Ala Wai Driving Range

This range scores points for its location and affordability at only $ 6 for a large bucket. Expect your visit here to be interesting, just not always in a good way. This place can get pretty crowded, even late at night and attracts quite the range of «customers» from pros who just totally obliterate the balls sending them to the end of the range, to complete noobs who get negative yardage after the ball ricochets off of the metal dividers. I don’t know how many times I’ve been at the range when someone let go of their club and flew it onto the range forcing everyone to stop and take out their phones to film the walk of shame. If you come at night, the place is basically taken over by platinum and diamond ranked Korean golfers who make you rethink your decision to take up golfing. Last night there was a guy roaming around harassing golfers. There were people screaming at him as well as people who were straight ready to go beast mode and scrap him. Eventually the police came and took him into the parking lot where they continued to question him for at least 15 minutes at which point we left for the night.

I’m not a fan and I haven’t even been to the golf range/​course. I got my husband a set of clubs for his birthday and wanted to get him some lessons to go with it. I called up and they gave me Paul’s number to call to set up a lesson. I called Paul twice and left two messages, and got no response. I called back and told them what happened and they gave me another guys number. I called him twice and left messages and once again got no response!!!
We live in Waikiki and didn’t want to have to travel to get lessons. I called the Hawaii Kai golf course and it was soooo easy! I made a lesson for tomorrow and didn’t have to make ten phone calls.
Might be a great golf course and range but not the best customer service. I guess it’s all what you want to use the course for.

I only experienced the driving range portion of this golf course, but it was a very enjoyable experience. Friendly staff, affordable rates, and within walking distance of the hotel I was staying at. My go-​to golf-​fix whenever I’m in Honolulu

I’m teaching my daughter and this kid picking up the baskets scolds me. Sir you have to stand behind the yellow line. This is not Koko Head pistol and rifle range! There’s like six other people doing the same thing. Wth! Do you remember when Ala Wai Driving range was family friendly? Last time I going there. I thought it was a place to learn and practice… golf is a gentleman’s game. Or that’s what it used to be. Glad I belong to a private club. Where people are respected.

Parking:
It’s free parking in a private lot which is nice. You do have to drive down a long driveway to get into the driving range area which is quite dark at night. I’ve never not found parking here and the stalls are spacious.
Range:
It’s ok but there is long wait periods when you come here at night. I come here because it’s very conveniently located in town and a quick drive from home for me. This place does serve its purpose to be able to hit balls and practice some putting. It does suck when it rains because there is no shelter or cover from the rain. The range is pretty well lit so you can follow your ball. Price here is reasonable and two size buckets of balls you can get ($ 4 for small and $ 6 for large).

Woot Woot!!! They replaced the really buss up mats!!! There’s still a few more that could be changed out. Now I’ll start coming more often again. They maybe could throwing out the old worn out range balls, some barely even got dimples anymore, crack balls, etc.

Awesome if u live in waikiki. Just a quik 15min walk or 5 min bus ride. Hets really busy after 4pm.

This driving range has been a long time go-​to place since I was a young tyke. Why? Well it’s really the only driving range in town. It’s conveniently located near me, you won’t find another driving range in the Honolulu area. The closest is probably Hawaii Kai, New Town or Bay View.
The best thing is that they have a lot of slots that you can hit balls from for an hour or so… or before you back gives in. They open late and have yardage markers to range your shots and gauge your club distance. They also have many eateries located nearby once you’re done hitting balls and build an appetite.
Hit the driving range if you want to have a different experience for something to do at night or on the weekend nights.

Perfect spot for a breather and view of all skill levels.
Picked up my Starbucks coffee on Kapahulu and thought I’d enjoy the drink outside… so where to hit up for a quiet cool spot? Yup… the shady Ala Wai Driving Range bench :). Quiet, spacious and great spot to watch and learn from the regular old timers who seems to hang out in groups talking story about the old days.

