Ro's Recz

Turtle Bay is one of the most highly regarded golf courses on Oahu, as it was ranked in Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public Golf Courses list. I played there for the first time recently (I played the Palmer Course, as the Fazio was closed) and it definitely was a well-maintained course.

One of the things that surprised me about Turtle Bay is how short the course was, as playing from the men’s tees (although not the furthest back ones), most of the Par 4’s were only about 320-350 yards. I thought that it would be a much longer course, but I guess it is more about the layout than the length.

One of the reasons I enjoyed trying Turtle Bay out was because of the Golf Board’s, which is a new way to get around the golf course. It was an extra fee to rent the golf boards, but I think it is something worth trying out once. The Golf Board’s were a lot harder to maneuver than I thought they would be though, as they are more like a skateboard than a scooter (it is a bit of a workout to make turns).

Overall, Turtle Bay is one of the best maintained courses on Oahu; while I personally still prefer Ko Olina and Kapolei above Turtle Bay, I can see why some people would think otherwise. However, the one thing to know about Turtle Bay is that it is extremely far for almost any place you might be staying (unless you are staying on the North Shore). It took me about an hour and a half with no traffic to get to the course, so it is not a course I would go to on a regular basis. However, if you are a visitor or don’t mind driving out to the North Shore to play golf, it is worth giving Turtle Bay a shot!

Turtle Bay Recommendation Rating (First Timers): 3

Turtle Bay Recommendation Rating (Repeat Golfers): 2

This post has now been updated to reflect a new ratings system that I have implemented, which is scored as follows:

1: Something worth checking out if you have time

2: Something that is a hit for some people, but not a must for everyone

3: Something worth prioritizing if interested

4: Something worth making time to check out

5: An absolute home run, worth going out of your way for