Golf

Unlike the Neighbor Islands, the majority of Oahu's golf courses are not associated with hotels and resorts. In fact, of the island's three-dozen-plus courses, only five are tied to lodging and none of them are in the tourist hub of Waikiki.

Green Fees: Green fees listed here are the highest course rates per round on weekdays/weekends for U.S. residents. (Some courses charge non-U.S. residents higher prices.) Discounts are often available for resort guests and for those who book tee times on the Web. Twilight fees are usually offered, call individual courses for information.

Waikiki

Ala Wai Municipal Golf Course. Just across the Ala Wai Canal from Waikiki, Ala Wai is said to host more rounds than any other U.S. course. Not that it's a great course, just really convenient, being Honolulu's only public "city course." Although residents can obtain a city golf card that allows automated tee times over the phone, the best bet for a visitor is to show up and expect a minimum hour's wait. The course itself is flat. Robin Nelson did some redesign work in the 1990s, adding mounding, trees, and a lake. The Ala Wai Canal comes into play on several holes on the back nine, including the treacherous 18th.[. 404 Kapahulu Ave., Waikiki, Honolulu. 808/733-7387; 808/739-1900 golf shop. 18 holes. 5861 yds. Par 70. Green Fee: $42. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, pull carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

Honolulu

Moanalua Country Club. Said to be (but not without dispute) the oldest golf club west of the Rockies, this 9-holer is private but allows public play except on weekend and holiday mornings. It's a bit quirky, but the final two holes, a par-3 off a cliff to a smallish tree-rimmed green and a par-4 with an approach to a green set snugly between stream and jungle, are classic.[. 1250 Ala Aolani St. 808/839-2411. 9 holes. 3062 yds. Par 36. Green Fee: $31.50. Facilities: Putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, restaurant, bar

Southeast Oahu

Hawaii Kai Golf Course. The Championship Golf Course (William F. Bell, 1973) winds through a Honolulu suburb at the foot of Koko Crater. Homes (and the liability of a broken window) come into play on many holes, but that is offset by views of the nearby Pacific and a crafty routing of holes. With several lakes, lots of trees, and bunkers in all the wrong places, Hawaii Kai really is a "championship" golf course, especially when the trade winds howl. The Executive Course (1962), a par-55 track, is the first of only three courses in Hawaii built by Robert Trent Jones Sr. Although a few changes have been made to his original design, you can find the usual Jones attributes, including raised greens and lots of risk-reward options.[. 8902 Kalanianaole Hwy., Hawaii Kai. 808/395-2358. www.hawaiikaigolf.com. Championship Course: 18 holes. 6222 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $80/$90. Executive Course: 18 holes. 2223 yds. Par 55. Green Fee: $37/$42. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, pull carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

Windward Oahu

Bayview Golf Links. Robin Nelson created a terrific 18-hole par-60 executive course. Unfortunately, maintenance issues -- no sand in the sand traps, for example -- have diminished what ought to be a great little track. Still, with up-close mountain and ocean views, and Nelson's design, it's a bargain.[. 45-285 Kaneohe Bay Dr., Kaneohe. 808/247-0451. 18 holes. 3269 yds. Par 60. Green Fee: $40. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, pull carts, restaurant, bar

Kahuku Municipal Golf Course. The only true links course in Hawaii, this 9-hole muni is not for everyone. Maintenance is an on-going issue, and in summer it can look a bit like the Serengeti. It's walking-only (a few pull-carts are available for rent); there's no pro shop, just a starter who sells lost-and-found balls; and the 19th hole is a soda machine and a covered picnic bench. And yet…the course stretches out along the blue Pacific where surf crashes on the shore, the turf underfoot is spongy, sea mist drifts across the links, and wildflowers bloom in the rough.[. 56-501 Kamehameha Hwy., Kahuku. 808/293-5842. 9 holes. 2699 yds. Par 35. Green Fee: $42. Facilities: Putting green, pull carts

Koolau Golf Club. Koolau Golf Club is marketed as the toughest golf course in Hawaii and one of the most challenging in the country. Dick Nugent and Jack Tuthill (1992) routed 10 holes over jungle ravines that require at least a 110-yard carry. The par-4 18th may be the most difficult closing hole in golf. The tee shot from the regular tees must carry 200 yards of ravine, 250 from the blue tees. The approach shot is back across the ravine, 200 yards to a well-bunkered green. Set at the windward base of the Koolau Mountains, the course is as much beauty as beast. Kaneohe Bay is visible from most holes, orchids and yellow ginger bloom, the shama thrush (Hawaii's best singer since Don Ho) chirrups, and waterfalls flute down the sheer, green mountains above.[. 45-550 Kionaole Rd., Kaneohe. 808/236-4653. www.koolaugolfclub.com. 18 holes. 7310 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $135. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, golf academy, restaurant, bar

