Golfers at the city's six municipal courses would have to pay more under a fee increase being considered to stay on par with rising expenses.

Enterprise Services Director Sidney A. Quintal said the city wants to keep the fees affordable but needs to make the courses more self-sustaining and reduce the subsidy from taxpayers. Quintal, who oversees the golf courses, noted that their operating budget has increased over the past decade, going from about $6 million in 1998 to $8.7 million this year due to higher costs for maintenance, salaries and more.

At the same time, money brought in from those courses declined from an average of $9.5 million to about a million less for each of the past four years.

Quintal declined to say how big an increase he would seek from the City Council in the next budget, which will be announced in March. Golf fees last increased in 2000.

The courses are far cheaper than private courses — a round of 18 holes can cost as little as $12 — and the city courses are immensely popular.

Golfers at West Loch Golf Course last week said they wouldn't mind a modest increase as long as the money went into keeping up the courses or improving them. But the same golfers were adamantly opposed to a city task-force proposal, unveiled in December 2005, to sell one of three Leeward O'ahu golf courses.

Golfer Norman Angelo, a retired truck driver, said he thinks the city courses are well-kept for the price they charge. "The price is right for us retirees," he said.

And he could see paying a little more. "Another $2 or $3? It's still a good deal," Angelo said.

Andy Nii, now retired and a former principal of Pearl City High School, also said it would be OK with him to pay more, "if they fixed it up and got rid of the weeds."

But ask him which of the three Leeward golf courses he would be willing to see closed, and his answer is swift and direct: "None of the above; I think it's a sacrilege."

UPKEEP A 'BLACK HOLE'

Mayor Mufi Hannemann has said that West Loch was the Leeward course most likely to be sold, based on a panel offering recommendations for better management of the city's property and other assets.

But Quintal said it would be months before such a sale would even be proposed. And he said the city would work with golfers to find out what they had to say before moving forward.

However, Quintal and golf course administrator Garrick Iwamuro agree that many of the expenses come from the West Loch and 'Ewa Villages golf courses, both built to help cope with drainage in the Leeward communities, absorbing silt and floodwaters.

They said golf courses — particularly those prone to flooding — face a big challenge dealing with weather-related damage.

"It's turning out to be a black hole," Quintal said.

Iwamuro said building a park likely would have been a cheaper alternative as a drainage basin than a golf course with its various standards and greens and fairways to cultivate. He said a consultant estimated that it would cost $3 million over three years to remove the silt buildup at West Loch and help to better cope with those drainage issues.

Hundreds of golfers signed a petition opposing the sale of any of the three Leeward courses. It read: "The reported potential sale of a leeward golf course will severely limit the opportunity for affordable golfing for its citizens."

The petition said closing one course would most affect the oldest and youngest golfers.

Go out on a weekday morning during the school year to a municipal course and you're likely to find quite a few retirees who depend on their golf games for regular exercise, and their social life, too. Iwamuro points to the groups of regulars.

"It's a gathering place; it keeps them from staying at home," he said.

But at West Loch, you can also see the chin-high California grass growing in the silt basin in the middle of the course, and the cracked cart-path near where the third hole had to be closed for months because of flooding.

"We're at the mercy of Mother Nature," Iwamuro said.

'NO COMPARISON' ON FEES

Retired state Senate clerk Paul Kawaguchi works part time and golfs regularly with a group of four retired educators. They usually go at about 10 a.m. to stay out of commuter traffic. They golf twice a week at the city courses. Usually they go to West Loch, sometimes to 'Ewa Villages. Generally they stay in the Leeward area because they all live nearby and don't want to fight the traffic to get in at the busy Ala Wai course.

They agree that there's "no comparison" between private golf courses and municipal courses on a couple of important counts: Private courses are in better shape but cost a lot more.

Kama'aina with a golf identification card can play for as cheaply as $12 on weekdays without a golf cart at the five 18-hole courses: Ala Wai, 'Ewa Villages, Pali, Ted Makalena and West Loch. The nine-hole course at Kahuku is even cheaper, and there are special rates for seniors, age 65 and older; and juniors, those 17 and younger.

