The Bee Gees once posed the musical question, "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?"
My answer is for the PGA Tour to return to Hawai‘i after its sudden yet not surprising departure.
On Monday the announcement was official although many surmised after the cancellation of The Sentry tournament on Maui (reportedly due to drought issues) and a lack of contract extension by SONY that both professional tournaments were coming to an end. So, for the first time in over five decades we will be without a PGA Tour event.
I am a recreational golfer and a big fan of the sport. I have been for decades. If you're one too, then you know exactly what I mean. If you are a player, you understand the allure of the game and if you're not you may have zero understanding why a sane person would purposefully hit a little ball hundreds of yards and do that 18 times in a row. I'm not here to recruit you but to firmly state that the loss of the PGA Tour will have an effect on you.
The game of golf is a popular one.
A total of 48.1 million Americans age 6+ played golf — both on-course and off-course — in 2025.
This record-setting total includes 29.1 million people who played on a golf course and another 19 million who participated exclusively in off-course golf activities at places like traditional and tech-enabled driving ranges, indoor golf simulators, or golf entertainment venues like Topgolf.
Approximately 500,000 local residents and visitors play golf in Hawai‘i annually. Golf in the state includes roughly 12,600 acres of land, primarily used for recreation. The sport is popular across all islands and supports a significant economic impact, featuring various municipal, private, resort, and military courses.
And the game itself remains on a positive path from a generational and financial aspect.
• After three years of declining golf participation, from the 2021 pandemic peak, Bank of America payments data shows a modest rebound in 2025. At the same time, average annual spend per golfer has increased for four consecutive years, suggesting a smaller but more enthusiastic group of participants.
• Gen Z has continued to gain share in golf participation, likely driven by lower‑cost, more accessible formats like driving ranges and simulators. At the same time, participation among younger Millennials has declined, potentially reflecting competing life priorities and tighter budgets - though those who remain active appear to be spending more.
• Regionally, the West has recorded the strongest golf spending growth by region in 2025, supported by domestic migration, destination-style "stay‑to‑play" courses, and expanded offerings.
Popularity is driven by performance personalities and those are found on the PGA Tour. In recent history, it's been somewhat generational. Arnold Palmer ushered in the television era of professional golf, and the rivalry with a young Jack Nicklaus captured the attention of even non-golfers. Fast forward to the Tiger Woods era where he was the dominant force of the PGA with his magical use of a golf club and unprecedented intensity. He served as an inspiration to many of the current PGA stars and, despite questionable decisions in his personal life, remains a force as he in now 50 years old. The question is who the next generational inspiration for the increased popularity of golf will be, both for amateurs and professionals.
Professional golf in Hawai‘i has a rich, century-long history, headlined by the Sony Open in Hawai‘i (since 1965 at Wai‘alae Country Club) and the Sentry Championship (formerly Tournament of Champions) which accentuates the impact of their departures.
There are also iconic moments in the history of Hawai‘i golf, such as the eagle by Isao Aoki holing out on the 18th defeating Jack Renner in the 1983 Hawaiian Open; David Ishii defeating Paul Azinger by one stroke in the 1990 Hawaiian Open; and, at 14 years old, Michelle Wie famously competed in the 2004 Sony Open in Hawai‘i, missing the cut by just one stroke after rounds of 72 and 68 (even-par 140). As the youngest player to compete in a PGA Tour event, her second-round 68 was the lowest round by a woman in a PGA Tour event. And there is one other local name who became the first to win the Hawaiian Open back in 1966 and that is the legendary Ted Makalena.
I've reached out to people who know and love the sport for their interconnected observations and reactions to PGA leaving Hawai‘i.
One is the emotional side and the other is the economic side, although they are not mutually exclusive.
Dean Wilson is a former PGA Tour member, winner of 12 professional tournaments on three tours plus and is a local boy from Kāne‘ohe. He's back home and is an ardent supporter of junior golf and the growth of the game. He recently shared about the end of professional PGA golf at home. "Yeah, I just think it's sad," he said to me. "The Sony Open, which back in my high school days was The Hawaiian Open, was always something I looked forward to attending when I was a junior golfer growing up. Being able to play in all my years on Tour was always something that I looked forward to, it was perspective to get my year started off. It's just so sad to hear that news."