@Jayson L. it is a «golfer’s playground»! Well put!
Although It isn’t a very nice one, it does the job in getting you to improve your swing! It looks run down and screaming for a face-​lift, but is still pretty decent. It is also close to home, if you live in town, and there is no extra fee to go in. Just bucket purchases and open till 11:30pm! The cost per bucket can run from $ 4 to $ 6 and they got about 30 stalls. If you go after 8pm, you won’t have to wait long for a stall.
I am lucky that I never have to use the restroom when I am there, because I wouldn’t be able to tell you if they have one on site. Also bring your own water for hydration and a light long sleeve shirt to wear when it gets chilly at night.

Welcome to golfer’s playground. people who love golf always watching or playing golf. That’s me. i like to go to this place at evening. i’m not sure about other driving range but this Ala wai driving range open until 12 at night. you would think a lot of people would be sleeping by then? nooo there are quite some people who comes in after 10 pm to get their golf craving on. i like to go here at least 3 times a week so i can try lower my score.
i usually go around same time and the same day so i see same people often. i guess they are golf lover like me.
i like their driving range lots because they have a lot of space but the green isn’t always so good. their practice green is mostly run down due to poor maintenance. it’s a lot better to go practice green on the alawai golf course side.
You have 2 choice of bucket. $ 6 for 75~80 ball and $ 4 for 40~45 balls. the price isn’t the best but it’s most convenient place in town to go driving range. some old folks got the member key which you will get extra amount of money when you deposit more then $ 25 at once. i heard it’s almost impossible to get that key unless you have it hand it town from your elder. if you have the key do not lose it. they won’t replace it.

I love whacking at balls :)
I’m no professional golfer… the last time I picked up a golf club was for PE in high school. But when my friends decided to have a friendly Par-​3 Golf day, I went down to the driving range to practice my swing.
I really appreciated their rates… for just $ 6, you got a large bucket of 80 balls. STEAL! However, I will say that if you’re looking for some snooty/​fancy place to practice your strokes, you may want to look elsewhere. This range is fairly old, and looks pretty run down. They have about maybe 30 stalls or so, but they stay pretty busy.
Grab some friends, brings some snacks, and stretch your arms… this is a pretty decent place to be hitting balls AAAALLLLL NIGHT LONG!

This range is adequate for warming up and working on your swing, but not a whole lot more.
For the first-​timers, look for the Ala Wai golf course sign on Kapahulu about halfway between Date St and the canal. go about a half mile in and you’ll see the driving range lights to the right, park in the big lot, go across the foot bridge and buy tokens in the «pro shop.»
The large bucket of ~80 balls is $ 6, the ~50 balls is $ 4.
Stations are all mats. Bring rubber tees if you want to drive.
The range appears to be just under 300 yards, but the range is flat (mostly dirt) so it’s hard to tell the distance beyond 100 yards. Also the balls are a mixed bag of yellow range balls, white range balls, old game balls, and in general all pretty crappy.
For those reasons, it’s not a great range to calibrate your shots and ranges. With that said, unless you’re an insomniac, if you’re awake, this place is open and it’s pretty conveniently located.
The staff appears to be minimalist so the balls pile up on the range. The putting green is a bit rough and there’re no actual holes, but it’s adequate for most drills. I didn’t see a place to chip, but I didn’t troll the whole area either.
No frills, but reasonable price, and great location.

Went to the driving range tonight to practice golf!
Ala wai has the hottest golf pro who gives lessons:)
My friend and I tried to get free lessons, but he didn’t take the bait:(
He said its $ 65 an hour lol
We even said we would be good students kkkk His name was Ky or Kyle and he has got to be my tiger woods
Only thing that sucks is u have to wait to hit because it’s always super busy. Check out the café next door u can buy beer and they get ono pupu’s:p

