Ko'olau Golf Club

Probably one of the worst condition golf courses on my vacation. The tee boxes and the fairways where like the ruff. The golf cart was dieing and we bearlly made it to the club house. Overall the course is not worth the money!

Ko'olau is a course with tremendous potential, and it is easy to imagine that it may have once been worthy of its lofty ranking. But it seemed to be a very tired golf course that does not appear to have been maintained nearly as well as it deserves in a long time. In fairness, there has been enough rain in the first part of 2014 that many areas of the golf course are too wet & soft for even basic maintenance equipment (e.g., most of the rough has not been mowed in some time, and even some fairway areas; some bunkers are mud or worse, and unplayable, etc.). But clearly the inadequate maintenance is a longer-term deficiency than just a rainy month or two. If it were ever returned to the condition that the design/layout & setting deserve, it would be a must-play that i would highly recommend - and eagerly return to.

Great course. I always like playing difficult courses I seem to play much better but this one was the exception. They had 3 1/2 inches of rain in the previous week. The course conditions were pretty poor. This course does not drain well. So what you end up with is fairways that are playable but anything other than that your ball is lost due to the height of the grass. They had not mowed for two weeks. The only real way to play this course is with GPS and flyover graphics .Remember you're playing in the jungle. Incredibly beautiful golf course with views at every turn. Longish forced shots over canyons ,slow greens. Bring plenty of balls, you'll need them. Would I play this course again? Absolutely. They usually charge $155 per green fee but I found it on GolfNow for $65. To me this is what this course is worth for the conditions we were playing. When on the Islands check out this course it's a beautiful drive just to the course itself. We didn't find the pro shop staff very friendly but the starter ,greens keepers were great . Remember golf is about having a good time with good friends and enjoying yourself.

I'm a 20, Hubby is a 2. We have played courses literally all over the world and have never encountered a more unsatisfactory course (especially given the price). Saying that the course is muddy, just doesn't fully explain the condition.There was not a single place on the course that was dry. The water was over my shoes on the Tee box, and deeper on what I assume was the fairway. I slid down a bank and fell in the mud twice. The course is Very hilly, and most were unmanageable- they were so slick. Every shot you hit splashed mud all over you. At one point I had to use the toilet to get the mud off my wedge. The bunkers were all filled with water...I should have just waited to get the mud off in one of those. The course is very hilly (well, so is my home course) but the mud slicks make is nearly impossible to manage. Forget trying to use any lower body in a shot...your lower body is too busy trying to keep you from sliding down into the mud! Your shoes make an awful sucking sound as you make your way to your ball. And that is if you can find it. The rough is unkept-simply cannot get equipment to it. We looked like we were in a war by the time we finished...oh yes, we did finish. I had to literally hose us down where they clean golf carts before we left. Not a problem, but my new bright yellow golf bag- ruined!
One of the Marshals said that they (meaning locals) don't even try to play it until April. Save your money until perhaps summer. Whoever said that they cannot wait to try this course again, must own it.

I'd played Koolau four times previously, but never when the ground was so soggy as yesterday. It made for a lot of plugged balls, and they hadn't mowed the rough recently, so lots of searches for hidden balls. We lost balls, or had a lot of trouble finding balls that normally would have been visible. And hitting out of the rough meant an extra club every time. Can't beat the scenery though. I'll be back when it dries up.

This course is extremely challenging on many levels. It's slope is in the upper 140's due to many blind shots, narrow fairways, lack of yardage markers, and a wet back nine. The front nine are a much easier play than the back which are very wet due to their location next to the mountains. Expect to lose a few balls here (equal to half your handicap) that includes the ones that plug in the center if the fairway! This is the first time I played Ko'olau and I have been humbled - I can't wait to play this course (now that I know it) and extract my revenge!

Played the course just recently.
It was in such poor condition in fact u couldn't even find the tiger tees as grass had grown over them.
Bunkers were all un playable and we were not told this prior to tee off.

I would never go back as all my mates in New Zealand who ad played it 2 years ago told me I must play it.

Condition was shocking

I did my homework before booking a round at Ko'Olau. I read reviews and spoke to some locals that I was paired with a few days earlier at another course. I heard that it was visually "awesome" but tended to be wet, and that the course was very difficult with a slope rating among the highest in the USA. Being a low handicap, I looked forward to the challenge and figured I could tolerate a little wetness. I booked at $80 each for a twosome - not bad.

