OKINAWA, Japan - The Green Line recently began offering a new shuttle service stop that will transport patrons to the Taiyo Golf Course during weekends and U.S. holidays.
Although currently in a test phase, the TGL offers this service from Camps Foster, Hansen and Courtney and will be running through the end of April.
According to Steve Nakashima, pro shop manager for Taiyo Golf Course, the golf course now offers a newly constructed driving range featuring 16 individual stalls for golfers to practice their swing.
"We offer a full service restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner [along with a] full service bar," said Nicholas Brooks, club operations assistant for Taiyo Golf Course. "The restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and our bar closes at 11:30 p.m."
"This test is to determine whether the Taiyo Golf Course route will continue to be a running route for The Green Line," said Gary Synder, deputy, Assistant Chief of Staff G-4, Marine Corps Base Camp Butler. "It will help us find out if there is a true desire to travel to the golf course."
Certain buses have already been rerouted to coincide with the new schedule that includes the golf course.
Personnel located on the southern camps, such as Camp Kinser, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Camp Lester and Kadena Air Base, must travel to Camp Foster and from there ride the number 4-C bus to the Taiyo Golf Course.
"We moved the bus times to a later time because we understand that not everyone likes to wake up early to catch the early morning tee-times," said Snyder.
Personnel located on the northern camps, such as Camp Schwab, must travel to Camp Hansen aboard the number 3 bus and depart Hansen to the Taiyo Golf Course aboard the number 4-T Bus.
Personnel located on Camp Courtney can travel to the Taiyo Golf Course aboard the regular weekend and holiday number 4-C bus from the bus stop adjacent to barracks 4300.
TGL needs about 50 percent of the seats on the bus to be utilized in order for them to use the newly developed route to the golf course indefinitely, according to Snyder.
"We have only had about three riders use our service in the past two weekends," said Snyder. "The Green Line is a great service and free transportation; a great benefit for the Marines."
For more information on TGL and its services contact GME at 645-3843, or go online to www.marines.mil/unit/mcbbutler/Pages/TGL.
For more information on the Taiyo Golf Course, visit their website at www.mccsokinawa.com/taiyo or www.facebook.com/taiyogo.
Bus Schedules to Taiyo Golf Course
Bus number 4-C from Camp Foster to Taiyo departure times:
11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:55 p.m., 3:55 p.m. and 4:55 p.m.
Return times:
12:50 p.m., 1:50 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 5:50 p.m. and 6:50 p.m.
Bus number 4-C from Camp Courtney to Taiyo departure times:
12:35 p.m., 1:35 p.m., 3:35 p.m., 5:35 p.m. and 6:35 p.m.
Return times:
12 p.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Bus number 4-T from Camp Hansen to Taiyo departure times:
10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Return times:
11:10 a.m., 1:10 p.m., 3:10 p.m., 5:10 p.m., 6:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.