Turtle Bay Resort - Arnold Palmer Course

Clubhouse is like an old municipal, could use a refresh in a big way. Food and service are very good, though. Range is beat up and doesn't represent the quality of the golf course. VERY long drive to first tee. First 2 holes are bland but the strength of the course builds with every hole after that. By the 4th hole you can see that this is an outstanding design and the back nine is fantastic. Fairways were absolutely perfect carpet. Same with most tee boxes. Unfortunately, greens were very bumpy and beat up. Hopefully they will get that squared away and this will be a tremendous experience. The final 3 holes are spectacular. Standing on the 17th green is special. Great challenge from the 6,800 yd tees for this 8 hdcp.

Beautiful but brutal golf course, long off the tees into a ferocious tradewind blowing from the Northeast. Your concentration is challenged by impossibly long holes and gorgeous oceanscapes. Good humbling experience.

The last time I played the Palmer course at Turtle Bay nearly two years ago, I got pummeled with rain and couldn't finish the round. My latest round was bathed in sunshine and the beauty of Oahu's north shore. The okay front nine eventually gives away to a fun and challenging back nine. Our foursome was test-driving a new 'Golf Skate Caddy', a cool cross between a motorized golf cart and skate board that made the day even more interesting. Golfers who drove the one-man machine gave mixed reviews. I enjoyed it and thought it was easy to use and a perfect way to add a little spice to the golf experience at Turtle Bay. Back to the course, the Palmer can be tamed if there's no wind. When the breeze kicks up, balls tend to find the bunkers and water that frame the target lines. It's as good as resort golf gets on Oahu.

Turtle Bay's Arnold Palmer course hasn't hosted the PGA Tour like Kapalua's Plantation course on Maui, but it is one of the most celebrated tournament courses in the Hawaiian islands. It has hosted:
• The inaugural Champions Tour Skins Game (1988#
• The Champions Tour’s Turtle Bay Championship #2001-2008#
• The LPGA Tour’s SBS Open at Turtle Bay #2005-2009#
• The Turtle Bay Resort Hawaii State Open #2009-2011)
• The Golf Channel’s “Big Break”
Water takes center stage on the Palmer. Too bad that doesn't include the ocean often enough.The layout flirts with the fabled North Shore, but never ends up kissing it intimately. The excellent 17th hole, a sand-splashed par-4, ends at an elevated green overlooking the water. The green of the par-5 18th hole provides a glimpse of crashing waves between the trees. It's a good finish to a solid test of golf.

I can't believe I almost missed out on playing this course because I didn't have a way to get there! Luckily I was able to find HiGolfGuide just in time, and they were able to give my wife and I a free ride. It does take a long time to get out there, but on the way you get a nice little tour of the island. We started early and actually played the Fazio Course in the morning and the Palmer Course right after lunch. The Fazio course was nice but the Palmer course was awesome. The greens were flawless and approach shots didn't even make a mark! The fairways were like carpet, but the rough was penalizing. The layout was great too, requiring a wide array of shots. This course fulfilled all of my expectations, and I look forward to playing here again. One of the nicest courses on the island.