Oahu is golf country, with 5 municipal, 9 military, and 20 private courses to choose from. The courses range from 9-hole municipals, perfect for beginners, to championship courses that stump even the pros.
Ko Olina Golf Club (tel. 808/676-5309): Golf Digest named this beautiful 6,867-yard, par-72 course one of "America's Top 75 Resort Courses" when it opened in 1992. The rolling fairways and elevated tees and a few too many water features (always where you don't want them) will definitely improve your game or humble your attitude.
Turtle Bay Resort (tel. 808/293-8574): Of the two courses to choose from here, we recommend the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Course (formerly the Links at Kuilima), designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay. They never meant for golfers to get off too easy -- this is a challenging course. The front 9 holes, with rolling terrain, only a few trees, and lots of wind, play like a course on the British Isles. The back 9 holes have narrower, tree-lined fairways and water. In addition to ocean views, the course circles Punahoolapa Marsh, a protected wetland for endangered Hawaiian waterfowl.
Makaha Resort Golf Club (tel. 808/695-7111 or 808/695-5239): Readers of Honolulu magazine named this challenging course Oahu's best. An hour's drive from the crowds of Honolulu, this William Bell-designed course is in Makaha Valley on the island's leeward side. Incredibly beautiful, sheer, 1,500-foot volcanic walls tower over the course, and swaying palm trees and bright bougainvillea surround it; an occasional peacock even struts across the fairways. "I was distracted by the beauty" is a great excuse for your score at day's end.
Olomana Golf Links (tel. 808/259-7926): This gorgeous course in Waimanalo is on the other side of the island from Waikiki. The low-handicap golfer may not find this course difficult, but the striking views of the craggy Koolau mountain ridges are worth the greens fees alone. The par-72, 6,326-yard course is popular with local residents and visitors. The course starts off a bit hilly on the front 9, but flattens out by the back 9. The back 9 have their own special surprises, including tricky water hazards.
