Caotic at Hawaii Kai and Kalopie but not Calamatious

Scenic beautiful Kalopie, a great garden course

Hawaii Kai, potentially special.

My last two rounds in this Garden Paradise were to look at two different types of golfing experience in Oahu, totally different in every way from Koolau. I intended to play a municipal and tried on several days to play the Ali Wai opposite our hotel. This is the busiest muni in the world and it showed from 7 am there always was a 2 hour wait and that was with 6 to a tee time. So naturally I gave it a miss. However despite the mass numbers, on walking around the course, I found the course in fine condition, very flat but without any redeeming scenic changes it was simply what it promises to be, a good cheap (less than 30 bucks ) golfing experience. Most locals walk around rather than buggy and this I am reliably told makes it a 6 hour round at times. So I looked farther afield and came across the wonderfully titled Aloha Golf who arrange golf trips for you, principally to Luana Hills and Hawaii Kai Public Courses. Lets start with the positives for a fixed fee of $125 you are collected and taken to the course, you are paired up with like minded golfers, on this occasion I played with Ed from Perth, Billy and Hugh again from Canada, a proper Commonwealth connection. And Tee Times are arranged. This side went really well but you are then dependent on the course and the organisation at Kai and later Kapolie were frankly abysmal. At both, they simply had let too many players on the course, non existent marshalling, slow play, jumpers starting at different holes combined to make a really enjoyable experience hardwork. Hawaii Kai could with the right money spent on relatively simply things, hole markers on tee boxes, adequate yardage markers, little bit of tidying up, be a very good set up, there are some exceptional holes well designed to take into account the prevailing winds of the ocean. Unfortunately after a decent first 9 my game imploded and I developed a snap hook which decimated he scorecard. Thankfully the company was great And Chief Billy Straight arrow a native Indian from Alberta who hit the ball straighter than anyone I have ever played with.

Hugh, The SG, Edward and Billy Straight arrow

Kapolie was simply beautiful, pristine, immaculate and with the great company Terry and Derwin too locals from Honolulu, should have been unforgettable. Unfortunately a delay of an hour to our scheduled tee time, a ludicrously split tee starts created chaos. The course did pull back this disappointment somewhat however.

Hawaai 2 0 , Terry and Derwin great guys, THANKS

Once again full pics on Facebook