Turtle Bay Golf

Played Arnold Palmer side. It was very disappointed. Greens are not in good form.
Before you play this course I will recommend check the greens first.
Worst part manager did not accept that this is an issue what is not a good sign.

I am reviewing the Arnold Palmer course at the resort course. The drive to the course is beautiful along the coast of North Shore. This morning, I happened to hit dead stop traffic due to the surfing competition but that is the nature of the beast. If you are making the trip, leave with plenty of time to spare due to the 2 lane highway, but with a beautiful view of the Pacific ocean.
Once you park, if the staff isn’t busy with the various customers, someone will meet you by your car to carry your bags to the golf cart with your designated tee time and course. Checking in, the pro shop is nice, clean, and along the wall on the right is various Turtle Bay resort merch as well as Oakley on the left. Checking in is simple, provide them your name and time. If you have some extra time, I suggest getting a bucket of range balls to warm up or to get a quick snack from the snack bar behind the pro shop.
Once you have paid, give a copy of your receipt to the guys at the cart shack, hop in, and prepare for a roughly 5 minute drive to reach the #1 tee box for Palmer. Follow the signs, and when you reach a section if you hit the road or a beach, make sure to stay on the path with faded yellow arrows.
The tee boxes have indicators for different tees, based on your difficulty. The tee boxes are well maintained. The golf carts don’t have a GPS much like other resort courses, but you are provided tees and water in your ice chest. The fairways are nice and maintained, slightly spongy, even the rough is well maintained. The greens are difficult, hard to read, but not impossible. The sand traps are plenty around the course. Especially around the 17^th hole, where it is more sand than green.
Overal, if you can, play this course, you will not regret it. And for my brothers and sisters in the military, you are offered the local rate as well. This is a great course, worthy of the bucket list.

We played the Fazio Course at Turtle Bay and it was one of my worst golf experiences. Poor service, poor conditions, poor equipment, and resort prices. We showed up early for our tee time but teed off late partially because there was no starter but more because they had no carts ready for our 9:30 tee time. The girl at the pro shop counter was busy on the phone and couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge us until she was done. Then she over charged us for both the golf and a souvenir marker. The cart kid took our starter ticket and didn’t say a word, until he found us some carts. Then no instructions or tips on the course and no offer to take our bags. He didn’t even tell us who to follow off the tee.
The course it self was beautiful but in ruff shape. The greens had many bare spots and the ruff was full of clumpy mowed grass. The sand traps were simply large holes in the ground. There was no sand to speak of. I didn’t even leave foot prints when walking in them.
To finish it all off our cart started dying on the 16^th hole and we had to painstakingly limp it/​push it to the club house. When we told the cart kid at the end that it may need charging he said «oh yeah those white ones suck». No apology or anything.
The manager did refund the over charge and offered to get us another round on there better Palmer Course but we didn’t have time in our schedule. He didn’t offer a refund or a coupon.
Over all if this wasn’t a resort course at a beautiful place I would never consider coming back. The Fazio course isn’t even close to worth the price they charge. There is not close to any resort service or service at all. I get better service at my local muni course for a quarter of the cost.

TURTLE BAY GOLF
Kahuku, Hi.
Fazio
Terrain: Oceanfront
Price: $$$$$
Resort
Driving Range: Yes
Opened: 1971
Architect: George Fazio
Lodging: Yes
Par 72
Blue 6769 Yards, Slope 130, Rating 73.8
White 6091 Yards, Slope 124, Rating 70.0
Red 5354 Yards, Slope 122, Rating 71.1
Snapshots:
Brushes up against the Oahu’s Pacific north shore a couple of times for ocean views
Greens are challenging to get on, as they’re frequently raised and smallish
Fairways provide a wide berth for off-​kilter shots
Expect to be dueling the wind all day during the winter months, and you might have to go down three clubs to gain your target
Hosts the LPGA tour’s Hawaiian Open
Hard bunkers provide a note of cognitive dissonance, considering how close you are to a world-​class beach
As you’re pressed against the coast, it can play a little back and forth
Brewskies: Lei Lei’s Bar & Grill, Local Brews (0.2 miles)
Sundae Golfer: Kahuku Farms (2.9 miles)
Post-​round Meal: Kahuku Grill Burgers, Hawaiian, Seafood (0.2 miles)
Make a Day of It: Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie (6.9 miles)
Never Come Back: Hawaii (You are there)
Splash! Pacific Ocean — Sunset Beach Park, Waialua (4.2 miles)
Native: Itula Mili, Played Tight End with the Seahawks for nine NFL seasons

