"The golfing world in Hawai'i is like one big ohana," Lori Castillo said during her induction into the Hawai'i Golf Hall of Fame along with Brandan Kop, who felt the same way by acknowledging fellow hall of famers Ken Miyaoka, Larry Stubblefield and David Ishii for giving him encouragement even when they're trying to win the same tournament.

The spirit of ohana, or family, is what made this year's Hall of Fame ceremony Monday night at the Hawaii Prince Hotel particularly memorable because Castillo and Kop come from Hawai'i's two most famous golfing families.

Brandan is the third generation in the Kop family to be honored, joining his late grandfather Guinea, who was among the nine inaugural inductees 20 years ago, and his uncle Wendell, whose induction in 1994 made him the first and still only son to follow his father into the hall of fame.

Lori joins Ron Castillo Sr., also class of 1994, to become the first father-daughter hall of famers. In keeping with the Castillo family tradition, Lori's four brothers — Rick, Ron Jr., Michael and Joey — are all golf professionals.

Castillo and Kop, who have combined to win more than 50 local, national and international championships, both credited their fathers for their start and interest in golf at a young age. And the loving support as well from their respective moms, Dorothy and Tamae.

In Castillo's case, she first took up the game because she didn't want to be left out. She didn't like it when her dad took Rick out golfing. And when he also asked Ron Jr. to come along, that was it. "My brothers got to spend time with my dad," said Castillo, who insisted in tagging along.

Her father was then an assistant pro at the Waialae Country Club and had little time to give her lessons. So Lori went to Ted Murata, who ran a junior golf program at the Bay View Golf Links in Kane'ohe. But when Castillo became the head pro at the Hawai'i Kai Golf Course, he had more time to devote to his own kids.

"I got golf lessons every day from my dad and that was huge," said Lori, adding that Hawai'i Kai became "our own special playground."

Castillo soon became special months after shooting a 133 at the Makalena Golf Course in her first tournament against older competition, posting scores in the 80s and 70s. And she got good enough to captain the Kaiser High School golf team. "I was an odd ball," she said, "captain of the boys' golf team." There were no girls golf teams then.

Local junior golfers also didn't travel as often as they do now. But when Castillo first took her game to the Mainland for the first time, she won the 13-14 division in the 1974 Junior World Championships in San Diego. She went on to win the 1978 U.S. Girls' Junior in Wilmington, Del., and back-to-back U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links championships in 1979 and '80 — to be the only Hawai'i golfer with three USGA titles.

Her proudest accomplishment, though, says Castillo, now a Maui Realtor, is getting a degree from Stanford after transferring from the University of Tulsa, where she was a member of the 1980 NCAA championship team.

"(Not bad) for a girl who grew up in Kalihi," Castillo said.

Kop's father, Danny, was also an outstanding golfer, but he felt Guinea would be better suited to teach his grandson.

When he was 10, Kop remembers his grandfather picking him up at 7 in the morning every day during the summer in his cigar smoke-filled car to take him to the Francis I'i Brown (now Pearl Country Club) or Mililani golf course where he once gave lessons. "I kept talking to him so he wouldn't fall asleep (at the wheel)," Kop recalled.

He also listened and learned well from his grandfather, who was one of the best golf teachers ever to come out of Hawai'i. "He could hit any shot. He was amazing," said Ron Castillo Sr.

Kop could go on and on about his grandfather. But what he remembers most was that Guinea was always positive, no matter how badly a round went. It was always, "Next time, next him."

When Kop asked his grandfather what was his proudest accomplishment in a legendary golf career, Guinea told him it was sending his three children to college. Perhaps it's because Guinea was once offered by Brown, for whom he often caddied, the choice of either getting a college scholarship or a membership to the Moanalua Golf Club. He chose the latter and never played golf as an amateur.

Perhaps it's why Guinea told his grandson, "Whatever you do, get a college degree because it's something you can fall back on."

Brandan Kop never gave serious thought of turning pro, remaining one of the state's finest amateur players with four Manoa Cup titles after winning the 1981 Western Athletic Conference golf title as a junior on the University of Hawai'i golf team. He got his business degree and now heads Kop Distributors, a thriving sports apparel company.

Kop and Castillo, both 47, have indeed kept their family legacies going. And don't count on it ending, not with the Castillo brothers still golfing along with three-time Mid-Pacific Open champion Regan and 1994 Manoa Cup champion Reynold Lee, sons of Guinea's daughter, Linda Lee Ho. Regan was also recognized Monday night for being awarded an apprentice scholarship from the Aloha Section PGA.

Golf is truly a sport of ohana, especially for the Kops and Castillos.

Bill Kwon can be reached at billkwonrhs@aol.com.