There are more golf courses on Oahu than the rest of the State of Hawaii combined. In fact, there are 37 courses in all on this small island. However, golf on Oahu seems less accessible than the other islands. Eight courses are for military personnel only, six are extremely busy and often fully booked municipal courses, nine are private golf clubs, leaving just 14 public or resort courses for holiday golfers. Consider the popularity of golf amongst local Hawaiians and the hoards of Japanese holiday-makers that visit Oahu and getting a tee time might not always be easy, especially at the municipal or public courses near Waikiki where rounds can be painfully slow.

Beyond Waikiki are several outstanding and challenging courses that will literally take your breath away. Heading these exhilarating courses is the Koolau Golf Club at the foot of the Pali Mountain range in the south east of Oahu about half an hour drive from Waikiki. From the back tees, Koolau is considered the worlds most challenging golf course with long carries off the tees and impenetrable rough, and from the more forgiving forward tees (there are still 10 forced carries of over 110 yards), Hawaii's most scenic golf course. Nearby Luana Hills Country Club with its signature island par 3, also enjoys spectacular fairway views of the Koolau mountains.

Equally spectacular is the challenging Makaha Resort Golf Club in the dry north west of Oahu and adjacent to this, the cheaper (US$100) and shorter public course at the Makaha Country Club. Both courses offer great views of the rugged Waianae mountain range and being an hour drive from Honolulu along the west coast, both courses are refreshingly quiet.

Along the south coast of Oahu, west of Honolulu, are the manicured resort courses of Ko'Olina, Coral Creek and the Hawaii Prince Golf Club at Ewa Beach featuring sculptured lakes and man-made waterfalls, dainty looking bunkers, lots of palm trees and golf clinics. Another resort course, though more natural, is on the north shore at Turtle Bay. With 36-holes of championship golf designed around the natural Punaho'olapa Marsh, this is a very tough but not especially scenic course although there are three attractive coastal holes.

One of the best value courses on Oahu is the scenic Olomana Golf Links on Oahu's windward east coast with twin mountains. A compact par-71 course, Olamana offers 11 of its holes with water hazards.

For beginners not looking for a challenge but rather a place for practice, there is no better course than the 18-hole Bay View Golf Park offers mostly par 3's with a few par 4's as well as two miniature 18-hole putting courses and a 48-stall driving range.

Oahu's most popular municipal course is the Ala Wai Golf Course just minutes walk from Waikiki hotels across the canal. This municipal course offers excellent value at just US$50 a round but getting a round can be difficult - locals can book one week in advance but tourists can only book 3-days in advance and usually by that time all the tee times are booked out! This is the same system used by all of Oahu's municipal courses which is why golf on Oahu is less accessible than the other islands...