I’m admittedly a mediocre golfer, but I enjoy the sport and have found no better place to play than Turtle Bay. The grounds and views are gorgeous, the staff is über friendly and helpful, there’s always some treasure to be found in the pro shop, and don’t forget Lei Lei’s for a 19^th hole beer and calamari steak.
I can get intimidated by golf courses that are as nice and renowned as this one because they can also be stuffy, but that’s never been the case here. The staff is warm and welcoming from the moment you walk up, and set the perfect tone for the entire experience. I’ve played the Fazio and the Palmer and both have lush greens, well kept fairways, lots of diverse holes and lovely ocean views. They do a good job spacing out the golfers, so it never seems like you’re waiting too long or having people play up on you. Love that you can reserve tee times online, by phone or pop in and never have to wait long. No better way to spend a few hours on a weekend!

We started and ended our outing at LEI LEI’S the food was good but pricy. The staff was absolutely wonderful, we were attending a company event and we were 1 golf cart short. The staff got us one very quickly they even escorted me through the course to meet up with my group. I enjoyed the views of the ocean, we played a tournament so we had time to walk down to the beach and take pictures. The teams were mixed advanced and beginners everyone had a good time, I highly recommend going.

Beautiful golf course at Turtle Bay and a fantastic team. Garrett made our stay extra special as he helped us in every way he could to make our experience fantastic. Thank you Garrett!

We played the Palmer course at Turtle Bay which is billed as «the only must play course in Oahu». Frankly, I don’t get it. True, the fairways and greens were EXCELLENT. But I can get great course conditions in other places. I was expecting more ocean views. I don’t think we got any of that until the par 3 16^th where you hit directly into the direction of the ocean. I’m glad we played it and checked it off the bucket list but this course, golf shop, and the club house don’t have the same luxurious experience as many other Hawaii courses.

Amber, Travis and Kelson made my experience amazing! Great customer service and the Palmer course was in amazing shape. Titleist clubs were new and in great shape. Loved my time!!!

Staff was very friendly. We had lunch before we played. It was a little pricey for what i had. $ 14.50 for a BLT. I guess it is expected at the resort though. We had a tee time for 12 on a Sunday. We got there early and they let us play early. The first nine holes of the course are in pretty bad condition. I can deal with the fairways, but the greens need to be maintained better. Both were bad though. There wasn’t much of a difference between the rough and the fairways. The back nine was a different story. It wasn’t in bad condition. Greens were good. The fairways were much better (then the front nine). The course could have been in better condition. Some of the holes with «water» hazards were all dried up. Although, the course was not up to standard, we had a good time. If you are a local, buy the first tee Hawaii ambassador card. It only cost us $ 30 to play and your payment for the ambassador card goes towards a good cause. I hope when I play the Palmer it isn’t this bad though. For those of you that pay full price… don’t. It’s not worth $ 120 to play the Fazio. I can’t say for the Palmer though. The course isn’t the best views either. I would rather pay $ 120 to play at Ko’Oalau. That’s a beautiful course, even when it’s in bad condition.

So far I have only played the Fazio course in Turtle Bay! Wow it was disappointing in every way. Bunkers were like concrete!!! Fairways and greens were horrible! Overall a rough course add 20 mile hour wind gusts and my golf day was a disaster!!! This course reminded me of an overplayed and tired municiple course that you have to pay 89 – 110 for uggghh I say! Worst 18 holes of Golf I played in 10 years!!!

My avid golf playing husband recently played the Palmer Course at The Turtle Bay Resort. Beautiful course, fairways like carpet, excellent greens, and very well manicured.
On the 17^th hole, The Signature Hole, he was chased by a wild hog!

