Royal Kunia's future still up in air as time drags on
By Bill Kwon
Royal Kunia — called by its designer Robin Nelson "the best golf course in Hawai'i nobody played," — still is not open for play. It has now been 8 1/2 years since it was built and more than a year after a Japan-based company reached an agreement with the city to buy it without having to pay the remaining $13 million impact fee.
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JAC Hawai'i, which struck a deal with the city to purchase the course, has run into problems of its own and is already negotiating with yet a second prospective buyer.
The Royal Kunia Golf Course, which has been around for 8 1/2 years, still is not open for regular business and parts of it have fallen into disrepair.
In the meantime, the condition of the golf course is deteriorating, according to superintendent Leighton Wong, because "we've got no money to spend. We've cut back from nothing to nothing."
Also, Guy Yamamoto, hired as director of golf in August, left Royal Kunia because of its tenuous future.
"I've had a nice relationship with Mr. Okuhara (Hideaki Okuhara, president and CEO of JAC Hawai'i) and there weren't any hard feelings," Yamamoto said. "But I have to think of the financial security of my family."
Yamamoto was the director of golf at the Olomana Golf Links for 11 years before taking the Royal Kunia job in order to be closer to his Waipahu home.
"My decision was pre-Sept. 11. Things were upbeat. Everything took a turn for the worse," Yamamoto said. "That's one of life's twists."
The status of Royal Kunia remains uncertain, according to Alan Goda, attorney for JAC Hawai'i.
"There's really nothing new," said Goda, who expects more lengthy delays with yet another process of due diligence with the second prospective buyer after the first interested party, also from Japan, fell through.
"They seem to be serious," Goda said about the latest buyer, "but they haven't come up with any money yet."
Under the terms of the agreement with the city, which has been anxious to open the golf course, JAC Hawai'i, in exchange for the waiver of the $13 million impact fee, would pay $2.5 million and one dollar per round in perpetuity.
How long will the city wait before simply taking over Royal Kunia?
There is a set time frame for JAC Hawai'i to take over the golf course or find a buyer, according to Jon Yoshimura, chairman of the City Council when the sale terms were approved in July 2001.
The city can walk away from the agreement if there is non-compliance, he said. JAC Hawai'i has yet to pay the $2.5 million under the agreement.
"They came along at a difficult time and there's no bad faith on their part so the city is willing to let them find another buyer," Yoshimura said. "But I would like to see the matter resolved as quickly as possible, sometime this year. If not, I would strongly recommend that the city take over the golf course."
For now, Royal Kunia remains closed. Because of the current situation, it has canceled all 2002 playing dates scheduled by a number of local golf clubs.
It is still the best course in Hawai'i nobody has played.
Guy's future is now
The personable Yamamoto's employment future may be up in the air, but not his playing future.
He will be trying to qualify for the U.S. Men's Amateur Public Links Championship July 15-20 at The Orchards Golf Course outside of Detroit, along with four other Hawai'i golfers — Christian Akau, Jay Kurisu, Shannon Sibayan and Richard Kimi.
Akau, a 2002 Kamehameha Schools graduate who led the Warriors to their first state golf championship, was the top O'ahu qualifier. Kurisu qualified on Maui, Sibayan on Kaua'i and Kimi on the Big Island.
Because they each represent a different section, Hawai'i isn't eligible for the Harding Cup team championship based on the aggregate score in the 36-hole qualifying. Too bad, since Hawai'i won the team title three times — 1957, 1961 and 1975. David Ishii, Allan Yamamoto and Wendell Kop made up Hawai'i's winning team in the 1975 publinx at Wailua, Kaua'i.
And, no, Guy Yamamoto and Akau cannot count as an O'ahu section team — actually Team Waipahu — because of a rule change discounting exempt players from the Harding competition.
As the 1994 national champion, Yamamoto is exempt from the local qualifying. He has two more years on his 10-year exemption to the national qualifying.
He qualified three times since his victory, but has lost in the first round of match play each time.
"I can't sneak past anyone anymore," Yamamoto said. "They all rise to the occasion because they like to beat a former champion."
Besides Yamamoto, other exempt players in the 156-man field include defending champion Chez Reavie, who played earlier this spring in the Taylor Made Waikoloa Intercollegiate Tournament, and Kevin Warrick, the former Leilehua High School golfer who was low amateur in the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage, N.Y.
Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net.
