Two guys walking golf courses is an idea born on a golf course as a joke, but after some kicking around we realized it was a good idea. Where can you go to get a decent review of a Municipal or public golf course that does not require an enrollment or membership? There are plenty of places that you can go that will review in detail a high end big money resort or championship venue, but what about the local golf course? You know, the ones that “we” play? The ones that guys who own a Chevy Cruz or a Toyota Tacoma get to play, not the ones that the guys who own their own Gulfstream IV.
Brief aside. When I was in my mid-twenties I spent some time in the Hawaiian Islands. A buddy and I were scheduled to play a very prestigious course that had only been open a year or two. It was a trademark course of Jack Nicholas design, that required tee time reservations six months out. We knew we were going to be spending some money, but when we got to the Pro shop the reality set in.
Effectively two rounds of golf, with cart, was going to cost just over five figures. Plus warm-up balls, plus drinks, plus tip… all for 18 holes of golf. We had played another course on another island, and while pricey, it was not insane. This was nuts. I looked at my buddy, he looked at me, almost at the same time we said “Nope, not gonna happen”.
We decided to head back to the hotel and pass on the golf. On the drive back we saw a little green sign that said Golf with an arrow pointing down a side road. We figured it wasn’t going to cost a grand, so we followed the sign. What we found was a little bit of heaven.
It was a nine-hole course, right on the ocean side. The parking lot was deserted and the pro shop had a sign on the front door that said “gone fishing, green fees in drop box”. The hand-painted green fees sign on the outside listed fees for Jrs, seniors, and tourists (locals were cheaper), but basically it was like a buck a hole. While there was not any ride-on carts, there were half a dozen pull carts lined up on the side of the shack, so we snagged two and headed out.
The little course had two sets of tee’s, each with front, middle, and back, so effectively you could play the course from almost a hundred different setups. The holes ranged from a straightaway par 4, to an uphill par five and a postage stamp seaside par 3. The first time around we were just giggling about what we had found.
We wound up playing 36 holes that day. When we made the turn the first time the “pro” had opened up and had some sandwiches and soda on ice. When we asked about paying for the second eighteen, he just looked at us and said “You paid once, that’s good. Aloha.”
We wound up changing our plans for the rest of the trip and passed on the “signature” courses on the other islands. We found some munis and some established courses open to the public. We played a lot of golf on that trip and I learned that there is always a hidden gem somewhere. In a way, the idea for this site was germinated way back then….