First off, let me say that I think that Turtle Bay Palmer may possibly be the nicest course on the Island of Oahu – both in course layout and conditions of the facilities, fairways, and greens. It provides a challenging round because of changing wind conditions and the proper amount of difficulty. It is appropriate for players from beginner to advanced.
Secondly, the staff is always courteous and professional.
Despite the above, I give Turtle Bay Golf only 3 stars, and it pains me to do so. However, two years in a row – not that long ago – I had signed up for their Golf Plus program. With membership, you get a free round of golf, a credit at the golf shop, better than kamaaina (or resident) rates, special events, etc. It sounds like a no-​brainer. The first year I signed up and paid the fee for membership. I did not receive the free round or golf shop certificate through the mail as promised. Essentially I lost the best immediate benefit of the program.
Despite that experience, I chocked it up to a probable glitch. This time I decided to sign up for Golf Plus while present at the pro shop because I was already there to play a round. I immediately received the gift certificate that I was promised and spent it. So as not to lose the free round, I had told them to mail it to me. Again, I did not receive.
Lastly, awhile ago, my sister, who lives in the mainland, bought my father a $ 200 gift certificate to Turtle Bay Golf – so that he, my brother and I could play a round of golf and hopefully he would be hooked and make it a hobby. When we attempted to make the tee time a couple of months back, they were unable to find the gift certificate. My sister took matters into her own hands, and they eventually found it after much difficulty. We ended up having to cancel that round because my uncle, who was to round out our foursome, had back issues.
We eventually rescheduled the round to yesterday, and we were all able to make it, so it looked like everything would go without a hitch. We got there early, so that we may be able to hit the driving range to warm up a little. Unfortunately, once again, they were unable to find the $ 200 gift certificate from my sister. After at least 30 minutes of looking and making us feel dumb and mistaken, we reluctantly decided to pay for the entire round and they would reimburse us if they ever found it. Luckily, as we were being rung up, they located it.
In short, they are highly mismanaged or need a better system in place. I lost much value and essentially my money on two Golf Plus memberships. Then we nearly lost a $ 200 gift certificate. Beyond the money and time trying to regain what was lost or potentially lost, one can experience much frustration and irritation.
Ridiculously, because of how awesome the course is, my family and I keep going back for more. I probably will keep going back. However, I would never join Golf Plus. Also, I would never buy a gift certificate as a gift for anybody there.

Awesome day of Golf! The greens were perfect and the views priceless. As always, great customer service by everyone from the starters to the wait staff at Lei Lei’s. Highly recommend to any golfer to visit and enjoy resort golfing at its best.

Two of my favorite courses to play on Oahu. Every time I visit the island, Turtle Bay’s two golf courses are a must. The two golf courses are named after their respective designers, Arnold Palmer and George Fazio.
The Arnold Palmer course is the newer course of the pair and is about three or four strokes harder than the Fazio Course. From the back tees at the Palmer Course (Black) the course stretches 7218 yards. Most people play from the Blue tees at 6785 yards and the gold tees at 6225 yards. The course is made difficult with many holes surrounded by water and native areas, strong North Shore wind, and the abnormally thick Bermuda rough. Balls landing in the rough on either course are hard to find because they sit down. Play this course early to avoid a 5 ½ hour round.
For newer players, I recommend the Fazio Course. Even though the fairways are considerably more narrow compared to the Palmer Course the surrounding areas around the fairways and green is much more forgiving. The Fazio Course offers two sets of tees Blue at 6769 yards and White at 6091 yards.
As for service, the check in staff and cart attendants are very nice. Before the round they offer a towel to clean your clubs as well a guide for the course you are playing. Following the round, they provide you with a cool towel to wipe off your face as well as a free club cleaning.
The conditions of the course are good, the greens and fairways are lush, always dark green, and a extremely firm (good for roll). The only thing I would complain about are the bunkers, sand is very scare, making getting the ball out correctly very difficult. In addition, some rough clipping may not be picked up thus making the ball even harder to find. Turtle Bay’s two uniquely different courses provide a unique and exciting golf experience for golfers of all levels.

It was a day trip to play at Tuttle Bay’s Palmer course, which is on the beautiful north shore of the island.
Making reservations for a tee times was not a problem. I was able to get the day and time that I wanted. The staff were very friendly from the cashier to the starters to the marshall.
Golf carts have coolers and are stocked with ice and 2 bottles of water. It would have been nice to have GPS on them, but it was not a problem. My partner had a laser binocular. You can drive the golf carts on the course. No 90 degree rule.
Playtime for the course was between four and a half to 5 hours. Not bad at all. The greens were manicured perfectly. This is somewhat a hard course and definitely not recommended for beginners. Bring extra balls on windy days as your ball can get lost in the rough.
The only one disappointing factor is I was expecting to see the ocean on more holes, since it was close to the beach. You can only see the ocean from the 17^th hole while you’re on the green.