Luana Hills Country Club. In the cool, lush Maunawili Valley, Pete and Perry Dye created what can only be called target jungle golf. In other words, the rough is usually dense jungle, and you may not hit driver on three of the four par-5s, or several par-4s, including the perilous 18th that plays off a cliff to a narrow green protected by a creek. Mt. Olomana's twin peaks tower over Luana Hills. The back nine wanders deep into the valley, and includes an island green (par-3 11th) and perhaps the loveliest inland hole in Hawaii (par-4 12th). [. 770 Auloa Rd., Kailua. 808/262-2139. www.luanahills.com. 18 holes. 6164 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $125. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, restaurant, bar

Olomana Golf Links. Bob and Robert L. Baldock are the architects of record for this layout, but so much has changed since it opened in 1969 that they would recognize little of it. A turf specialist was brought in to improve fairways and greens, tees were rebuilt, new bunkers added, and mangroves cut back to make better use of natural wetlands. But what really puts Olomana on the map is that this is where wunderkind Michelle Wie learned the game.[. 41-1801 Kalanianaole Hwy., Waimanalo. 808/259-7926. www.olomanagolflinks.com. 18 holes. 6326 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $80. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, pull carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

North Shore

Turtle Bay Resort & Spa. When the Lazarus of golf courses, the Fazio Course at Turtle Bay (George Fazio, 1971), rose from the dead in 2002, Turtle Bay on Oahu's rugged North Shore became a premier golf destination. Two holes had been plowed under when the Palmer Course at Turtle Bay (Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, 1992) was built, while the other seven lay fallow, and the front nine remained open. Then new owners came along and re-created holes 13 and 14 using Fazio's original plans, and the Fazio became whole again. It's a terrific track with 90 bunkers. The gem at Turtle Bay, though, is the Palmer Course. The front nine is mostly open as it skirts Punahoolapa Marsh, a nature sanctuary, while the back nine plunges into the wetlands and winds along the coast. The short par-4 17th runs along the rocky shore, with a diabolical string of bunkers cutting diagonally across the fairway from tee to green.[. 57-049 Kuilima Dr., Kahuku. 808/293-8574. www.turtlebayresort.com. Fazio Course: 18 holes. 6535 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $155. Palmer Course: 18 holes. 7199 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $165. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

Kapolei & Central Oahu

Coral Creek Golf Course. On the Ewa Plain, 4 mi inland, Coral Creek is cut from ancient coral -- left from when this area was still under water. Robin Nelson (1999) does some of his best work in making use of the coral, and of some dynamite, blasting out portions to create dramatic lakes and tee and green sites. They could just as easily call it Coral Cliffs, because of the 30- to 40-foot cliffs Nelson created. They include the par-3 10th green's grotto and waterfall, and the vertical drop-off on the right side of the par-4 18th green. An ancient creek meanders across the course, but there's not much water, just enough to be a babbling nuisance.[. 91-1111 Geiger Rd., Ewa Beach. 808/441-4653. www.coralcreekgolfhawaii.com. 18 holes. 6818 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $130. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

Hawaii Country Club. Also known as Kunia, but not to be confused with Royal Kunia a few miles away, this course is in the middle of sugarcane fields and dates to plantation times. Several par-4s are driveable, including the 9th and 18th holes. This is a fun course, but a bit rough around the edges.[. 94-1211 Kunia Rd., Wahiawa. 808/621-5654. www.hawaiicc.com. 18 holes. 5910 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $53/$63. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, rental clubs, pro shop, restaurant, bar

Hawaii Prince Golf Course. Affiliated with the Hawaii Prince Hotel in Waikiki, the Hawaii Prince Golf Course (not to be confused with the Prince Course at Princeville, Kauai) has a links feel to it, and it is popular with local charity fund-raiser golf tournaments. Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay (1991) took what had been flat, featureless sugarcane fields and sculpted 27 challenging, varied holes. Mounding breaks up the landscape, as do 10 lakes. Water comes into play on six holes of the A course, three of B, and seven of C. The most difficult combination is A and C (A and B from the forward tees).[. 91-1200 Fort Weaver Rd., Ewa Beach. 808/944-4567. www.princeresortshawaii.com. A Course: 9 holes. 3138 yds. Par 36. B Course: 9 holes. 3099 yds. Par 36. C Course: 9 holes. 3076 yds. Par 36. Green Fee: $140. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, pull carts, rental clubs, pro shop, golf academy/lessons, restaurant, bar

Kapolei Golf Course. This is a Ted Robinson water wonderland with waterfalls and four lakes -- three so big they have names -- coming into play on 10 holes. Set on rolling terrain, Kapolei is a serious golf course, especially when the wind blows.[. 91-701 Farrington Hwy., Kapolei. 808/674-2227. 18 holes. 7001 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $130/$140. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

Mililani Golf Course. Located on Oahu's central plain, Mililani is usually a few degrees cooler than downtown, 25 minutes away. The eucalyptus trees through which the course plays add to the cool factor and stands of Norfolk pines give Mililani a "mainland course" feel. Bob and Robert L. Baldock (1966) make good use of an old irrigation ditch reminiscent of a Scottish burn.[. 95-176 Kuahelani Ave., Mililani. 808/623-2222. www.mililanigolf.com. 18 holes. 6455 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $95. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

