Ernie Els opens new golf course on Oahu

Ernie Els formally opened his first golf course in Hawaii Monday, saying he’d like to see a world-class tournament played there within three or four years.

“I would love to see a golf tournament played here,” said the South African pro, who had just come off a sixth-place tie over the weekend in the PGA’s Mercedes-Benz Championship at Kapalua, Maui, and was preparing to tee it up in the PGA’s Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club later this week.

The 18-hole, 7,400-yard championship course built by the Ernie Els Design Group at Haseko‘s Hoakalei Resort in Ewa Beach on Oahu will need to mature before it can host a world-class professional tournament, Els said, adding that he’d like to see a tournament played there when the course is “spot-on.”

“To have a golf tournament here would be unbelievable,” he said.

The first amateur tournament for the course will be played on April 21. The Els Hoakalei Cup will benefit Autism Speaks, the Beautiful Son Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii Hale Pono Ewa Beach Clubhouse, and James Campbell High School’s Athletics Department.