I played Palmer yesterday at 220 for the twilight rate. Lost only 5 balls considering the water. Note– there are views of the ocean. The water hazards refer to water on the course. Still very beautiful. One of the best courses i played on.
It’s a feasible course. Not entirely too difficult. Tee 17 was ridiculously difficult. Almost laughing at me. Deep sand traps everywhere with multi-​tier greens. Tee 18 is a par 5 and more appeasing to make up for that cruel 17.
Only gripe– at this price range, id expect gps in carts, or a course map somewhere. My partner and i (both 1^st timers) were playing blind and going old school– gauging our distances.
Wish to return. Stay at the resort. Peaceful. Relaxing.

Played today on a Saturday morning. First, I’ll say that the golf course itself is a great layout and the tee boxes and fairways are nice. The greens were recently aerated and I could overlook that because every course has to do it and it was just bad luck for us that it was done recently. Overall I would rate the course a 4.
The reason for the bad review has to do primarily with the pace of play. We were stuck behind a group of 8 local foursomes who apparently play regularly on Saturdays, and who think that a 5 ½ hour round is no big deal. I know this is Hawaii and everything moves a little slower, but waiting 10 minutes on each shot is not my idea of fun. The worst of it was the fact that there seemed to be nobody in the group less than a 20 handicap, and they putted out EVERY put. We had to laugh when it took the foursome in front of us 5 minutes to putt out a total of less than 6 feet of putts. The last guy to putt had a 6 inch putt, which he had marked and waited for the others to finish up their 1-​footers. Unbelievable.
After watching them look for a lost ball on #11 for 9 minutes (at this point we made a game out of timing them), we skipped hole #11 thinking that we could avoid this group, but low and behold we immediately ran into their buddies ahead on #13, tee and one of them confronted my teenage son and me and asked «did they give you permission to play through?» Dude acted like he wanted to fight about it, so we just took off and left. Very disappointing. It felt like we were the outsiders, intruding on a local public course.
To cap it all off, the manager in the pro shop thought that giving me 15% off an $ 85 golf shirt should be adequate compensation for choosing to skip 8 holes instead of getting in a fistfight or spending another 3+ hours of my vacation to finish 8 holes on his golf course.
Overall…I’m glad we saw the course and played 10 holes, but unless you can stand waiting 10+ minutes on every tee shot and approach shot, don’t get behind the regular Saturday morning group. It might be the best course on Oahu, but the staff and overall experience at Ko Olina blew Turtle Bay out of the water.

I heard this is a must play on Oahu. The Palmer course is a challenging resort setup. I have played several resort courses on the mainland and this course sits in the middle. The par 5’s were surprisingly challenging with a stiff breeze, and I’m a long ball hitter. The par 4’s have good variety but are short in length. I played the blue tees with my group (6700 yds) and still found the course challenging.
I expected a little more out of the par 3’s from a resort like this, normally resorts make the par 3’s the centerpiece of the property. I didn’t feel like that was the case at the Palmer course.
Overall I was pleased with my experience. This course is a must play for experienced players. This is not a course for the inexperienced. It may not be a RTJ2 course but it is still an great course to play. The par 4 17^th is the best hole on the course.
I would play here again if the opportunity arises.

Oh-​em-​gee, why have I not played Turtle Bay earlier?! Played the Palmer course the other day for the first time and I can’t wait to go back.
From the clubhouse its a nice 5 minute drive by cart to the 1^st hole, passing a strip of beach and going through some trees and a tunnel. Once you get to the course its as if you just traveled through time to a neighbor island — so peaceful and really beautiful 18 holes.
This is a very challenging course full of water features, beautifully maintained fairways, hard to read greens, and thick grass surrounding the fairway. Much more difficult than most courses on Oahu, but so worth the challenge. Bring extra balls ;) you might need it like I did!
Waiting to play the Fazio course… then I will see if its as good as it gets ;)
And after a fun day of golf… remember you can grab food and drinks at LeiLei’s at the clubhouse :)