Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

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In just the first hour starting from 6:30 each morning, there are 104,000 calls. Here's a tip. If it doesn't answer after the first ring, you didn't connect with the computer. And, after the first hour, you'll be lucky to get a tee time at 2 in the afternoon.

The hottest telephone number in town is for the automated tee time reservation system at the city's six municipal golf courses. Two months and a week have now gone by since the city's answer to dial-a-prayer golf has been in operation.

Is the new reservation system working?

Yes and no, depending on who you talk to. Even golfers are divided in their opinions.

Those who've hardly ever played the popular Ala Wai Course before think the system is the greatest thing since Spam musubi. Those who have practically made the golf course their personal country club, of course, think not.

Both groups, though, begrudgingly admit that the new system is fair.

According to the city's director of golf operations, Dave Mills, a limited survey of callers showed that 67 percent of those polled thought the new system is very fair.

Seventy percent felt very positive about it and 65 percent was very satisfied.

IT'S an indication that the system is working and being accepted, Mills said. But he likes it mostly because it's equitable and makes everyone accountable.

"What we are seeing are a lot of new faces at Ala Wai... and old faces in new places," Mills said.

Another advantage, according to Mills, is that a golfer can book a starting time at any of the six courses with a single phone call. A seventh municipal course, Ewa Villages, will be fully operational by June.

"It used to be if he couldn't get a starting time at Ala Wai, it would be too late to try to get one at Pali," Mills points out as an example.

Ala Wai, of course, is everyone's first choice because of its in-town convenience. It's the course most of the 26,700 golfers who have registered for free ID cards prefer to play.

That brings us to another problem which the city will soon rectify with the new ID cards, which will be scanned when the golfer checks in, according to Mills.

In the precard days, someone could make a starting time and give it to a friend because he has a better time.

Now, the individual who booked the time has to show up or his ID card will be red flagged. Presumably, a couple of red flags could mean a loss of golfing privileges.

"The new system is fairer and makes for better accountability. There's an audit trail," Mills said.

THERE are a couple of down sides to the new system.

Already play is about 15 minutes to a half hour slower at Ala Wai, which means it might not have as many rounds of play as in years past. In 1995 it was 198,000 rounds.

Ala Wai regulars play fast, sort of like speed chess. Many of the golfers playing there for the first time aren't used to that pace, Mills admits.

There are also more walkers, which could lead to a loss in revenue since golf-cart rentals are a big money maker. That combination has led to a slight decline in revenue.

But Mills says that revenues are up at West Loch and Makalena because callers are booking times there since they can't get on at Ala Wai.

Well, the new system is satisfactory if fairness is the city's first consideration for installing it. But fairness may come at a price.

It won't happen this year because it's an election year. But I sure hope that the city won't think about raising golf fees if this year's revenue doesn't match that of $6.8 million last year.