By Scott Gummer
KAHUKU, HAWAII | Those who look on the bright side of things acknowledge that the past couple of years were not all bad. Golf benefitted in myriad ways: new golfers, younger players, more females coming to the game, more people taking lessons and buying equipment and exciting new courses in the works. With travel back in full swing, golfers are finally getting to experience the stunning reimagining of the Turtle Bay Resort on the island of Oahu.
The renovation was long planned, but when Hawaii went into lockdown in late March 2020 during the pandemic, Turtle Bay used the sudden and unexpected lack of occupancy as an opportunity to pick up the pace. The results are eye-popping and jaw-dropping.
Forget what you might remember about Turtle Bay’s star turn in the movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” because the overhaul was as extensive as one of Tiger Woods’ swing reinventions. Originally opened in the 1970s, the resort has replaced every remnant of kitsch with designs and furnishings that are thoughtful, artful, and indigenously jibe with the North Shore vibe.
The impressive entrance features massive polished wood doors surrounded by rich dark wood framing that act as a portal, transporting guests from the outside world into a realm of instant tranquility. The lobby is airy, and the color palette earthy. The registration and concierge desks are backed by floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Kuilima Cove and set opposite two comfy cushion-ringed fire pits that jut out into an infinity water feature on either side of the lobby bar that looks out on namesake Turtle Bay.
The 410 guestrooms and suites received major upgrades, with surf-inspired murals and wood and wicker décor, as did the 42 waterfront-facing Ocean Bungalows – sumptuous digs with private lanais, access to exclusive amenities, and picture-postcard views.
The days are easily filled with things to do on the 1,300-acre property – watersports, horseback riding, tennis and pickleball, hiking and biking, a full fitness center and phenomenal spa, four swimming pools – but there are three activities that stand out.
Golf at Turtle Bay includes two courses: the Palmer and the Fazio, named for the designers, Arnold and George, respectively. Measuring 6,600 yards from the blue tees and 6,100 from the whites, the par-72 Fazio course hosted the inaugural Champions Tour Skins Game and also was the first site of the LPGA’s Hawaiian Ladies Open. It’s an open and forgiving course, delivers a few glimpses of the ocean, and is great for those who are out for a good time.
The Palmer Course is a better test – the tips stretch beyond 7,200 yards and carry a rating/slope of 75.0/141 – but Turtle Bay isn’t so much a golf vacation as it is golf on vacation. Multiple sets of forward tees provide plenty enough challenge and fun.
The resort does not have a dramatic over-a-chasm tee shot like the third hole at Mauna Kea on the Big Island or the 12th hole at Manele on Lanai, but the 17th at the Palmer is as pretty as it can be punishing: a 400-plus-yard par-4 with nine fairway bunkers, requiring a well-placed tee shot and an airborne approach to a plateau green with an expansive, selfie-worthy view of the blue Pacific.
Due to limited play during the pandemic, the resort closed the Fazio course and undertook a series of maintenance projects. The plan has been for the Fazio to reopen soon and for the Palmer to close temporarily for upkeep, but the timing for if and when that might happen remains to be determined.
Adjacent to the Fazio course’s fourth hole, Paradise Helicopters operates a doors-off flight that takes off over the resort, starts up into the mountains over lush valleys to a towering waterfall, and then scoots low over the North Shore’s famed stretch of big-wave surf spots: Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline. It is a true thrill ride, and 20 minutes never flew by so fast or made such a lasting impression.
The other epic experience not to be missed is sunset, preferably with a mai tai. The vista from the resort’s main pool is unrivaled maybe anywhere with pounding waves and brave surfers in the foreground, local artists playing live music in the background, and the round sun slowly rolling behind the horizon ... like a long putt with perfect pace dropping satisfyingly into the cup.
Top: The Palmer Course at Turtle Bay