Rating: ⁴⁄₅
Date (s) visited: 9÷17÷2012, 7/​2012, 3÷12÷2012, 1÷25÷2011, many times before.
Facility: ³⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅
Price: ³⁄₅
Parking: ⁴⁄₅
This range finally proved me wrong. Golf balls are being picked up. It was a pleasure to use this facility today, and I’ll be back. I’m giving 2 star’s from my last review for fewer golf balls on the range and for an employee I saw cleaning up around the many stations available to hit from.
Facility:
1) Range — Finally, fewer golf ball on the range.
2) Practice Putting Green — Like I said, there is unlimited potential here. What ever happened to the «Holes?» It doesn’t give a realistic feeling putting to a mini flag stick, c’mon!
Service:
It would be nice to see employees of this range to have clothing & a name tag that would identify themselves as an employee of the «Mililani Golf Academy.» If what I’ve seen continues, they might as well get rid of the cashier position, move the range ball dispenser outside and sell the tokens needed for the dispenser right next to it. Then you can get rid of the wasted money you spend on the salary for a cashier position and focus on better well kept range.
Atmosphere:
During the day is best, as you can see where your golf ball lands. Night time is a different story. Not enough lighting. Too dim.
Price:
As of this date, $ 6.00 for a large bucket of golf balls. I’ve been to better ranges with better quality golf balls and better lighting during the night time hours.
Parking:
Probably the only thing that I can’t complain about is the parking. Even during busy days & nights, I’m able to find a spot.

The only reason I come to this driving range is that it is close to where I live.
This driving range is below average because the lighting is poor at night and the mats are in shabby condition.

I hit up Ala Wai Golf Range a lot because I live in town and I don’t wanna drive very far just to hit golf balls.
Pros — If you live or are in town, easy to get too! Free for all system can be a pro and a con. Some of the Mats are really good with that natural grass feel.
Cons — The lighting is pretty bad compared to some of the other driving ranges. Most of the mats are worn down and are in need of a change. This place can get crowded with you having to wait for stalls.
Would I still go even though the cons out weight the pros? Yes!

This is not my favorite driving to hit golf balls at.
-$ 4 for a small bucket, $ 6 for a large bucket
–Most of the mats are beat up
–Balls are horrible, most don’t have any dimples
–If all of the stalls are filled, unlike before where they put you on a waiting list, you now just have to sit behind someone who looks like they are finishing, making things awkward for everyone
–Putting greens are horrible, with multiple bumps and sand so the ball doesn’t really roll correctly
Alas, the reason why I go back (and I assume most people as well) is that they are the only range in town… oh wells.

Nothing fancy, just a good olé driving range and it does the job if you need to blow off some steam or practice your shots.
The great thing about Ala Wai driving range is they’re open until midnight. Last buckets of balls are sold at 11PM and lights out at 11:45PM.
They take credit cards for balls and can also rent you a plastic tee for $ 2.
You get your $ 2 back when you return it. They also rent out old drivers and irons if you like. The putting green is nicely manicured.

Facts/​Disclaimers:
1. I am VERY new to golfing (thus no expectations)
2. I live very close (walkable distance) to the range.
3. I only have ever visited the range after 8pm.
Given these facts I LOVE the Ala Wait Driving Range. I’ve never had any problems finding 2 spots (one for me one for the boy) and next to each other. Plus I love their hours; if at 9:30pm I feel like hitting the ball I can go hit some balls! Seriously, can’t beat the hours.
No practice tees in the mats, but if you’re a golf enthusiast should have your own. If not, you’re not enthusiastic enough about golf. Get some for yourself they are cheap and should last you a lifetime (ie they pay for themselves overtime).
Ya the mats are a little old, ya it can get a little crowded, but never have I ever found other people’s conversations too loud nor had a problem with their mats (There is, however, a problem with my swings haha)
If you think its crowded and get cranky about waiting, how about watching other people play golf? There are some lessons to be learned from watching others. You see their goods and bads and try to apply to yourself (isn’t that the point of a driving range — to get better anyway?!) I’ve seen some seriously hilarious noobs and some seriously awesome golfers.
Relatively cheap? GOOD. Practice golf? GOOD. Awesome hours? GOOD.