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Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Golfing in Paradise | September/October 2001

Golfing in Paradise
By Marcus Ocean

Ko 'Olina Golf Club

Ko 'Olina Golf Club, located on the west side of O'ahu, is a resort course known for its double-tiered greens and the stiff trade winds that challenge a player's shotmaking

Ten good reasons to play West O'ahu's Ko 'Olina Golf Club: 1) Its Ted Robinson-designed layout (1990). 2) The 16 water features on eight holes. 3) The fact that it has hosted both the LPGA and Senior PGA tours. 4) Its wide, gently rolling, resort-course fairways. 5) The double-tiered, moderately fast Bermuda greens. 6) Not one, not two, but three signature holes (the 18th is the favorite). 7) An award-winning golf pro shop. 8) The high degree of service from all employees. 9) A grass driving range. 10) Its spot on Golf Digest's list of America's 75 Best Resort Courses.

Another reason, which has nothing to do with playing, is that Ko 'Olina, in my opinion, has the second best logo design ever produced for a golf course-a lady bug, with a tee parting the two halves of the bug. (By the way, the best logo, the Kapalua butterfly, was designed by the same person.)

Before my friend and I hit the links, Jim Richerson, PGA golf professional and Ko 'Olina's general manager, gave us a tour of the recently renovated clubhouse and pro shop, and told us all about the course. He pointed out that although Ko 'Olina is a resort course, 30 percent to 40 percent of the play here is by residents."Because of our tee-box layout and course design," he said, "we're very conducive for couples and family play."

After a few minutes on the expansive putting green, which truly reflects the double-tiered action of the on-course greens, we were off to tackle the 6,867-yard, par-72 challenge.

The one thing you can count on whenever you play Ko 'Olina is the wind being a factor on every hole. The winds can range from 10 to 30 mph.

The first two holes show just how intrusive the wind can be on your shot-making. The first hole is a relatively short par 5, only 518 yards long, but you are hitting into trade winds blowing east to west. This pushes almost every shot toward a very long bunker running down the right side of the fairway, or beyond, to the out-of-bounds markers. Go far left and you're also out-of-bounds. However, you can play short and straight and be rewarded with a par opportunity.

Considered to be the most difficult hole on the course, the par-4 No. 2 is long, narrow, requiring you to hit into the stiffest wind you will see all day, uphill, water right, OB left, with a two-tiered green protected by three ball-grabbing pot bunkers. Accurate club selection and cool thinking is the only way you can get through this hole with little pain on your score card.

From the third hole on, until you reach the picturesque but daunting eighth hole, you pretty much can see what dangers exist. There are two wind-aided holes, the par-3 fourth and the par-5 fifth, where patience is rewarded with par or better.
As you work your way around the front side, take note of the surrounding shoreline property. The beachfront hotel you see is the 'Ihilani Resort, an AAA Five-Diamond hotel and spa. The 43-acre marina, recently opened, is already filled with some spectacular-looking craft.

It's difficult to suggest which club to choose on the 195-yard, par-3 eighth hole, as I've seen everything from a wood to a middle iron being used. You won't know until you see what the wind direction is for the day. It can go either way here.

There is a large pond running down the left side that leads to a beautiful waterfall left and under the green. The large bunker protecting the right side of the green does get quite a lot of action, as players try to avoid the water. And even if you find the green off the tee, your work has just begun. The green is the slickest on the front side and is heavily sloped with two tiers.

The back nine tends to play a little easier than the front. Proper club selection on the par 4s is essential. The first two par 4s can be easily reached in regulation, even using a 3-wood off the tee. Placement is more important than distance.
There is a stunning waterfall that you pass under on the way to the par-3 12th hole. The water is merely for visual effect and doesn't come into play for the hole. Take note of the bunker fronting this green. Don't go there. Long is better than short on this hole, so don't under-club yourself or you can count on more strokes than you want.

The next two holes are back-to-back par 5s. On No. 13, an errant slice off the tee will find either water or a bunker. On both holes, an errant hook will find the highway running down the left side. When former President Bill Clinton played Ko 'Olina, traffic on the highway was stopped in both directions while he played this pair of holes. I'm not sure if the traffic was stopped to protect the president or to protect the cars from the nasty hook shot that the president was known to hit on occasion.

When you reach the tee box at the finishing hole you are greeted with a spectacular view. You see the pond ahead with a fairway waterfall on the right side. You see the water further ahead underneath the green, with another waterfall area to the left of the green. But don't panic. This hole is a challenge to your thought process. Although daunting to the eyes, you should enjoy it.

The wind tends to be at your back, so distance off the tee isn't the problem here. But you must be down the left side or all is lost for a par. Your second shot is over the water hazard, and with little bailout area available you must be accurate. If you have to choose between being long or short, opt for being short right. Long will take you into one of the two bunkers that are nearly impossible to hit out of and hold the green. Short will give you a chance to chip close to the hole. This hole is a pleasure to play. Even a bogey makes you feel like you've done a good job.

One final tip for playing Ko 'Olina: Don't mess with the black swans that surround the pond on holes 10, 13 and 18. These black beauties don't like golfers to approach them. I don't know which is tougher to deal with, the swans or the wind. In either event, caution is the better part of valor.

Ko 'Olina Golf Club delivers on the reasons people play golf-to have fun amid beautiful surroundings and to be challenged mentally and physically. Residents and visitors alike should put Ko 'Olina on their "must play" list.

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