Royal Kunia Country Club

I am very close to sending in an official request to the judiciary to keep my furlough days.  I don't know what I was thinking when I first got here when I wished we did not have them.  Sure, the extra couple thousand bucks per year might be nice, but you can't put a price on freedom.  Two Fridays a month I don't have to work.  It's also not like BigLaw where the work is never ending.  When you work for the State Government, work stays at work.  No cloud hanging over your head all weekend.

Anyway, this past furlough week I played golf with my dad and co-worker.  In one sense it was an unfortunate afternoon.  We originally had plans to play Ko'olau Golf Course, which was rated by Golf Digest a couple years ago as the hardest course in the country.  It was also rated as one of the prettiest in the country.  So we had a tee time all set up, but when we pulled up to the club house, the skies opened up and dropped a monsoon on our heads.  There was just a giant black cloud hanging over the course and it was clear that the rain was not stopping anytime soon.  It was pouring!  The sad thing is that when we left my apartment, it was a bright sunny day.  Unfortunately, Ko'olau is up in the mountains and rain clouds usually get caught up in them.  This means it can be gorgeous in downtown Honolulu and pouring up in the mountains.

Hole 18 - Royal Kunia

So my co-worker suggested the Royal Kunia Country Club.  It's out in Ewa in West Oahu and he thought it would be a little dryer since it was on the other side of the mountains.  Not so much.  We got there and it had stopped raining until right when we were in the middle of the first fairway.  It was pretty much the most unlucky situation ever.  So we played the first 4-5 holes in pouring rain.  By the 5th hole it eased up and by 6 it was all clear.  Fortunately I had one of those "DryJoy" jackets that kept me completely dry.  My bottom half did not fare so well.

Anyway, the Royal Kunia course itself is gorgeous (and as a side note, the drainage on the course was the best I have ever seen...by the time we got to the 8th or 9th hole, the course was basically dry).  Royal Kunia Country Club has been described as the best and most scenic course on Oahu. Located only 30 minutes from Waikiki or the North Shore, this course offers the ultimate Hawaii golfing experience for the beginner to low handicapper. The golf course is a Robin Nelson designed golf course, situated high above the Ewa plains. The course offers an uncompromised panoramic view of the entire south shore of Oahu. Spectacular views of Pearl Harbor, the Ko’olau and Waianae mountain ranges, the city of Honolulu and Diamond Head can be seen from every hole. The scenic, rolling fairways are also lined with palm trees and other tropical native flora, along with six water features and 101 bunkers which adds to the aesthetic appeal of this picturesque golf course.  You can check out the hole descriptions to get a sense of the challenges and beauty of the course.

The only downside to this course is the restaurant/pro shop.  There isn't really a clubhouse and what they do have is mediocre at best.  I mean, you can get a sandwich and everything, but the clubhouse and restaurant don't do the course justice at all. This course was my dad's favorite for the week.  I still like Luana Hills the best despite its difficulty.  The nice thing about Royal Kunia is that it is an enjoyable course to play.  It's a challenge, but you're not going to be upset at losing 10 balls.