Kamehameha Schools is once again in full possession of the Volcano Golf Course and Country Club after negotiations with — and an aborted court case against — its previous managers.
The 156-acre property, including the 18-hole golf course, was previously operated by a Kailua-Kona-based corporation called the Hawaiian International Sporting Club after becoming the lessee of the property in 1999. However, earlier this year HISC abruptly announced its dissolution and shut down the golf course, four years before the termination of the lease.
Because of the violation of the contract — as well as bizarre threats by Shigeyuki Tachibana, variously referred to as either HISC’s agent or president, to destroy the golf course rather than return it to Kamehameha Schools — both parties went before the 1st Circuit Court to determine the ownership of the property.
That case was terminated in late June when Kamehameha Schools entered into negotiations with HISC — negotiations which ended with the full return of the property to Kamehameha Schools, said Crystal Kua, Kamehameha Schools spokeswoman.
“Our next priority will be awarding a contract to do maintenance on the property,” Kua said. “And then we plan to develop a process to bring in a new golf course operator.”
Kamehameha Schools also will continue to provide security for the property, Kua said.
Kua said the maintenance contract — which will include mowing the grass and greens, something that hasn’t been done since April — should be awarded “very soon,” but the process to consider proposals by new operators could take months to complete.
Although Kua said the maintenance contract should be awarded shortly, she could not say whether the maintenance will include the clubhouse, which was severely damaged by a fire last year and was never repaired.
The maintenance contract might also require portions of the property to be fenced off, depending on the discretion of the maintenance and security crews.
However, the news will likely come as a relief to Volcano residents, particularly those in the surrounding golf course subdivision, many of whom have wondered whether the property would be redeveloped.
“There’s all these rumors going around,” said resident Lorna Larsen-Jeyte. “Some people are saying they’re going to add new developments there, other people are saying they’ll let it go to pasture.”
Linda Ugalde, president of the Cooper Center Council in Volcano, said there are some “pretty die-hard golfers” in the area who would react poorly if the land ceased to be a golf course.
Ugalde was one of many residents given a lifetime membership at the golf course upon purchasing her home in the golf course subdivision, which she said would be completely worthless if the course didn’t return.
Ugalde also was worried that, because of a recent dry spell in Volcano, the overgrown greens could become a brushfire hazard if left untamed for much longer.
Kua said she understood the Volcano community’s frustration with the lack of updates about the project.
“We needed to wait for the legal proceedings to be finished before we could announce anything,” Kua said. “But we hear the community, and we want to thank them for their patience.”
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
