Being back in Hawaii was fantastic, but getting to play golf made it even better! This trip I had the pleasure of playing the Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course on the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. I had wanted to play it for awhile, especially since I had read about how good everyone thought it was. Some even call it the best course in the Department of Defense! I’ve played a lot of DOD courses since I first got my Reservist ID card and I’m not sure if K-Bay is the best, but it’s definitely up there.
The scorecard says the 13th hole is the best hole in the DOD. We teed off at number 1 for twilight and had 12 holes to get through. The first twelve holes were ok. There was a backup at the par three 4th and 6th, plus the 5th is a short par four that is potentially drivable and less than 300 yards. While we were waiting for that, we got really worried that we wouldn’t make it to the 13th. Through the 6th and on to the rest of the front, we weren’t that impressed. It was a relatively flat and open course with only a few greens that posed a real challenge. But we could hear the roar of the ocean waves in the background…
Finally we got to the par 4 13th hole and it was well worth the wait. We had about 25 minutes until the sun went down so the lighting was fantastic. The tee box is elevated over a fairway that runs
along the ocean with picturesque waves breaking on the shore. There were even a few surfers. Bring a camera! The 14th also runs along the water and towards a small lighthouse that juts out into the ocean on a small portion of land.
The Kaneohe Klipper was a nice course, but the 13th was definitely the highlight of the afternoon. If you’re out in Hawaii and can get on base, definitely check it out!
