Question: Why aren’t they issuing new Golf IDs? When will they resume?
Answer: The Golf Division of Honolulu County’s Department of Enterprise Services expects to resume issuing new Golf IDs and replacement cards by the end of the year, said Brandi Higa, a spokeswoman for the county. Service has been disrupted because hardware needed to upgrade the division’s computer systems was delayed by supply chain problems caused by the pandemic, she said. The necessary equipment arrived last week, and the division is working to integrate the Golf ID issuance system within a new reservations system for Oahu’s municipal courses.
“Golfers will be able to receive the physical Golf ID in person as soon as we get everything set up; we expect the Golf ID service to be restored by the end of the year. If completed sooner, an announcement will be made via our website, social media, phone reservation recording, and all of our municipal golf courses,” Higa said in an email.
When they are issued, City and County of Honolulu Golf IDs are limited to “bona fide Hawaii residents”; holders receive deep discounts on rounds of golf at Oahu’s municipal courses and can reserve tee times online or by phone.
Even without a Golf ID, golfers who prove Hawaii residency can get a big discount from the nonresident rate (although it’s slightly higher than the Golf ID rate, according to the Golf Division’s website). They cannot reserve tee times online or by phone, but “can still golf via stand-by/walk-in play,” Higa said.
For more information, see 808ne.ws/golfed.
Q: What are the guidelines or limitations for a Christmas gift for our letter carrier? I can’t believe the good work she does all year long.
A: “We agree that our dedicated mail carriers are deserving of appreciation for their service throughout the year and appreciate your reader’s interest in providing a Christmas gift to their specific carrier. Per federal regulations, our mail carriers can accept Christmas gifts valued at up to $20 per customer. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, cannot be accepted in any amount. Customers who want to show their appreciation year-round can do so by taking a moment to thank their carriers via a friendly greeting, a shaka or a smile and a wave. Those gestures are priceless,” Duke Gonzales, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service in Hawaii, said in an email.
Q: Are people who got their COVID-19 vaccines at military or Department of Defense vaccination sites in Hawaii included in the Hawaii Immunization Registry, for example, at Tripler hospital or a VA clinic?
A: No. “Vaccinations administered by federal agencies are included in our total (COVID-19) vaccination count, however those vaccinations are not entered into the Hawaii Immunization Registry,” said Brooks Baehr, a spokesman for the state Department of Health.
The Health Department has refurbished the registry to track COVID-19 vaccinations in Hawaii as well as vaccinations for two dozen other diseases. The registry was in disrepair before the pandemic, leaving the state to rely on a federal system that overstated first doses of COVID-19 vaccine given in Hawaii and undercounted booster doses. Those discrepancies have been corrected in the renewed Hawaii registry, according to the Health Department.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the kind person who turned in my lost ID outside of Home Depot in Pearl City and the customer service personnel who took care of it until I could retrieve it. My day of stress turned into a day of love. — Joy K.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
