A recent article noted that a private company may be investing up to $50 million to upgrade the driving range at the Ala Wai Golf Course (“Ala Wai driving range might get $50M face-lift,” Star-Advertiser, May 2).

No doubt our local golfers will be thrilled. But golfers, the only people who actually make use of that enormous, beautiful tract of land, represent a tiny fraction of our population.

I think that the course should be opened — one day a week or at least several hours each week — for the general public to use its pathways for walking, jogging, biking or skateboarding, and its vast lawns for family picnics, kite flying, maybe even drone flying.

The Ala Wai Golf Course is a vast, beautiful oasis among the residential districts around Waikiki. It should be accessible to everyone.

Roger Garrett

Kapahulu

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Topgolf range won’t work for true golfers

I understand the financial allure for the city bringing Topgolf to the Ala Wai Golf Course (“Ala Wai driving range might get $50M face-lift,” Star-Advertiser, May 2).

However, I’m not sure if everyone understands how the company operates. You must rent a bay, which starts at around $30 an hour — and pay for membership, too. A golfer cannot just go there and buy a bucket of balls to practice. Nor can a golfer warm up “at the range.” It’ll be cheaper to just play at Ala Wai.

This is not going to work for true golfers.

Pat Nakamura

Manoa

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Hawaii must control growth of tourism

In the front-page story, “They keep coming!” (Star-Advertiser, April 27), we read, “Get ready for 10 million tourists.” Is this the kind of news we should welcome? In fact, isn’t such relentless expansion endangering nearly everything we value in Hawaii?

Just look at the busloads of tourists taking over places we had always thought of as “local,” whether Leonard’s malasadas, Kailua beaches or the streets of Upcountry Maui towns. And think of our lack of infrastructure to deal with the ever-greater numbers of visitors that tourism brings. For example, try and drive along a water-swollen street in the glitzy new Kakaako on a very rainy day.

Moreover, we are becoming increasingly reliant on an industry that is notoriously volatile — remember how empty Waikiki gets when the economy turns down (or immediately after a crisis like 9/11)? And the ongoing explosion in home vacation rentals (untaxed, thanks to our feckless Legislature) helps drive the crisis in available affordable rentals and thus the upsurge in homelessness.

We badly need a public discussion about placing a moratorium on tourism’s chaotic growth. And we need it soon.

Noel Kent

Manoa

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Pave Pali with durable concrete

Amarjit Singh’s article on fixing our roads with concrete is right on the money (“Fix roads with concrete, technology,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, May 2).

It may cost more now, but it will save money, time and a lot of frustration in the long run. We may not be able to do all of the roads, but making the Pali Highway concrete is a no-brainer, since it rains so much up there.

Is there a leader in government who actually will take the lead and make it a priority?

Randy Lau

Kaneohe

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Southwest won’t fix interisland service

Local resident fliers who are salivating over Southwest’s announcing interisland service are going to be disappointed (“Southwest plans low-cost interisland service,” Star-Advertiser, May 3).

To mount an operation in any way competitive with Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest would need a fleet of at least six or seven aircraft in Hawaii and establish a maintenance base to support them.

What Southwest is going to do is run continuations of mainland flights between the islands. This will likely mean the equivalent of two or three roundtrips between Honolulu and Maui and fewer to Lihue and Kona. Since the mainland leg is the more important part of the flight, timing for the local market will be problematic.

I don’t think Hawaiian is shaking in its boots.

Jim King

Waikiki

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Vote to reverse Trump’s damage

I totally agree with Mary Culveyhouse (“Take stand against Trump’s behavior,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 3).

The “leadership” provided by President Donald Trump can only be termed abysmal. Americans with an appreciation of how great our democracy is, do not have to accept his behavior.

We can remember in November his lies, ignorance, selfishness and dictatorial manner. We can vote for change and, by doing so, all the damage he has done can begin to be erased: The Clean Air and Clean Water acts can be reinforced, public schools can be supported instead of private schools, scientific findings can be respected again to slow global warming.

The litany of destruction we now are experiencing can be reversed in all of our democratic institutions. Let us hope the Nov. 6 vote is of historic proportions so that the United States of America will be on solid ground once again.

Marilyn Kennedy

Manoa

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Study flood control for areas of Kauai

There is talk about whether the flooded-out Kauai residents should re-build their homes.

Many years ago there was a devastating flood in Kaneohe that wiped out a community. The Army Corps of Engineers devised a flood control plan that has been turned into a park called Ho‘omaluhia. The community was rebuilt and is safe from flooding.

Maybe there should be some thought to at least having the Army Corps of Engineers come in to do a study to see if flood control is a feasible idea. The flood control plan could be funded through federal disaster funds.

Ken Takeya

Kailua