Golf Hawaii is world renown for its unique collection of picturesque, challenging golf courses. But while they don't get much attention, and probably won't be featured on any sort of Travel Channel feature any time soon, Oahu's municipal golf courses provide an economical yet entertaining experience for local golfers.

With six of these city and county-run courses on O'ahu to choose from - Ala Wai, Ewa Villages, Kahuku, Ted Makalena, Pali, and West Loch - local golfers may enjoy relatively inexpensive alternatives to the well-known private, resort, and public courses. According to Matthew Hall, PGA, the Director of Golf at the prestigious Turtle Bay Resort and President of the Aloha Section PGA, playing the municipal courses can add new facets to a golfer's game.

"Obviously when you play a municipal course, you're giving up some of the better conditions (and amenities) that you would get at other golf courses," he says. "You've got to be a little more creative with some of your shots, and the types of shots you hit are going to be based on the types of lies you have."

Because municipal courses have limited maintenance budgets, the grass is usually firmer than typical well-groomed playing surfaces. This forces golfers to use better ball control because, as Hall says, "you have to learn to create a little more spin (to keep the ball from rolling quickly off the green). It's a great way to improve upon your scoring."

When it comes to price, it's hard to top the rates of municipal courses. For a local resident with a Golf ID card, an 18-hole round costs just $12 on weekdays, and $16 on weekends; the price is cut in half for nine holes of play. For locals with a valid drivers license who do not have a Golf ID (one can be acquired at a municipal course for free), $4 is added to the price of the round. There is also a $16 charge to rent a golf cart, but this is optional.

The deal is even sweeter for juniors (ages 8-17) and seniors (ages 65 and above), as the rate is discounted to $7 on weekdays and $9 on weekends for 18 holes. Juniors and seniors also have the option of purchasing a "punch card" that allows a golfer to play 10 full rounds for just $12 and $32, respectively, in a one month period.

"To me, that's the beauty of golf: you can go out and pay six dollars and play some place, or you can play (somewhere for) a hundred here in this state and still have as much enjoyment depending on what you're looking for," Hall says.

As the popularity of golf is bolstered by the play of superstars like Tiger Woods and local aces including Tadd Fujikawa who are revolutionizing the way the game is played, more fans have been getting off the recliners and hitting the links. The presence of municipal courses only makes it easier for golfers to get out and enjoy the game.

Ala Wai Golf Course is by far Oahu's most recognized municipal course, and was even dubbed the busiest golf course by the "Guinness Book of World Records." Golfers flock to Ala Wai because of its relatively forgiving flat layout, large practice range and centralized location-the course is situated on the mauka bank of the Ala Wai Canal, and customers can enter easily just off Kapahulu Avenue. Tee times are tough to come by at Ala Wai, though, as roughly 500 rounds of golf are played per day.

"Lower-fee golf courses are really going to be the future of the game because that's what is going to attract more people," Hall says. "To make it cost-efficient for somebody to get involved in golf, they might be able to come out and play more, have access to go out and work on their game. For us, as people in the industry, we're more interested in not only attracting more golfers to the game, but retaining them. I don't want the guy that's going to come out and play once, I want the guy that, while he may only play at my facility once, he's going to go play at some other courses as well."

Kahuku Golf Course usually falls short on most lists of O'ahu's most popular courses because it only contains a simple nine-hole, Par 35 layout spanning about 2,700 yards. But, the municipal course on Oahu's north shore is frequented by Hawai'i golf hall of famer Lance Suzuki who likes to use the venue to work on his short game.

"If you're looking for a hidden gem, like an unfound course, (Kahuku) would be it," says Hall, who also considers the location to be one of the best seaside courses in the state. "Somebody that hasn't been out there needs to go and experience that course. That sounds weird coming from a guy that has, arguably, one of the best courses in the state right down the road, but it is one of the prettiest places I've seen. It will be a very memorable course, and would be a great place to take a junior golfer out and try to experience what golf is really about."

For more information on Oahu's municipal golf courses, or to book a tee time, call the automated reservation system at 296-2000, or go to honolulu.gov/des/golf/index1.htm.

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