Johnmango

Just trying to confirm if this is true or just a misunderstanding:

A colleague told me that a few years ago when she was in Hawaii with her boyfriend,they went to a golf course to enquire about the green fee, and was told that since she is Chinese she will have to pay a higher fee.

Is that a misunderstanding??? I know that in some countries there is a separate fee for locals, and separate fee for foreigners. I cannot believe that in USA, ANY golf course be they private or public, would charge different prices based on race: an African American would pay different price than an Asian American and so on??? That would be blatant racial discrimmination and the golf course would be sued for that.

Does anyone know about golfing fees in Hawaii?? Thanks

Suzie

Hawaii's public golf courses have tiered fees based on residency. If you are a resident of the state there is one fee, if you are a non-resident but a US citizen there is a different fee and if you are not a US citizen there is a differnet fee. There are also senior citizen fees that are lower and children fees.

dmlove

So, is your colleague American of Chinese descent, or is she Chinese, as in from China?

Johnmango

She's Canadian, of Chinese-Malaysian origin. The boyfriend is Caucasian-Canadian.

gyppielou

Well thank heavens, so far it seems that there is no racism here.

Suzie

So it was the fact that she was not a US citizen that resulted in higher fees not the fact that she was Chinese.

A_Traveller

Your friend who is a Canadian falls into the category of a "foreign national" and therefore has to pay the highest fee. Race did not enter into the equation.

Many public golf courses in my "home state" and in other states where I have lived and/or played golf have similar fee structures - this applies mainly when said golf courses are operated in full or partly using government funding by the town, county, or state.

jamesr3939

I can support that. My son has a very good friend who lives in HI and my son visits often. They play golf and the friend paid a much lower rate than my son (both are very white).

My son finally went to the HI DMV and got a HI DL using his friend's address so he could get the much lower green fees.

furledleader

<My son finally went to the HI DMV and got a HI DL using his friend's address so he could get the much lower green fees.>


Didn't he have to give up his other drivers license when he got the Hawaii one???

SiteC_er

The practice of locals / state residents paying lower rates for hotels, golf, etc is common practice in a lot of states (NV, & HI come to mind). In somse states, KS for example, county residents get a discount greater than those living in the next county (only on public courses)

Johnmango

Both my friend and her boyfriend are Canadians, one is Asian and one Caucasian. Without asking whether they live in Hawaii, or whether they are US citizens, or whether they are tourists, she was told that her fee would be higher. Hence my original question.

lcuy

Yes, it would be totally illegal to charge based on race.\, but I have a feeling they misunderstood.

Hawaii is one of the most diverse states in the nation, and if anything the caucasian is often assumed to be a tourist!

We have no majority race here...Chinese, Japanese, Caucasian all count in at about 2o-25%. Then there are plenty of Korean, Filipino, Pacific Islanders, and Hawaiians. Number of African Americans, hispanics, and other asians are rising.

Most younger people are of mixed race...I think something like 60% of all babies born here in the last couple of decades are mixed.

Dukey

I'd like to know some of those states that you can get a cheaper hotel room because you are a resident..I've heard about special rates for Florida residents at places like Disney...but...