RESCINDED: Loophole Closed on Non-Resident Golfers Seeking Waiehu Discount

Waiehu Golf course sign. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Maui Now Staff

*** County officials have since issued an update to this story. Authorities have advised that the information they released regarding Resident Golf Cards (which is included in the post below) be disregarded. According to an advisory from the mayor’s office, the Department of Parks and Recreation has received information that will allow department officials to make changes to improve the program. County officials apologized for the inconvenience.

Resident golfers who utilize the Waiehu municipal course on Maui must renew documentation by July 1, in order to benefit from residential discounts, county officials announced today.

“The changes are intended to allow only bonafide residents to qualify for discounted play at Waiehu Golf Course, by excluding non-residents who had used a loophole in the previous system to obtain a resident card and pay resident rates to golf,” authorities said in a press release announcing the new requirements.

Officials from the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation made the announcement today, noting that all Resident Golf Cards must be renewed by July 1, 2013, regardless of when the cards were issued.

Required documentation now includes proof of identification and proof of residency in Maui County for one year prior to the date of application.

• Proof of identification can be verified by presenting one of the following forms of ID:
  • a valid US passport,
  • a valid Hawaiʻi drivers license, or
  • a valid Hawaiʻi State Identification Card.
• The residency requirement can be verified by presenting one of the following:
  • a Hawaiʻi voter registration certificate. Individuals on the State voter database can obtain this certificate at the Office of the County Clerk (7th floor of the County Building in Wailuku) during normal business hours;
  • last years accepted Hawaiʻi State income tax return with W-2; or
  • a filed and accepted current-year Hawaiʻi State income tax return with W-2 form.

Park officials say the resident golf card is valid for two years once proof of identification and residency are established.

Individuals who already have a Resident Golf Card can renew by showing proof of identification, provided that their name is listed in the state voter database. If it is not on the list, county officials say they will still be able to golf through June, but the next time they visit, they will have to bring one of the verifiable documents listed above to prove residency.

Additional renewal guidelines were provided by county officials under an “alternate documentation provision.”  They include the following:

• Individuals who do not possess the required documentation outlined above can contact the director’s office to submit alternative documentation to the director of Parks and Recreation.
• Individuals whose residency is qualified through alternate means may apply for a renewal if they can provide proof of play at Waiehu Golf Course during the nine months prior to renewal.
• The Parks director is required to maintain for at least four years, a record of the names of individuals qualifying under the alternate documentation provision and the type of evidence submitted for each person qualifying. This ensures that the documents are available for reasonable public inspection.

The new residency requirements are included in the Maui County Code under Chapter 13.16.010.

***Supporting information courtesy County of Maui.