New Ewa Beach Golf Club. A private course open to the public, New Ewa is one of the delightful products of the too brief collaboration of Robin Nelson and Rodney Wright (1992). Trees are very much part of the character here, but there are also elements of links golf, such as a double green shared by the 2nd and 16th holes.[. 91-050 Fort Weaver Rd., Ewa Beach. 808/689-8351. 18 holes. 6124 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $65. Facilities: Putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, restaurant

Pearl Harbor Country Club. Carved in the hillside high above Pearl Harbor, the 18 holes here are really two courses. The front nine rambles out along gently sloping terrain, while the back nine zig-zags up and down a steeper portion of the slope as it rises into the Koolau Mountains. The views of Pearl Harbor are breathtaking. [. 98-535 Kaonohi St., Aiea. 808/487-3802. www.pearlcc.com. 18 holes. 6230 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $100/$110. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

Royal Kunia Country Club. At one time the PGA Tour considered buying Royal Kunia Country Club and hosting the Sony Open there. It's that good. Every hole offers fabulous views from Diamond Head to Pearl Harbor to the nearby Waianae Mountains. Robin Nelson's eye for natural sight lines and dexterity with water features adds to the visual pleasure.[. 94-1509 Anonui St., Waipahu. 808/688-9222. www.royalkuniacc.com. 18 holes. 7007 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $110/$120. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, restaurant

Waikele Golf Course. Outlet stores are not the only bargain at Waikele. The adjacent golf course is a daily fee course that offers a private clublike atmosphere and a terrific Ted Robinson (1992) layout. The target off the tee is Diamond Head, with Pearl Harbor to the right. Robinson's water features are less distinctive here, but define the short par-4 4th hole, with a lake running down the left side of the fairway and guarding the green; and the par-3 17th, which plays across a lake. The par-4 18th is a terrific closing hole, with a lake lurking on the right side of the green. At this writing, the course was closed for renovations but scheduled to be open by early 2007.[. 94-200 Paioa Pl., Waipahu. 808/676-9000. www.golfwaikele.com. 18 holes. 6261 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $125. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

West Loch Municipal Golf Course. The best of Honolulu's municipal courses, this Robin Nelson (1991) design plays along Pearl Harbor's West Loch. In the process of building the course wetlands were actually expanded, increasing bird habitat.[. 91-1126 Okupe St., Ewa Beach. 808/675-6076. 18 holes. 6335 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $42. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, restaurant.

West Oahu

KoOlina Golf Club. Hawaii's golden age of golf-course architecture came to Oahu when KoOlina Golf Club opened in 1989. Ted Robinson, king of the water features, went splash-happy here, creating nine lakes that come into play on eight holes, including the par-3 12th, where you reach the tee by driving behind a Disney-like waterfall. Tactically, though, the most dramatic is the par-4 18th, where the approach is a minimum 120 yards across a lake to a two-tiered green guarded on the left by a cascading waterfall. Today, KoOlina, affiliated with the adjacent Ihilani Resort and Spa (guests receive discounted rates), has matured into one of Hawaii's top courses. You can niggle about routing issues -- the first three holes play into the trade winds (and the morning sun), and two consecutive par-5s on the back nine play into the trades -- but Robinson does enough solid design to make those of passing concern.[. 92-1220 Aliinui Dr., Kapolei. 808/676-5300. www.koolinagolf.com. 18 holes. 6867 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $160. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, golf academy, restaurant, bar

Makaha Resort Golf Club. Known locally as Makaha West, this William F. Bell classic design (1969) remains one of the island's true gems, and a serious golf course where subtle elevation changes, if not duly noted, can significantly affect scores. The back nine plays up into Makaha Valley. Roving peacocks make Makaha West one of the island's most colorful layouts.[. 84-626 Makaha Valley Rd., Waianae. 808/695-7519. www.makaharesort.com. 18 holes. 7077 yds. Par 72. Green Fee: $110. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, lessons, restaurant, bar

Makaha Valley Country Club. This course (William F. Bell, 1968), known locally as Makaha East, is indeed a valley course, taking great advantage of the steep valley walls and natural terrain. It's shorter than the nearby West course, but offers plenty of challenge from the back tees. The double-dogleg, downhill-uphill, par-5 18th is a doozy of a closer.[. 84-627 Makaha Valley Rd., Waianae. 808/695-9578. www.makahavalleycc.com. 18 holes. 6091 yds. Par 71. Green Fee: $55. Facilities: Driving range, putting green, golf carts, rental clubs, pro shop, restaurant, bar

Municipal Golf Courses

We don't have room to mention every muni on Oahu, so here are three more you may want to consider. Your best bet for a tee time is to call the day-of and inquire about walk-on availability. Green fees are standard at city courses, $42 walking rate, riding cart $8 per person, pull carts $4.

Ewa Villages Golf Course Municipal.[. 91-1760 Park Row St., Ewa Beach. 808/681-0220. 18 holes. 6455yds. Par 73

Pali Golf Course Municipal.[. 45-050 Kamehameha Hwy., Kaneohe. 808/266-7612. 18 holes. 6524 yds. Par 72

Ted Makalena Golf Course Municipal.[. 93-059 Waipio Pt. Access Rd., Waipahu. 808/675-6052. 18 holes. 5946 yds. Par 71