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You don’t have to be a golfer — or even dress like one — to enjoy a cold drink near the links on Oahu.
As my Crave colleague Pat Gee shares in this week’s cover story, courses all over the island serve up dishes that keep golfers coming back time and again, but longtime players know the 19th hole is more about enjoying some liquid refreshment while regaling your foursome with tales of birdies and eagles past, along with highlights from the round just completed.
Me? I’m more of a hacker than a golfer. But I do enjoy being outside with friends, with the sun shining — as long as there’s a cooler loaded onto the back of my golf cart.
Here are a few of my favorite bars to visit when I’m in the mood to cruise at a course.
ROY’S KO OLINA
Ko Olina Golf Club, 676-7697
When it comes to drinks with a view, you can’t do much better than Roy’s Ko Olina.
Chef Roy Yamaguchi has been associated with the course since the restaurant’s opening in 2004, with outdoor bar seating that provides a nearly 360-degree view of the course.
You definitely pay resort prices here, so I’m thankful for Roy’s two discounted food lineups — Roy’s 19th Hole Pupu Menu and the Aloha Hourz Menu — with items like Roy’s famous Blackened Island Ahi ($23), Mongolian Spiced Baby Back Ribs ($7.50) and Yukari Fries ($4) available. Grabbing a bite is important, especially once you see the breadth of cocktail options.
Forget about regular old domestics and order instead one of Lanikai Brewing Co.’s excellent made-in-Hawaii brews, like the Pillbox Porter or Route 70 Saison ($21 for a 22-ounce bottle). The bartenders here also make no less than three spiked teas, four versions of a Moscow Mule, plus two types of shochu, a flight of three sakes and even a couple of mocktails.
Craft cocktail fans will want to try the High West “DBL Rye” Manhattan ($13.75), which uses High West rye whiskey paired with Carpano Antica vermouth as expected, but then ventures into new territory by using Fee Brothers black walnut bitters. I liked how the flavor profile of the rye played off the nutty component of the bitters, effectively cutting down the vermouth’s sweetness.
Another winner is Roy’s Infused Pineapple Martini ($14.25), with vanilla vodka and a coconut rum that’s had fresh pineapple soaking inside. It reminds me of a martini that former Hawaii-based mixologist Joey Gottesman made when he worked at the now-closed E&O Trading Co. at Ward Centre — very, very tasty and very, very potent. Be careful ordering more than one.
LEI LEI’S BAR & GRILL
Turtle Bay Resort, 293-2662
Tell someone you’re heading to Turtle Bay for drinks and it’s a good bet they’ll assume you’re heading to Surfer, The Bar. Located in the main lobby, it’s a great place for cocktails and live entertainment — but it’s not the only quality drinking option at the resort.
Take a left before hitting the main parking lot and look for signs leading to Turtle Bay’s golf-course clubhouse, also home to Lei Lei’s Bar & Grill. Indoor and outdoor seating options are available here, with the bar set up to service customers both in the main dining room and on a covered lanai outside. Lei Lei’s isn’t as close to the golf action as Roy’s Ko Olina, but you still get a nice view of Turtle Bay’s putting green, along with some of the actual holes.
I stick with the specialty cocktails at Lei Lei’s, all priced at $10. My favorite is Lei Lei’s Lemonade, a simple mix of vodka, Chambord raspberry liqueur and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Served in a Lei Lei’s pint glass with plenty of ice, it’s a thirst-quencher perfect after playing 18 holes on those hot days in Kahuku.
Six types of margaritas are served — traditional, strawberry, mango, Chambord, Midori and li hing mui — along with a pretty strong mai tai and a classic bay breeze that’s made “tropical” by swapping out Parrot Bay coconut rum for the traditional vodka before adding cranberry and pineapple juice.
Want a souvenir to remind you of your epic golf score and subsequent celebration at the bar? Order any cocktail at Lei Lei’s and you can keep the branded pint glass it’s served in for $3.
HONEY’S RESTAURANT
Koolau Golf Club, 235-3211
It’s all about the live entertainment at Honey’s.
I first visited Honey’s for a “Barfly” back in 2006, when I noted it is a favorite among local musicians, a place where “living legends kick back with rising stars and suck ‘em up in a room full of aloha.” Named after the mother of iconic Hawaiian entertainer Don Ho, Honey’s exhibits photos of local musicians, past and present. Before his death last year, another Hawaiian music icon, Eddie Kamae, would hold court regularly during Sunday-afternoon jam sessions.
While I don’t get to Honey’s as much as I’d like these days, it’s good to know they’re keeping up the tradition of live music every weekend. From 6 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 to 7 p.m. Sundays, the lounge fills up with aunties and uncles enjoying the sounds of artists such as Ledward Kaapana (he’ll be there Saturday and May 26), the Ko‘olau Serenaders (May 18) and Kumuhau (May 25).
It’s also good to know Mike Kaawa is still holding it down on Sundays; he and bassist Analu Aina are still playing there all these years later, and will return May 20 and 27 following a hiatus for Mother’s Day this weekend.
When it comes to drinks at Honey’s, your best bet is to keep things simple. If I’m not going for a bloody mary or a screwdriver (both $6), I’m sipping on a Bud Light ($4.50) old-man style, poured over a rocks glass filled with ice.
Ask your grandparents — it used to be a thing!
Jason Genegabus has written about the local bar and drink scenes since 2001. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @honolulupulse or email jason@staradvertiser.com.
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