This is Oahu’s most popular municipal course. Translation: it gets really crowded; some 500 rounds a day are played on this 18-hole course. But it’s the closest course, and within walking distance, to Waikiki’s hotels. It’s something of a challenge to get a tee time at this busy par-70, 6,020-yard course, and the computerized tee reservations system for all of Oahu’s municipal courses will allow you to book only 3 days in advance, but keep trying. Ala Wai has a flat layout bordered by the Ala Wai Canal on one side and the Mānoa-Pālolo Stream on the other. It’s less windy than most Oahu courses, but pay attention to the 372-yard, par-4 1st hole, which demands a straight and long shot to the very tiny green. If you miss, you can make it up on the 478-yard, par-5 10th hole—the green is reachable in two, so with a two-putt, a birdie is within reach.