Each private course can have different rates, and some have initiation and membership fees on top of direct golf expenses. So, it's difficult to compare city prices with private courses. But even a modestly priced course that's open to the public, such as Mililani Golf Course, charges $45 for kama'aina on Tuesdays through Fridays until 1 p.m., and $95 for nonresidents.

As for conditions on the city's courses, well, they could be better, golfers say.

Some golfers at West Loch complain that the "snack bar" near the 10th hole doesn't have much appeal: some sodas, sandwiches, musubi and chips brought to the course in coolers. But they're sympathetic to vendor Tasty Foods of Hawai'i, which has seen the little building vandalized time and again.

Employee Charlie Ramos said thieves even stole the refrigerator, so he keeps the snacks portable now.

Retired teacher Clarence Yagi said he'd pay a little more for better maintenance. While some golfers complain that the clubhouses lack TVs and the fryer sometimes doesn't work, depriving the golfers of their french fries, Yagi said he doesn't mind skipping those golf extras.

Alex Asis, a retired truck driver, said the different courses offer exercise for a lot of folks, including those in their 70s and 80s, many of them out walking 18 holes.

He said he would pay higher fees without complaining.

"I wouldn't mind paying more," he said. "Instead of paying a little bit and getting a junk golf course."

A SNAPSHOT OF THE CITY'S SIX MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES

ALA WAI GOLF COURSE

Acres: 145

HISTORY: Once was the Territorial Fairgrounds, with a horse racing track, baseball diamonds and a grandstand.

Sam Yap and Babe Carter started the golf course somewhere around 1923. A salmon can was placed in the ground for its first hole. A year later, with the help of prison labor, the fairgrounds opened to the public with four holes and a charge of 25¢.

The course grew to nine holes and in 1937 opened the back nine to make it an 18-hole golf course.

The late Raymond C. Brown, then secretary for the territory of Hawai'i, was known as the father of the course. It is reported that he had a staff of enthusiastic men who worked without pay as greens keepers.

The state, through the Territorial Fair Commission, had jurisdiction of the Ala Wai Golf Course until the end of August 1960. The City and County of Honolulu, Parks and Recreation Department, assumed control of the operation on Sept. 1,1960, but the state continues to own the land today.

On July 11 to 16, 1960, Ala Wai Golf Course hosted the USGA National Public Links Championship

REGISTERED PLAY:

2004: 166,817

2005: 161,679

PALI GOLF COURSE

Acres: 215

HISTORY: The land was purchased from the Castle Family in the early 1950s. From 1953 to 1957 the course consisted of nine holes. In 1957 the course expanded to 18 holes and the clubhouse was added. Willard G. Wilkerson designed the golf course. During WWII, that area was a military training ground.

REGISTERED PLAY:

2004: 77,288

2005: 67,756

TED MAKALENA GOLF COURSE

Acres: 150

HISTORY: Course opened in 1971; named after a great Hawai'i golfer, Ted Makalena.

REGISTERED PLAY:

2004: 120,895

2005: 118,526

WEST LOCH GOLF COURSE

Acres: 190

HISTORY: Opened in 1990. Designed by Nelson and Wright.

Unique water driving-range.

REGISTERED PLAY:

2004: 74,328

2005: 70,557

'EWA VILLAGES GOLF COURSE

Acres: 235

HISTORY: Opened in 1996. Designed by Richard Bigler. One of the toughest municipal courses.

REGISTERED PLAY:

2004: 94,757

2005: 80,072

KAHUKU GOLF COURSE

Acres: 68

HISTORY: Built in 1937 by Kahuku sugar workers, it was turned over to the City and County of Honolulu in 1952. The city operates the course but does not own the land.

REGISTERED PLAY:

2004: 26,836

2005: 26,016

WHERE TO CALL, WHAT YOU'LL PAY TO TEE OFF

Golfers may grumble about maintenance issues, or some amenities they wish for, but most agree that the city's six municipal golf courses — five 18-hole courses and a nine-hole one — remain a great deal for residents.

For starting times, call the automated telephone system: 296-2000