your own review on Unilocal.FORE!!!

Played this course on a Sunday ($ 105 for visitors). They call it a «Championship Course» The course was Ok, but what was distressing is they permitted groups of 6 people to play a round. It severely slowed play. And then when mentioning this after our round was over their response was, «We make more money this way.» No apologies, no I’m sorry we made a exception today. Simply who cares what you the customer think about it? Would never play there again.
If they are going to charge a championship type rate, then they should run it in a championship way rather than bush-​league way. In addition the rental equipment was quite poor but that is another story. Would definitely not recommend this place to anyone.

$ 12 kama’aina rate for the Par 3?! In a place where $ 100 rounds of golf can be the norm, yay for cheap golf!
The Hawaii Kai Par 3 aka Executive Course is great for beginners. At $ 12 (to walk) and $ 22 (with cart), you can’t go wrong. While it’s not the nicest or best kept course, while it’s not the most challenging or difficult course, while there aren’t ice cold towels waiting at the clubhouse, it’s definitely great for working on your irons and short game. No hole goes longer than 200 yards and you should never need your driver. The people are a mix of parents teaching their kids, retirees, and younger people just looking to have a good time. No pressure, just a relaxing day of golf and amazing views of the East Oahu coastline.

I have lived here for almost 2 years, driving by this place at least 3 – 4 times a month. Each time… I wonder how expensive it is to play here? But since I gave my clubs away before moving to HI, and I’m not rich, I never bothered looking into it. I mean… this place is right next to the ocean! You pay top dollars back home to golf on something like this!
My friend and I have been talking about hitting a bucket of balls so I finally made my inquiry. I looked on their website, and I was right… it’s $ 43 for the Par 3 on the weekends! But… I did a little more digging… and of course… this is the reason I love living in Hawaii. Kama’aina rates are $ 15 for walking, and $ 25 for driving. O.M.G!!! Sign me up for every weekend please!!! Only thing… you must call the Pro Shop to make your reservations. I quickly tried to find a set of clubs to purchase, but ended up borrowing instead.
Driving Range
This is my first time going to the driving range since the Mainland. Couple things very noticeable… and not flattering.
1. Bag of balls are $ 4.50 — one size — cash only
2. You have to pay for your own rubber tee — $ 1.50 each
3. You put your balls on the ground, there is no bin that keeps them in place next to the mat
4. The side nets are really low, so if you’re on the far right and have a mean slice to the right… better be careful not to hit the golfers!
Par 3 — 18 holes
This is a beginner’s dream! The fairways are easy and short. I’ve only played 3 – 4 times in my life, and that was 10 years ago, and it made ME look experienced! The green is fairly manicured, not very many obstacles and if you slice your ball in the bushes, it’s easy to find. In fact… we found 6 extra balls looking for ours! The road is NOT maintained and very rutted so be careful when driving. It will get bumpy! They «kind of» encourage drinking, since they have a refreshment cart come by, and every hole has beer cans half full at every tee! We tee’d off at 3 pm (3 people) and played for 2.5 hours and didn’t finish so will probably take 3 – 3.5 hours to finish if you are a slow beginner. 2 people might finish in 3 hours.
Green Fees
Their website for Championship course is $ 115 with cart. Executive course Par 3 is $ 38.50 weekday /​$ 43.50 weekend, but kama’aina rates are $ 25 weekends with cart /​$ 15 walking. After 3:30 pm, it’s only a few dollars less, but once 5 pm hits, the mosquitoes come out so either bring bug spray or finish early! I was told the carts must be returned by 5:30 pm.

i’m a big fan of Hawaii kai par 3 golf course. i been going there ever since i started golf. it’s a good course for the beginner. its starts with under 100 yard and it goes up the hill. it’s a par 3 course but it ain’t easy. you really get to test how good you are with your iron set. when you go to par 3 golf course you don’t need your driver or the wood unless you are women or junior. longest yard is less 200 so if you can hit iron with in that distance you can lessen some weight on your bag.
Between twilight and normal golf course time is only different by $ 3 so you if you want to save some bucks i would go after 3:30pm and also i believe cart fee is another $ 10 or $ 15.
sometimes i seen people playing 3 – 5 balls because they are waiting for people in front or it’s very empty.
it’s a good iron hitting course so get your games on.