We were greeted by exceptionally friendly gentlemen both in the pro shop and on the first tee, and teed off at our leisure. The course was seemingly empty for our 11am tee time! My dad and I whizzed around the first four holes in no time. First impressions pretty much matched expectations. The course is visually stunning, with lush jungle-like vegetation and spectacular mountain views on just about every hole. Several tee shots have mountains as a backdrop and there is nice rolling terrain, mounding, and bunkering. There is little room for error with any shot, with hazards lining most every fairway. But at least the softness helped contain shots a little bit.

It was immediately obvious that the biggest negative was course conditioning. It was indeed wet and most shots picked up mud. While the greens and front tees are shaggy but playable, the fairways and rough are essentially sparse weeds and crab grass. The back tee decks appear to have been mostly abandoned, having taken on the appearance of weed patches. Additionally, sightlines from the tips were occasionally blocked by overgrown trees, forcing intentional hooks or slices to find the fairways. Finding a decent lie is a challenge on the fairways and around the greens, even with lift clean and place, and the sparseness of the turf makes striking the ball properly very difficult because the ball just rests on the mud below. I've probably played 200 different courses in 30 years of golf and this one stands out as the worst conditioned course I've ever played. Maybe it is the soil or the climate or just a limited operating budget, but if course conditioning is important, you'll definitely want to book elsewhere.

Pace of play was another big negative. We hit a wall on the 5th hole with a group of beginners and never recovered. It took nearly another 5 hours to complete the round. There wasn't a marshal in sight, not that it would have mattered much - this course is simply too penal for all but the straightest of hitters. Fred Funk would lose balls here. Add to that the multiple blind shots and there's no surprise the pace of play is brutal. There is no GPS in the carts (and they have to stay on the paths anyways) and there are no sprinkler heads for yardage. On quite a few holes, (eg. #5, #10, #16) I had no clue where the hazards were, how far it was to a dogleg or layup area, or even where the green was. A handheld GPS is mandatory here, if you have one.

I really have mixed feelings about this course. On one hand, the visual appeal and the sheer challenge makes me want to go back and take another crack at it with a GPS and a bit more of an idea of how to play it. On the other hand though, the absolutely horrendous conditioning and pace of play strips away just a tad too much of the enjoyment for me to want to make another tee time. It's a shame that this place has seemingly been "let go" - it really could be amazing.

What an amazing course! By far, the toughest and nicest course I have ever played, and I've played all over the world (Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba...etc.).
The Callaway rental clubs were average, and it took me a long time to get used to them (should have hit a bucket of balls first). I play with R11s so not at all the same feel. Lost about a dozen balls; if your ball goes off the fairway/rough, don't even bother looking for it!
Staff was super friendly, and I was pretty much alone on the course, which was weird for a Sunday.
The views were awesome, and I wish I could play there again one day, but with my clubs! :)

I want to give Ko'olau the benefit of the doubt because the place has so much potential.
But when it turns into a mud pit - like the day I played it - Ko'olau can be so frustrating to enjoy. I lost several balls either plugged in the fairways or rough. Many players have similar experiences.
Carved from a tropical rain forest in the shadow of majestic mountains, Ko'olau Golf Club remains one of the most difficult golf courses in the world. Its target-golf design, coupled with the constant wet conditions, pummel players into submission.
In 2012, Golf Digest rated Ko'olau No. 25 on its list of "America's 75 toughest golf courses", down from third in 2007. Golf Digest also rated Ko'olau 82nd on its list of "America's Top 100 Public Golf Courses" for 2013-14. That's a bit ambitious, considering how much TLC the course needs to live up to that ranking.
Ko'olau, built for $82 million, opened as a private club in 1992. The First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu bought the 7,310-yard course and sprawling 1,100-square-foot clubhouse in 2006.
American Golf, the course operator, has steadily made it more playable since then, clearing back jungle underbrush and taking out bunkers.
To enjoy the day, come for the scenery, not a score. Ko'olau General Manager Ken Terao recommends players bring as many balls as the number of their handicap. Does losing that many balls sound fun to you? Maybe low handicaps will enjoy Ko'olau, but for the rest of us, it will feel like a slog.
I will end with this thought. When the sun shines and the course dries out, there are few better places to play in the Hawaiian islands. This alone might make Ko'olau worth the gamble.

