Chasing birdies around a Pacific island golf ‘sanctuary’

I’m not a golfer – but that hasn’t stopped me from traversing some of the most picturesque courses in the world.

By buggy and on foot, I’ve accompanied my golf-tragic husband on 18 holes from St Andrew’s revered Old Course in Scotland to blustery Norfolk and Lord Howe in the Pacific to Canada’s enchanting Fairmont Banff Springs and plenty in between.

I’m no caddy, either – preferring to capture the magic moments (and yes, even the slices and hook shots) for posterity on camera, to inhale the fresh air and soak up the surrounds in a leisurely fashion.

That, to me, is how golf should be – not getting the hurry-up from following groups, not being the one spending precious time looking for balls in the rough, and certainly not being tormented by a little white ball that refuses to go into a cylindrical cup willingly.

And so, when we found ourselves on the North Shore of O’ahu in Hawai‘i in the Northern Hemisphere summer (and with no monster surf in sight), the decision to take in a round at the Arnold Palmer Championship Golf Course at The Ritz Carlton O’ahu, Turtle Bay, was a no-brainer.

The course, with its five sets of tees, is a mix of Scottish links-style front nine with rolling terrain and a tropical rainforested back nine, including more than 70 bunkers.

It measures 6225 yards (5692m) from the resort tees and 7218 yards (6600m) from the black tees and offers a little something to challenge everyone from the Friday social hacker to the pro golfer.

But be warned: the picturesque course with majestic ocean and mountain views is set amid the Punaho’olapa marsh. Water hazards lie on 14 of the holes – you’re often only a shot away from ending in the drink.

The watery surrounds also attract birdies you don’t want as a golfer – egrets, a variety of ducks, albatross (they were nesting near the par-4 14th hole at the time of our visit), the red-crested cardinal and the ‘alae ‘ula native moorhen (legend has it that these birds brought fire from the gods to the Hawaiian people).

And along with the carefully curated bunkers, traps and treed areas, exercise enthusiasts cycling the course can pose just as much a hazard.

Designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, the course opened in 1992 and quickly earned a place in Golf Magazine’s Top 10 New Courses and ranked 4th among Golf Digest’s Best New Resort Courses in America.

The course is in such beautifully maintained condition that if you are on the fairway, you never get a bad lie.

But it’s the little things that can make a big difference to your score: GPS-enabled carts that provide detailed hole information and scoring capabilities, toilets on course, ice in the buggy Esky, plus a beverages cart that’s never far away.

Rates start at $USD140 for nine holes and $USD220 for 18 holes for registered guests of The Ritz-Carlton O’ahu, Turtle Bay. Visitor rates start at $USD140 for nine holes and $USD220 for 18 holes and it’s best to book well in advance for a round.

Granted, that’s not a cheap day out. The green fees are among the highest in Hawai‘i. But the feeling of being embraced by tropical surrounds and coastal scenery, and challenging yourself on possibly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, is priceless.

The pro shop hires out top-quality clubs – handy for international visitors not wishing to pay for oversized luggage.

And hubby was so enamoured with the Stealth 2 Driver by TaylorMade Golf that I bought him one for his birthday on our return home.

As for his game, this was a glory day from the 9.30am tee-off – where five pars and a birdie helped him play to handicap at 13 over-par.

He parred what he considered the ‘hardest hole’, the third, with five, then double-bogeyed the ‘second-hardest’ 11th hole.

Wind affected the early coastal holes plus those on high elevations.

Our group companions, all from the US, left us after the first nine… and hubby’s game deserted him, too, on what was a tougher back nine.

The final two holes are especially challenging because of the number of hazards to be missed at all costs.

The par-3 17th is the signature hole. But don’t let the views of the Pacific Ocean and Kahuku Point distract you, as this hole has nine bunkers and requires a shot over water to reach the green.

Hubby was most proud of his efforts on the par-4 16th – his birdie. From hitting into oblivion off the tee (because you can’t see over the hills to the pin), his second shot would have impressed any pro: 130 metres out of the rough and on to the green.

He remarked at the time that the course design certainly makes you think about club choice and distance to each pin.

With game over, our thoughts turned to much more relaxing pursuits at this resort, whose backdrops are a movie location favourite.

We were staying less than a 10 minute drive away at an Airbnb just off the famed Sunset Beach but were on a tight schedule across four nights. We had decided to make a day of it.

Turtle Bay welcomes day visitors to its restaurants and bars and to fully experience this unique location (so, there’s no need to ‘sneak around’ here, pretending you’re an in-house guest).

From a light lunch and refreshments with views of the course at Lei Lei’s, we changed in the locker rooms and drove up to the resort proper for drinks with a view at several bars, including cocktails near the pool.

Months earlier, we had booked a special dinner at the fine dining-meets-surf vibe of Beach House By Roy Yamaguchi overlooking the water at the breathtaking Bay View Beach.

This beautiful restaurant specialises in a paddock/sea-to-plate menu, utilising the bounty of local farmers, fishermen and ranchers to create dishes that are Hawaiian-inspired, in a Euro-Asian fusion.

We couldn’t go past the Beach House Trio of seafood delights or the crispy freshly caught snapper.

But in the end, the chocolate lava cake dessert was as good as a hole in one for me.

GOLFING details

The Arnold Palmer Championship Golf Course, The Breaks 18-hole seaside links putting course and Pitch n’ Putt three-hole  Par-3 Golf Course are at The Ritz Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay, located at Kahuku. Visit turtlebayresort.com/things-to-do/golf to book. The resort also offers stay-and-play golf packages that include accommodation, meals and unlimited golf. Visit ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/hnlkz-the-ritz-carlton-oahu-turtle-bay/overview/. Hawaiian Airlines flies from Sydney to Honolulu nine times a week. Visit hawaiianairlines.com.au