Seaside golf course at the base of the Koko Head crater. They have a large driving range, an 18 hole par three course, clubhouse with restaurant. Its an easy golf course, friendly staff and cute beer cart girls. $ 60 for weekends is a little pricey for locals. They have a few water holes that are dried up and should be landscaped to be like a big sand garden with native desert plants. The Koko Head crater borders the course and the legend is that it is the vagina of a goddess, so the course has that going for it.

This is a par-​3 course, this means that you have to hit the ball in less than three strokes. Cart rentals are available, but decided to go pro style and walked all 18 holes! Good cardio and doable, too. Finished in less than three hours, but can be less if you are good!
This was my first time here and playing at a course. I was pleasantly surprised that golf can be fun! As I step on to the green and teed off the first hole, I was overwhelmed of how many more I would have to do to finished all 18. But the course showed itself to be easy to navigate and with the help of my wonderful BF, he was the reason it was fun while learning some golf etiquettes!

Middle of the road course. The greens are well maintained and the fairways are good. Not a very challenging course with water factoring in on only a few holes and bunkers are not as abundant as tougher courses.
I like its driving range, the stalls are wider and there is a covered portion where you can get shade during the day and stay out of the hot sun. At $ 4.50 for a bag, the balls are priced well.
The beer cart came around 3 times during our round so we were able to replenish on snacks and beverages. Their spam musubi is pretty good. I like musubis that have the nori that cover the length of the musubi instead of having just a small strip wrapping around. It also has furikake with takuan in the center to add flavor.
Not as picturesque as most other course on the island and I think that detracts from appeal of Hawaii Kai Golf Course.

Rating: ³⁄₅
Date Visited: 8÷07÷2011
Lower Restaurant:
Minus –1 star for having a Bar Hostesses that is less than pleasant. I don’t know what position Mick, the employee who places the beer kegs in their serving position, but that guy needs to keep his comments to himself. If anything, he should be serving and not commenting. If it’s not for the «Golfer’s,» he wouldn’t have a job.
Executive Course:
+1 star, for having a friendly local staff provide me with my cart.
Driving Range:
This was the first time I’ve ever received a receipt, which tells me that someone’s starting to keep track. Missing revenue?

Have you ever sliced a ball so badly that it went into someone’s backyard, or even worse, through their kitchen window? If you know what I’m talking about, then this review is for you.
There are 2 (18 hole) courses here; The Championship 6500yd (5591yd from red tees) and The Executive 2223 yd rolling hill 54 par-​3 course. if you actually KNOW how to play golf, play the Championship course here… but too many houses on each fairway make that course off limits for me. I haven’t really golfed since I had my kids so it’s dangerous to put me back on a real course.
This review is only for the Executive (Par 3) course because right now, this is the only course I can play because:
1. Every hole is «par 3». That doesn’t matter to me. I still had lots of snowmen…
2. Some holes are 80yds, some are 180yds, and since my driver doesn’t go too much farther than that on a good day, I can use every single club, sometimes all on the same hole.
3. There are no houses on ANY fairways on this Executive course. So you can slice away here, however, the thick brush will eat your balls if you blink. Don’t even bother looking for your ball or you’ll get those pokey things all over your socks. Bring at least 5 or 6 balls (or more!) unless you hit really straight.
4. Kama’aina rate: $ 10 for weekday after 12noon, $ 12 for weekday morning play. This has got to be the cheapest round of golf here (only thing cheaper is $ 8.50 Jungle River putt putt mini-​golf). BUT, if you rent a cart here, they’ll charge you $ 10 per person extra. It’s pretty steep, so that $ 10 is worth it. Even our golf cart was struggling up the 12^th hole…
5. The conditions of the greens are horrendous, but if you care about these things, you shouldn’t be playing this course in the first place. If I get within 1 club length of the hole, it’s good in my book. Don’t make me putt or we’ll be there all day.
6. There’s one hole where you tee over a ditch. It’s no coincidence it’s the 13^th hole. Talk about triscadecaphobia. Sometimes I have a better chance if I just throw the ball over the ditch.
7. Stay out of the beach. Those suckers are impossible to get out of. Again, it’s easier to pick up the ball and throw it on the green.
8. Driving range… covered stalls are great during the daytime when it’s hot, or if you prefer hitting off the grass, go further down and smack away.
9. I didn’t see any executives playing on this EXECUTIVE course. Only a bunch of us remedial golfers trying our best to get our balls in order.
10. You can finish in 2 – 2.5 hrs, even if you don’t really know how to golf.
Maybe one day I’ll be able to play with the real golfers on the other side of the island again, but for now, this is my speed.