2024 Sony Open in Hawaii: How much does playing at the Waialae Country Club cost?

The hotel and golf course lands were leased from the Bernice P. Bishop Estate, and Waialae Golf Course was officially opened on February 1, 1927. The renowned golf architect Seth Raynor and his associate Charles Banks were responsible for the course’s design and construction. Their exceptional work can be seen in various holes of the course.

For instance, the 13th hole is a replica of one on the Biarritz Course in France, while the 8th hole is modeled after the famous Redan hole on the North Berwick Course in Scotland. The 16th hole is unique and similar to the 6th hole of the National Course at Southhampton, Long Island, while the 10th hole is inspired by the 17th or Road hole at St. Andrews in Scotland.

Local players could join the course by paying an annual fee and become “privilege card holders” in the Territorial Hotel Company’s Waialae Golf Club. Later, in 1930, a group of these players formed a private club within the Waialae Golf Club called Waialae Country Club. It had its own clubhouse, where the swimming pool is now, and enlarged a small service building close to the main clubhouse. The club was formally organized on September 29, 1930, and By-Laws were adopted.

Waialae Country Club is one of only 40 country club courses in the nation chosen to host a sanctioned PGA Tour event. It has undergone several changes over the years, with the initial design by Seth Raynor and subsequent alterations by Robert Trent Jones, Desmond Muirhead, Rick Smith, and, most recently, Tom Doak. It is a mature, lushly landscaped, and player-friendly championship course today.

The course features fairways lined with coconut, monkey pod, and kiawe trees and 83 strategically placed bunkers that can be in play for any golfer. It plays to a par 70 for the Sony Open and measures 7,020 yards from the Championship tees, 6,456 yards from the Member tees, and 5,962 yards from the Forward tees. Waialae is unique because it challenges the low-handicap player while not penalizing the high-handicap player. Gentle trade winds cool the course and features well-maintained Bermuda grass fairways and greens. It is located in the peaceful Waialae-Kahala neighborhood, and its signature hole, the par 3 eighth hole, borders the Pacific Ocean for its entire 186 yards.

How much does playing at the Waialae Country Club cost?

The Hale Ohana Ola “House of Family & Fitness” has 5.179 square feet of space and a wide range of workout rooms. These include an exercise room and fitness room featuring Life Fitness exercise machines, lockers, and shower facilities. It also has two multi-functional rooms for social gatherings and various types of meetings.

Other facilities include the tennis courts, which feature Omnicourt surfacing, tennis shower facilities, and locker rooms. There’s a swimming pool as well, and all that for membership costs anywhere from $52,000 to $67,300. Monthly dues are estimated at $470 per month and are private members only.