GolfClubAtlas.com > Golf Course Architecture
Kahuku Golf Course profile is posted under Courses by Country
Ran Morrissett:
Brother John and I were talking over Thanksgiving (which seems an eternity ago in light of current events :( ) and he mentioned he was headed to Hawaii mid-December for 10 days. A Morrissett never goes anywhere for that length without playing golf so I asked him which courses were on his radar. He mentioned this and that one, before noting, ‘I am also going back to Kahuku Golf Course.’ The key word in that sentence was ‘back’ as I believe people vote with their time. Clearly, here was a course that captured my brother’s fancy so I Googled it.
One review – not written by B. Darwin or H.W. Wind – said it was ‘reasonably priced.’ To put that in perspective, I later learned from my bother that the green fee for this nine-holer is $22 for non-residents and $9 - $14 for nine holes for Hawaiian residents (depending on weekday vs. weekend and whether they have just a HI driver's license or a HI golfer ID card). No idea if the reviewer would think that $25 was outrageous ::) but I knew I needed to wait for my brother’s profile to learn something more substantive.
And here it is:
https://golfclubatlas.com/kahuku-golf-course/
Like my bother’s last submission on the Himalayan Golf Course, this profile is different. GolfClubAtlas has profiled many world-class courses designed by famous architects. Alas, plenty of those come with a high price tag. Kahuku doesn’t pretend to be world class, its architect is unknown and it is emphatically not expensive.
Like so many village courses in the U.K., its very lack of pretense helps make it hugely appealing. Most importantly, it looks quite fun to grab an armful of clubs and go have a stroll. Several of the greens average in the 2000 square foot range, so try hitting those – ocean breeze or not!
The Hawaiian vibe shines through in John’s prose and helps to explain why this would be a charming experience, no matter how well traveled one might be. Turf fanatics need not play here but the rest of us will clearly enjoy our time outdoors in a magical spot on the world’s most isolated chain of islands.
Best,
Lynn_Shackelford:
I have not had the pleasure of playing this course. However once when studying all the municipal courses on Oahu, I had access to its operating numbers. It loses money. But with a little curiosity, I started looking at it on google maps and quickly decided that among all the municipal courses in Hawaii, this would be the one you would want to operate, and play around a little with the maintenance and architecture. The only other one like this might be Hilo Municipal designed in 1951 by Willard Wilkinson, a disciple of Tillinghast. However the daily rain there might get to be discouraging. Of course both of these, Hilo and Kahuku are owned by governments in Hawaii, notoriously known as difficult with whom to deal, unless you happen to be an insider. Thanks for bringing Kahuku to everyone's attention. I suspect it will stay as is, affordable and in rough shape, and maybe that isn't so bad.
Tom_Doak:
I visited Kahuku a couple of years ago at the urging of the green chairman at Waialae C.C.
It is just as John describes. There is very very little "definition" to the turf which is reminiscent of the common land courses in the U.K.
The only point I'd argue with John is whether surfing and golf coexist well. I see no reason why they shouldn't; however, local surfers have stuck the knife in more than one potential new golf course along the Hawaiian coastline over the years. Maybe this one is different because it's priced for the surfers to play.
Tommy Williamsen:
Thanks for the profile. I’m not sure I would substitute this course for another one but it is nice to see an affordable course for locals. Wailua is probably the poster child for affordable courses in Hawaii, however. Given the size of the greens and the wind, a player who grows up here will have to be a good iron player and possess brilliant chipping skills.
Michael Wolf:
I've played Wailua several times and always enjoyed it's local feel - would be curious how Kahuku compares for those who have played both?
Michael
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