Considered the oldest golf course located anywhere in Hawaii, Moanalua Golf Club can trace its roots all the way back to 1898. At its conception, Moanalua Golf Club consisted of an 18-hole course designed by Donald Macintyre on land owned by Samuel Mills Damon, the son of a prominent family of American missionaries who became a successful local businessman and politician after the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown. Within the very next decade the layout of the club was altered and the course was reduced to nine holes; it has maintained this design up until the present day.
Moanalua Golf Club Highlights
Moanalua Golf Club is a par-36, nine-hole course spanning 2,972 yards from its longest tees. To accommodate golfers of different skill levels it has two sets of tees, and its greens and fairways are Bermuda grass. The club is semi-private, but guests are welcome. Despite its compact size, Moanalua Golf Club can be a challenging course—it’s especially known for its slopes and water features. Moanalua Golf Club is run by a trained staff featuring an official member of the Professional Golf Association as the current director of operations.
Practice Area and Rentals: Moanalua Golf Club has a small practice area where you can familiarize yourself with any equipment you’ve just rented from the friendly staff at the course clubhouse. The cost of renting a golf cart here is included in your green fees.
Natural Scenery: Moanalua Golf Club occupies a beautiful parcel of the distinctive Oahu landscape. Built into the slopes of the Moanalua Valley, the course makes use of the natural terrain to present golfers a series of challenges that include water features and an out-of-bounds area on each hole.
Restaurant: The clubhouse café at Moanalua Golf Club is quite well-regarded—so much so, in fact, that many locals enjoy coming here on occasion just for a meal. It’s a pleasant spot to grab a burger or have a beer before or after your round.
Things to Know about the Moanalua Golf Club
*Keep in mind that even though Moanalua Golf Club is a nine-hole course, many golfers enjoy playing the course two times in a row, so as to create their own full, 18-hole round. This is something to consider as you go about planning your upcoming outing at Moanalua Golf Club.
*Because the course at Moanalua Golf Club is so compact in terms of size (again, just under 3,000 yards total from its back tees) at the same time it has out-of-bounds penalties looming on each hole, you’ll want to come prepared to hit your drives straight and place your irons precisely. Otherwise, you might be in for a long round!
*To that end, many golfers report that Moanalua Golf Club is typically subject to some fearsome trade winds that usually tend to wreak havoc. It’s nothing to worry about too much in advance, of course, but something to remember as you game plan.
*Unlike some local courses, metal spikes are allowed at Moanalua Golf Club. In terms of a dress code, suitable golf attire is expected of all guests and visitors.
Things to Do Near the Moanalua Golf Club
Moanalua Golf Club is located at the northwest edge of Honolulu’s city limits, not far from the various attractions of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and the Battleship Missouri Memorial. Depending on traffic conditions, downtown Honolulu is only a 10-minute-drive away; in particular, the popular Bishop Museum is only five minutes down the road. The Moanalua Valley Trail trailhead begins nearby. The many charms of Kapolei are approximately 20 minutes east of here as well.
