Tee times to the Princeville Prince Golf Course are being accepted for play starting Dec. 14. The Prince Golf Course, ranked in the Top 100 in the United States by Golf Digest, has been closed since Jan. 29 for extensive
Tee times to the Princeville Prince Golf Course are being accepted for play starting Dec. 14.
The Prince Golf Course, ranked in the Top 100 in the United States by Golf Digest, has been closed since Jan. 29 for extensive renovation work which included complete reconstruction of putting greens with SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum turf and sub-surface material to meet United States Golfing Association specifications, remodeling of bunkers to improve drainage, playability, visibility and strategic value, clearing of the fairways, streams, and visual impediments surrounding holes which have encroached on the design intent of the course over the years, widening of fairways and reshaping of greens, tee leveling and the addition of new tees for added shot value and variety, states a release from Candy Aluli Public Relations.
These renovations will ensure the course will be consistently maintained in superb condition.
The award-winning firm of Robert Trent Jones II, Golf Course Architects is serving as the lead architect on the project under the direction of Chairman and Master Architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. who designed the Prince Course when it opened in 1990.
“Our firm is implementing a wide-ranging refreshment of the Prince,” Jones said in the release. “It will return the golf course to its original pristine condition and its stature as the best course in Hawai‘i. Essentially, we’ll give The Prince the royal treatment it deserves.”
Princeville’s Prince Golf Course is known for its challenging play, natural beauty and magnificent layout following the contours of the land over 390 acres of rolling terrain, tropical jungles, gullies, streams and waterfalls.
“The revitalization will make the course more flexible for a wider range of players while still providing Championship-caliber challenges for more seasoned golfer,” Jones said. “We’ll reclaim fairways and tranquil streams which have been narrowed or hidden by encroaching rainforest, remodel the bunkers and completely resurface the greens, restoring its original grandeur, beauty and shapes. We’ll also perform some additional reshaping which will help canny players to use the slopes and ground features to their advantage, as we intended in our original design.”
Additionally, the 60,000 square-foot clubhouse will complete its second phase of refurbishment to coincide with the golf course opening.
The Tavern Restaurant by Roy Yamaguchi and the Prince Golf Shop, both located on the lower level of the Prince Clubhouse, continues to remain open during the renovation.
Heritage Links has been carrying out the construction and renovation work and will manage all golf and club operations when the course reopens.
Visit www.princeville.com or call 826-5001 for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
