WAILUKU — Maui County Council members are expected to call for the PGA to review the Waiehu Municipal Golf Course after hearing complaints from golfers about poor conditions and management.

"It is not in great shape," said Council Member Mike Victorino, who said he was working with Council Chairman Riki Hokama to request the PGA review.

Victorino said to The Maui News that he was concerned about fees, maintenance and manpower at the public course. He noted that Waiehu has more than twice as many workers as the far-busier Ala Wai Golf Course in Honolulu.

He said the PGA assessment is expected to cost $2,500.

"I think it's long overdue," Victorino said.

County Parks Director Tamara Horcajo said she would support the review.

"Our department welcomes that," she said. "I think that would be enlightening for everyone."

The Parks and Recreation Department has requested an adjustment of golf fees that would eliminate discounted weekday and "twilight" rates, and increase rates from $8 to $12 for Maui residents, from $3 to $8 for resident retirees, and from $50 to $55 for non-Hawaii residents. The fee for students would remain $8.

High school golfers in the Maui Interscholastic League also compete at Waiehu.

Horcajo has said the increases are necessary to help keep pace with the rising costs of maintenance and operations. The golf program, which is intended to pay for itself, has been running a deficit, and required a $329,126 subsidy from the General Fund this year.

Horcajo said she was "surprised" to hear testimony yesterday's Budget and Finance Committee meeting from golfers complaining about poor maintenance of the course. She said she wanted to see the conditions for herself.

"I think I'm going to have to go golfing," she said.

The committee is reviewing county fees as part of its review of the annual budget. The council has until the end of May to pass a budget that will go into effect July 1.

Dottie Hughes, who golfs at Waiehu once a week with a ladies' group, said the increase in the senior rate was too steep.

"That would eliminate an awful lot of our members, at $8," she said.

The course is in "terrible shape," she added, with clumps of weeds clogging the greens.

"It costs you extra strokes just to get out of it," she said.

Kihei resident Ronda Barstad agreed the weeds were "really, really terrible."

"Sometimes you can't see a ball in the fairway, and that's just not fair," she said.

Arthur Rego, who manages the pro shop at the course, said Waiehu should try to increase the number of tee times before it raises rates, by extending its hours and giving players the option of starting on the back nine.

"We need to look at how we can generate more rounds first," he said.

Higher rates and poor conditions drive away players, and that hurts the pro shop and the restaurant, Rego said.

"For the last three years, we've struggled," he said.

Retired Maui Fire Chief Clayton Ishikawa also was concerned about how higher fees would impact retired plantation workers on fixed incomes who enjoy playing on the course.

"They need that exercise, they need that camaraderie," he said.

The course has a beautiful location and layout, but the condition of the greens is "deplorable," with bumps, ruts and weeds, he said.

"If you're going to raise fees, the product's got to be good, and the product is not good now," he said.

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