Honolulu, Hawaii · Oahu
Ala Wai Golf Course
On the old Territorial Fairgrounds beside the Ala Wai Canal: flat, walkable, and verified by the National Golf Foundation as the busiest course in America.
- HonoluluLocation
About Ala Wai Golf Course
Ala Wai is the city course on the edge of Waikiki, built on 150 acres that used to be the Territorial Fairgrounds, with Diamond Head, the Koolau range and Waikiki all in view. It's flat, about 6,000 yards and par 70, and easy to walk; in 2021 a 93-year-old regular was still walking it. The Ala Wai Canal is the water you'll remember, sitting in front of the 14th and 18th greens. The map survey has trees along 12 holes, water near seven, six holes that bend right and only about 23 bunkers, with roughly 5 feet between the high and low points. Course character from OpenStreetMap contributors' survey data.
It opened with nine holes in 1931, and by 1987 it was averaging 544 rounds a day when the national average was 300. The National Golf Foundation verified it as the busiest course in the country and Guinness later agreed. Before the city's phone system, golfers slept in their cars at the gate for a starting number; in 1986 the dial-in line got nearly 30,000 calls in the first half hour and 75 got through, which the Honolulu Advertiser called "dial-a-prayer."
It's also where a lot of Hawaii golf history started. Guinea Kop was its first pro, and Hall of Famers including Ted Makalena and Jackie Pung grew up playing it, some barefoot. It hosted the 1960 U.S. Amateur Public Links and the 1984 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, and the two-story clubhouse from 1990 is known for its L&L Hawaiian Barbecue downstairs.
It's one of 5 courses in Honolulu on Yoink, and the closest alternative is Sports Box DOLE, about 2 miles away — handy when your first choice is booked solid.
What it's like to play Ala Wai Golf Course
A creek or river runs through the property and comes into play on 3 holes.
Course character from OpenStreetMap contributors' survey data (ODbL).
Booking a tee time at Ala Wai Golf Course
Online booking opens seven days ahead, but only for golfers with a City and County of Honolulu Golf ID Card, and you have to activate online booking in your city golf account. Since July 2024 every tee time, including the 6:00 to 8:30 a.m. slots once kept for phone callers, can be booked online, and call-in reservations are still offered. In 2021 the Star-Advertiser described regulars on their phones at 6:30 every morning, so be ready when the week-out window opens.
How to get a tee time at Ala Wai Golf Course
Yoink
Golfers across Oahu know the drill: the good times at courses like Ala Wai Golf Course are gone within minutes of release, and cancellations come back without warning.
Instead of refreshing the booking page, let Yoink do it. Pick Ala Wai Golf Course, choose your day and time window, and Yoink alerts you when a tee time that fits opens up. You always book straight with the course.
- Pick Ala Wai Golf Course in Yoink.
- Choose your day, time window and number of players.
- Get an alert when a matching tee time opens — then book it directly with the course.
Golf courses near Ala Wai Golf Course
- Sports Box DOLE · Honolulu · 2 mi
- Walter J. Nagorski Golf Course · Honolulu · 6 mi
- Moanalua Golf Club · Honolulu · 7 mi
- Royal Hawaiian Golf Club · 8 mi
- Olomana Golf Links · 8 mi
- Hawaii Kai Golf Course · Honolulu · 8 mi
- Bay View Golf Course · 10 mi
- Pali Golf Course · Kaneohe · 10 mi
Ala Wai Golf Course FAQ
Where is Ala Wai Golf Course?
Ala Wai Golf Course is in Honolulu, Hawaii, in the Oahu area — about 2 miles from Sports Box DOLE.
Is Ala Wai Golf Course open to the public?
Ala Wai Golf Course is municipal (City and County of Honolulu), run by City and County of Honolulu, Department of Enterprise Services (City Golf).
How do I get a tee time at Ala Wai Golf Course when it's booked up?
Set a watch for Ala Wai Golf Course in Yoink with your date, time window and group size. Yoink monitors the course's tee sheet and alerts you the moment a matching time opens, including cancellations. You book directly with the course.
What golf courses are near Ala Wai Golf Course?
Nearby options include Sports Box DOLE, Walter J. Nagorski Golf Course and Moanalua Golf Club. Yoink watches 26 courses in the Oahu area.
Sources
Facts on this page come from these pages, checked 2026-09-28. Rates and booking rules change, so confirm with the course.
- staradvertiser.com · media
- kaimukihawaii.com · media
Never miss a tee time at Ala Wai Golf Course
Yoink watches the tee sheet so you don't have to. When a time you want opens up, your phone buzzes — you book direct.