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The renovation included an irrigation project to fortify the driving range\u2019s sprinkler system. (Ben Angarone\/Civil Beat\/2025)<\/p>\nAfter missing a spring deadline to reopen, a city spokesperson said the popular golf course driving range will be back in business in November.<\/p>\n
Honolulu temporarily closed the municipal driving range at Ala Wai Golf Course at the end of January to embark on a renovation that would revitalize its field and upgrade its irrigation system. At the time, the projected reopening date was sometime in the spring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Spring came and went, followed by summer, and the range remained closed. Now it\u2019s fall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess it\u2019s under maintenance,\u201d golfer Jordan White, 28, said. \u201cBut it\u2019s been for a while.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The renovation included an irrigation project to fortify the driving range\u2019s sprinkler system. (Ben Angarone\/Civil Beat\/2025)<\/p>\n
White hasn\u2019t been to Ala Wai Golf Course\u2019s driving range, but not for a lack of trying.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Newtown Driving Range in \u02bbAiea last week, White said he had intended to hit some balls at Ala Wai Golf Course earlier this year while in town with his fiance\u00e9. But when they called to ask about the driving range\u2019s hours of operation, they learned it was closed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then I tried like several weeks later,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause I\u2019m just wondering, \u2018What\u2019s going on over there?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Ala Wai is Honolulu\u2019s only city-run golf course with a driving range. It\u2019s located smack-dab in urban Honolulu with an entrance off Kapahulu Avenue and boasts views of both Waik\u012bk\u012b\u2019s skyline and the Ko\u02bbolau mountains. Prior to closing for renovation, the driving range was open between 6:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.<\/a> and was operated by the Hawai\u2018i State Junior Golf Association\/First Tee.<\/p>\n The driving range\u2019s closure coincided with the end of operations by the nonprofit Hawai\u2018i State Junior Golf Association and its First Tee programs at Ala Wai, the city said in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 18-hole golf course<\/a>, one of the busiest on the island, is still open.<\/p>\n Fellow Newtown Driving Range patron Randy Sonoda, 56, said he used to be a frequent patron at Ala Wai Golf Course\u2019s driving range. Sonoda lives in town and likes to hit balls during his lunch break most days of the week. He got into golf about four or five years ago, he said, and he uses the driving range to practice skills related to his swing.\u00a0<\/p>\n He learned the Ala Wai driving range was under renovation one day when he showed up and saw a sign announcing its temporary closure, which he thought would be much shorter. Now he drives to Newtown Driving Range.<\/p>\n Sonoda doesn\u2019t check for reopening updates anymore. He said this project\u2019s delay is on par with his general sense that projects in Hawai\u02bbi always take longer than expected.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s always hiccups,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n After the driving range reopens, he expects to keep going to Newtown since he likes Newtown\u2019s pricing.<\/p>\n The new projection for the Ala Wai Golf Course\u2019s driving range to reopen is November, city spokesperson Ryan Wilson said in an emailed statement. The city will announce more details including an exact date soon, he said, adding the public can expect longer hours and a new concessionaire to staff the counter and provide the equipment.<\/p>\n \u201cThis comes after months of improvements to the beloved range,\u201d he said, \u201cincluding returfing and repairing the irrigation system.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilson said in a follow-up email that the reason for the delay is the driving range took longer to restore than expected.<\/p>\n Fix It! is a reader-driven column focused on solving everyday obstacles \u2014 the inoperable and the inefficient amenity, the mundane and major facility fail that escapes the attention of government agencies, but affects our quality of life.<\/p>\n Who Is Responsible?<\/p>\n Municipal golf courses fall under the Department of Enterprise Services, and its director is Dita Holifield. Her office number is 808-768-5400.<\/p>\n Got A Tip For Fix It!?<\/p>\n Please tell us where the problem is, as specifically as possible. A cellphone photo would be helpful. Here are ways to get in touch: \u00a0<\/p>\n You can submit in minutes using this form<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/sign-ala-wai-golf-course-driving-range-1024x768.jpg\")
A sign near the golf course\u2019s entrance notifies people of the driving range renovation project and repairs being done to the golf course\u2019s pedestrian and vehicular access bridges. Another recent project at the golf course, where solar panels were installed above parking stalls, was completed last month. (Ben Angarone\/Civil Beat\/2025)<\/p>\n![\"Fix](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fix-it.png\")
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