Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Golfing in Paradise | July/August 2002

Golfing in Paradise
By Marcus Ocean

Kapolei Golf Course

Kapolei in West O'ahu challenges you with five lakes that come into play on 12 holes and greens that are all elevated-but it's a delight to play

Renowned golf architect Ted Robinson took 185 acres of relatively flat former sugar cane land in West O'ahu and created heavily undulating fairways, elevated greens and five strategically placed lakes, producing the outstanding golf links at Kapolei Golf Course.

The course, centrally located in Kapolei (O'ahu's "Second City"), opened in 1995 and one year later hosted the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour. It has also hosted the satellite pro-am tournament for the Sony Open in Hawai'i.

This outstanding par-72 championship layout is beautifully landscaped with floral gardens, thousands of coconut palms and, of course, the five lakes that come into play on 12 holes.

Ken Terao, Kapolei golf operations manager, explained that the course landscaping is one of the star features of the 7,001-yard layout. "We have more than 30 employees maintaining the golf course every day," he pointed out. "We change the flowers once a month. We even verticut the turf every two weeks-most courses do it only once a month. But the employees here take a great deal of pride in the course maintenance."

From a golfer's perspective, the most outstanding characteristics of Kapolei are the undulating and well-manicured Paspalum greens. Every one of those greens is elevated, with the elevation subtle in some cases and severe in others.

Also keep in mind that this is truly a driver's golf course. Drive well or smart and you'll reap the reward of good scores. It starts on the first tee, a 562-yard par 5, with a lake down the left side. A tee shot to the right center of the fairway will give you a wide fairway look for the second shot and a real chance at birdie.

The second hole, the No. 1 handicap hole, will challenge your mind. Well-placed bunkers protect the landing area. The second shot here is key, as the green is largest on the front side and is severely sloped back to the fairway.

Holes 3 and 4 are to be played the same as No. 2. Water comes back into play on the beautiful par-3 fifth hole. Swirling winds here make club selection crucial. Longer is better than short on this 188-yard over-the-water hole.

Another birdie opportunity presents itself on the straight but tough par-5 seventh hole. A long tee shot means you can go for the green in two. Bunkers protect two sides of the green, but the front is open and allows a run-up shot.

The long par-3 No.8 looks straightforward, but the wind plays a big role. Anything short or errant left means a tough recovery. The best advice is to not go pin-searching, but to find the club that will reach the center of the green.

Kapolei's spectacular finishing hole for the front nine could be a signature hole on just about any course in Hawai'i. From the tee box you can see the expansive lake down the left side that runs right up to the elevated green, which features a terraced waterfall protecting the green's left side. On the right side of the fairway are two bunkers waiting to grab any shot steered away from the water. A second shot hit over the green is about as bad as hitting the water, because the vegetation will smother your ball.

An unusual feature of the 10th hole is the location of the tee box-on an island. The lake continues down the right side, forcing a tee shot toward a huge left-side bunker.

As looks go, the par-4 11th hole is a beauty, a slight dogleg right with water guarding the right side and a grove of tall palms blocking your view to the fairway. Finding the fairway here is extremely important. The lake runs right up to greenside. You have to play down the left side all the way to the small green.

The toughness of the Kapolei layout begins on the 13th hole and runs through the par-3 16th. There is a lake on every hole. Every shot is against the prevailing winds, and every green is well elevated and well protected by bunkers.

You get to breathe a little easier when you see the 17th, a 526-yard par 5. It is a straightaway tee shot that should land up in the left center landing area. Long hitters may have a chance to reach this unprotected green in two. Even a short second shot will leave an easy approach with a good chance for a birdie.

The 18th, a 415-yard par 4, is Kapolei's signature hole. It's a true delight for the eyes. From the forward white and black tees, the lake under the green is reachable, so a fairway metal to the right center of the fairway would be a good club choice. The strength of this hole isn't its length, but rather an intimidating second shot that is uphill, over the lake, to a double-tiered green also protected by water on the left side. The view alone can make your last fairway shot of the day a little scary.

It is easy to see why the Kapolei Golf Course has been called Ted Robinson's finest creation. It is a beauty to look at and provides a challenging and enjoyable round of golf for both men and women at every skill level.

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