New owners, renovated golf courses, and expanded and refurbished infrastructure and activity programs have completely transformed Oahu's sprawling Turtle Bay Resort over the last couple of years. Less than an hour from the airport, the only resort on the North Shore, Turtle Bay is a long-established property on 840 mostly undeveloped acres of lush natural landscape, with 5 miles of shorefront consisting of little-known, sandy coves and some primo surfing beaches. Guests in 2013 will hardly notice that a complete renovation of more than 400 guest rooms and suites and the spa, will take place gradually over the year.
Golfers will find no homes in sight to mar the pristine surroundings of the Arnold Palmer Course and the George Fazio Course, both now in top notch condition, with Paspalum greens and fairways meandering along beaches and wetlands and through gauzy ironwood groves. At 7,218 yards, the Palmer is a challenge even from low handicappers at 143/74.4 from the back tees, while mere mortals play 6,225, 5,574 and 4,851 from the gold, white and red tees; while the Fazio is somewhat more forgiving. A variety of golf packages for resort guests and daytrippers:
3-, 5- and 7-day Unlimited Golf Play Packages for Turtle Bay Resort Guests
- From $249 for a single and $339 for two for 3 days on both the Palmer and Fazio courses
Group Golf Clinics for Resort Guests
- $30 each day; $100 for Mon-Fri clinics, each focusing on a different element of the game
- Tee It Up Afternoon Special for Resort Guests
- $65 on Fazio, $90 on Palmer, Mon-Fri after 2PM
- Includes green fees, golf car, Titleist rental equipment and a sleeve of Titleist golf balls
Learn & Play
- $75 on Fazio, $100 on Palmer
- 11:00AM clinic, lunch at Lei Lei’s (purchased separately)
- From 2:00 p.m. on either the Fazio or Palmer, play unlimited golf including golf car, Titleist rental equipment and Titleist golf balls
Palmer & Fazio Combo
- For either resort or non-resort guests
- Add $35 to the rate of the morning round (less expensive if you choose to challenge Fazio in the morning).
Golf & Shuttle From Waikiki or Kahala Package
- For Non-Resort Golfers
- $195 for Palmer, $175 for Fazio pp
- Includes round trip transportation
Golf & Drive Package
- $175 for Palmer, $125 for Fazio pp
- Pick up a vehicle at any of 3 Enterprise Rent-a-Car locations (two in Waikiki, another at the airport) and you’ve got a car roomy enough for 4 adults for 24 hours. Enjoy the gorgeous seaside drive to Turtle Bay and play the Palmer or Fazio course – or both! Includes golf car, practice balls, bottled water, course guide, and a commemorative bag tag.
Turtle Bay Resort is managed by Benchmark Hospitality International, a company known for superior operation of such luxury properties as Bardessono in the Napa Valley, the Eldorado Hotel & Spa in Santa Fe, and Villas of Grand Cypress in Orlando.
North Shore and surf and locals culture? that's another story. Stay tuned here for Part 2 of the glories of Turtle Bay Resort.
Founder/editor
of BestGolfResortsofTheWorld.com, Karen Misuraca is a travel and golf writer from the California Wine
Country. She blogs golf travel and writes about Deep Culture Travel. Check out Karen's new iPhone app,
California Coast North.
