“For years Hilo has had no golf course. A links at the Volcano and the residents of Hamakua coast and of the Kohala region can get a round or two whenever they desire.” (HTH, Sep 23, 1925)
“The Hilo Country Club was the name chosen for Hilo’s new golf club which has purchased 123 acres of excellent golf land in Kaumana, … at a meeting of the members of the organization held Monday evening in the Chamber of Commerce rooms.”
“The course will be a regulation nine hole course, capable of accommodating-more than 150 golfers at one time. … The club has more than enough land so that when Hilo needs an 18-[hole] course it will be an easy matter to enlarge the nine-hole course.” (HTH, Sep 2, 1925)
“The Hilo Country Club golf course in Kaumana is now complete and will be ready for play in July or August … The course in the estimation of many prominent golfers is the best in the Territory.” (HTH, Apr 16, 1926)
“The Hilo Country Club’s new golf course will be informally opened on August 22, when members of the club are allowed to use the links”. (HTH, Aug 10, 1926)
“[T]hat golf course was put up by the plantations, all the C. Brewer and all the big fives. All the plantation managers were the members and directors so whenever we want something like fertilizer, we got it from the plantations.”
“That’s the only way we could have survived then. Mostly it was managers and the bank, the judges, the police chief and all those. … “ (Susumu Tanimoto, oral history Pili Productions)
“[A]ll the functions like socializing was done at the Yacht Club, the same members. That Country Club was mostly for golf. And all the social gatherings, the same group, they all belonged to the Yacht Club.”
“It was quite a big club house though. We could seat 250 for dinner, upstairs and one open floor you know. We could seat 250. … We had catered to some you know class reunions and some weddings and things like that.” (Susumu Tanimoto, oral history Pili Productions)
“[W]hen I first there they won’t take any Orientals or any other nationality.” (Susumu Tanimoto, oral history Pili Productions) Susumu Tanimoto joined the Hilo Country Club in 1945.
“Well I first went to the Country Club as a custodian and during that time there were nobody around. Everybody was drafted or either volunteered.”
“So they didn’t have any guy, any custodian. And for me it was lucky because my wife could be in the kitchen and I could take over the rest of the janitorial job and everything. That’s how we started.”
“[T]hat was one of the nicest club house. Too bad though. And we had a bar. … All with hard wood, koa. Oh one of the best. Real, real old timer. … [the clubhouse as] Two story, like this basement. That’s where we had all our everyday doing. You know golf, golf shop, lunch. We serve lunch on the, upstairs was purely for big gatherings, dance.”
“But working there for couple of years then I took up golf cause I was on the golf course. … after I became pro. That’s why they made me the pro, to get all Orientals, all the doctors and lawyers and all the Oriental businessmen.”
“So I did went out and I got a lot of the businessmen and professional men to join the club. And we were doing fine.” (Susumu Tanimoto, oral history Pili Productions)
“[W]e had the Hilo Open, we had the Island Champion, four or five big ones through the year. Cause we were the only golf club then, before the Muni came.”
Then, the “Hilo Municipal [Golf Course] opened up 1958 or ’59. And from there on the membership became low because they could play golf cheaper. So then we start struggling.” (Susumu Tanimoto, oral history Pili Productions)
Tanimoto “wasn’t happy with the club so I just resigned and… They hired another pro while I was still working there. That got me mad you know so I quit. And after I quit all the boys that I have brought them to the club, to let them join, they all resign too.”
“So right off the bat gone. They had no income then. All the guys that I had recruited, they all resign when I resign and left the club. I think they operate about six months after I left.” Tanimoto opened a pro shop in Hilo. (Susumu Tanimoto, oral history Pili Productions)
“[S]ale of the {Hilo Country] club had been considered for several months. The club has bank debts, and other outstanding bills totalling approximately $150,000.” (HTH, Nov 4, 1973)
“[T]he vote for approval of the sale was 266 to 2. A vote of 224, or 75 per cent of the 297 club stockholders, was needed for approval of the sale.”
“Originally, three offers were received, one for $800,000 and two for $850,000. All three were rejected by the Country Club board of directors because of the wide variation of sale conditions.”
“Uniform sale conditions were then laid down by the directors and the firms were invited to submit offers. The firm with the $800,000 offer upped it to $850,000. One of the firms offering $850,000 re-submitted the offer and the other withdrew.” (HTH, Jan 1, 1974)
The property was deeded to Obata Pacific Inc on March 7, 1974. (HTH, Sep 16, 1974) Obata Pacific intended to expand the nine hole course to 18 holes and develop other recreational facilities. (HTH, Jan 1, 1974)
Things got worse … “Obata Pacific, a Hawaii corporation owned by Mr. and Mrs. Minoru Obata of Tokyo, took title to the 63-acre, nine-hole Kaumana course and clubhouse last March, putting down 10 per cent of the $855,000 sale price.”
“A spokesman for Obata in Hilo confirmed to the Tribune-Herald this week that the firm is nearly two months late in making a final balloon payment. … planning work on renovation of the facility has been suspended. A December reopening date for the club has been postponed by Obata indefinitely”. (HTH, Sep 1, 1974)
The property went into foreclosure and the golf course never reopened.






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