Justin George, Former Golf Tournament Director and now with the Maui Foodbank also expressed the emotional impact. George said, "The loss of the Sentry and the Sony Open to begin the PGA TOUR season is heartbreaking for the people of Hawai‘i. So many community members and organizations poured countless hours and resources into these tournaments that benefited numerous non-profits."
Yes, the charitable contributions made by the PGA Tour in Hawai‘i exceed $26 million via the SONY Open while in 2025 alone. The Sentry tournament raised approximately $747,000 for Maui charities, with another $120,000 in the name of participating professional golfers and an additional $1 million for Maui relief.
There are those who are not affiliated with the business of golf but simply love to play the game who expressed a commingling of emotional and economic reactions.
Larry Gonzales, Navy Veteran, Hawai‘i resident for 17 years and a self-described hack golfer (he's an excellent stick) says, "It is a shame that these two PGA events go the way of other sport events like the Pro Bowl. I think the State and local governments are missing out on the opportunity to bring in revenue. We have an opportunity to showcase our state; we should take advantage of that to boost our lagging tourism industry. What's next? Lotte LPGA?"
But Gonzales continues, "I took my son, Ty, and my daughter, Jordan to the SONY Open often. It was a really terrific opportunity to see some of the world's best golfers play."
That is a notable impact with the loss of professional golf. Families and friends that bond over attending these class events that cannot be duplicated. As Dean Wilson mentioned earlier, PGA events can be inspirational to future golfers.
This is confirmed by Brandon Asato of Roger Dunn Golf in Honolulu. Reacting to the loss of the PGA in Hawai‘i, Asato shared, "It's hard, right? The impact is tangible. The tournaments create a ton of buzz and inspire kids and first-time players. And the kids, they see the pros and have so much fun. It's good for the players and the community. It's a tough one."
Wes Wailehua is the Executive Director of the Aloha Section of the PGA and represents our local PGA professionals and more. His statements cut to the core sentiments surrounding the PGA Tour's exit. "On behalf of the Hawai‘i golf industry we are deeply disappointed by the PGA TOUR's decision to discontinue its Aloha Swing. The Sentry Tournament of Champions and the SONY Open are both endemic to our Hawai‘i golf industry DNA." Wailehua continues, "Their absence will be felt not only in tourism and charitable contributions but also in the visibility and momentum they have provided to our local golf industry and the generation of players."
Another local golf executive further expressed concerns especially for the Valley Isle. He stated, "It'll really hurt the Hawaii economy especially West Maui, the people who need it the most."
To further expand on the economic impact to our state overall, I spoke to President and CEO of the Hawai‘i Hotel and Lodging Association, Mufi Hannemann. He said, "We have been part of the PGA Tour for over five decades and to lose both in one fell swoop is a blow economically and to our image as a sports destination. When it comes to major golf tournaments to wit:
- Both tournaments could have a direct and indirect economic impact of $90 million.
- Both tournaments in a good year account for thousands of visitors on Maui and O‘ahu that are high-end corporate travelers, media and golfers and their families who spend more and stay longer, which is exactly what we need to strive for.
- The exposure on network television and social and earned media of sunny Hawai‘i in the dead of winter lends itself to a bump in immediate and future bookings.
- The community benefits by the charitable contributions that both golf tournaments have given to non-profits.
- An unfortunate outcome is once the tournament(s) leave for another venue, the probability of it returning to Hawaii is slim because the new location will do everything to keep it there."
The news of the PGA Tour departure from Hawai‘i is on the national radar, too.
Jonas Knox, syndicated sports talk show host on Fox Sports Radio's "Two Pros and a Cup of Joe" (heard locally on iHeart Radio's Fox Sports 990) expressed his sentiments as a sports pundit and vibrant supporter of Hawai‘i. "It's another example of money, power and ego taking away from the essence of tradition. We saw it with the Pro Bowl leaving and now it's happened with the PGA." Knox adds, "Almost every sport from football to baseball to surfing to MMA and everything in between, has a connection to Hawai‘i. That should be treasured and celebrated. Not alienated."
The announcement by the PGA Tour has understandably generated reactions from so many. It's one of those rare occasions where the impacts that are universally shared transcend race, age, creed, or class.
Hawai‘i has been wounded with this PGA Tour development but not mortally.
Give it some time and when we rip the bandages off let's see if we'll be healed enough to get back into the game.
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Rick Hamada can be reached at rickhamada@aol.com.