Beautiful course but difficult to play for the first time. Narrow fairways and long approach shots. Shotmaker's course. Encourage people to bring a GPS system. Wish they had nicer rental clubs for a course of this caliber.

i really appreciate this course. the views, the layout, the challenges. but. they really have to do something about the rough. I lost at least three balls in the rough. the course tends to be a little muddy and when it gets in the deep grass its 50/50 if you find it. frustrating.

Beautiful-It rained the night before so the course was quite wet but the experience was priceless-I will play this course again!

My normal Koolau experience is walking the front nine at twilight, exhausted by the end. I thought I'd treat myself to finally ride 18 on this hilly, challenging beast, and did - the day after a huge rain. Cart-path only, it ended up to be a mud-bog, sauna-humid, drizzly-grey day which nullified the natural majesty that is Koolau. Add to that that this is the toughest test your game will get on any of these islands, and, well, I should've picked another day.
Having said that, Koolau is a natural beauty that defines "target golf". Not only do you need to hit where you're aiming, but you'll need to be able to carry over it's many and substantial ravines. Think Jurassic Park, complete with families of wild pigs (see picture), mongoose and wild chickens. This is not a course for sissies. Bring lots of balls, and leave your ego at home. It's an adventure.

Greens had just been punched, but the most beautiful and challenging course I've ever played. Because of punched greens, the course was empty, so I played a replay. Bring lots of balls.

I have known about this course since it opened back in the early 90's. I have always been attracted to it due to the difficulty. I finally got to play it on 11/7/13.

This course is built out of a rain forest. As such, you have to expect all sort of weather conditions. Despite having gotten over 1/2" of rain while we were there, the course still played adequately. Other courses would have closed. Water got absorbed quickly and the greens maintained their speed. There was little roll in the fairways, but that is expected.

This course is definitely in the top 5 most difficult courses I have ever played. I can only imagine it before they took out bunkers and other trouble. We got to see wildlife (boars, mongoose, all kinds of birds). My only regret is that I would have liked to play it when it wasn't so wet. Otherwise, I highly recommend this course. It is unlike anything I have ever played.

Course was very wet, cart path only they said due to heavy rain the night before, but looking at the location and course conditions, doubt there is ever a real dry course condition. Some good holes, some poorly designed holes-no driver on a par 5-have to hit an opening lay up with a 3 iron? Greens had been aerated a week or so ago and basically were automatic 2 putts because of poor condition. I would play again but it would have to be drier and allow carts on path. You need to play more than once to learn where to hit on some holes. We played the blue tees, not black or gold, probably could have played gold. Price like a lot of Hawaii courses take advantage of visitors!! Additionally, the fees should be adjusted for green aeration, did get that discount a Turtle Bay Fazio course!!!

The views are always breathtaking and so peaceful. Take time for the views and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Whatever your handicap is, bring at least that number of balls. Sometimes when hitting ball into fairway, you lose the ball due to being plugged in the mud and muck b/c some of the fairways were sloppier than usual. Played from the tips which takes a lot of the trouble out of play. Greens were very slow and bumpy. Recent aeration was not listed or mentioned by any of the staff. With all the rain the place gets, one would think the greens would be in better shape.

Overall, this is a very scenic and challenging course, and a lot of fun to play. The greens had been recently aerated which they had indicated when I booked the reservation, so no surprise there. Some of the greens were partially aerated - it would have been nice if they had put the hole location on the non-aerated parts of the greens.

When playing for the first time, definitely get a course map. There are lots of lay-up shots needed on holes where the fairway ends and you must carry a vegetation area. This wasn't obvious from the tee or even the fairway a couple times, so I hit a couple shots that I thought were perfect that ended up in the rough because the fairway had ended.

Lots of challenging shots, great views and the pace of play was fantastic. I had a 3:00 tee time and was able to play a full 18 before carts were due back by 6:00.

The course is scenic and the landscape is beautiful. The golf course conditions is unacceptable - muddy fairways, flooded bunkers, insufficient distance markers. The course green were aerated and we were warned before hand which we accept. It is the rest that makes the experience unpleasant. A pity as the course has great potential.