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More arrests
planned in Ala Wai
tee-time scandal

Two at the Ala Wai golf course
are already accused of taking
bribes for prime tee times

By Treena Shapiro
Star-Bulletin

Honolulu police say more arrests may be coming in an alleged bribery scheme over tee times at the Ala Wai golf course.

The arrests, they say, could also include other employees and even golfers who may have bribed starters for prime tee times at the nation's busiest golf course.

Complaints filed with the mayor led to a Honolulu Police Department investigation and the arrest of two starters who are accused of taking thousands of dollars in bribes.

Police used surveillance cameras and stakeouts in an eight-month undercover investigation. Detectives say the cameras caught the employees taking cash out of the register and charging standby golfers more than the standard green fee.

"Right now it looks like they were averaging maybe between $60 and $120 a day cash that they were accepting for these tee times," said police Lt. William Kato.

A female golf course operations assistant arrested yesterday had worked at the course for 22 years. A male golf course clerk arrested Friday began working at the course three years ago, police said.

According to Kato, friends of the starters would call and ask for a time, then pay about $5 or $6 above the $22 green fee per golfer to bring their groups in without going on standby or calling for a tee time.

Detective Owen Lovell, who directed the investigation, said the two starters worked six-hour shifts six days a week, and each spent three hours per shift working at the window. They took bribes every day, he said, and the same golfers came around at least once a week.

Because the two starters were county employees, they are facing a Class C felony charge, which could mean up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. At a private golf course, the offense would be a misdemeanor.

While Kato said many golfers complained among themselves at the golf course, most said yesterday they hadn't noticed any bribery at the course. "You follow the rules," said Ralph Oto, of Manoa.

Oto, surprised at the arrest of the starters, said the key to a good tee time was networking, not bribery. One person calling early in the morning could get a tee time for an entire group, he explained. And with a set tee time, he said he never noticed anyone getting ahead of him in line.

But Oto also said that following the rules meant trying to get through to a central automated phone reservation system that was frequently busy. "Since it opened, I never get through," he said. "The system stinks."

In a statement issued yesterday, Mayor Jeremy Harris said the telephone system was developed a few years ago in response to rumors that there were problems with the old system.

"The city is committed to offering a fair and unbiased tee time system at our golf courses," he said, congratulating the Police Department for its investigation and arrests.