What makes great golf? It begins with the skillful handiwork of a golf course architect in collaboration with the beauty of Mother Nature. And, when some of the world’s finest architects realized Hawaii’s potential, great golf was discovered! Creative designs transformed this Hawaiian archi- pelago into a world-class golf destination where you
can play 365 days a year—making it not only a tropical paradise, but also a golfer’s dream!
Hawaii has at least 89 golf courses. You can island-hop and golf on six of the eight islands, giving you a spectacular choice of holes! Kauai is the oldest and most verdant island at the northern end of the chain, where you can swing with the rhythm of the surf or golf in the jungle.
On the southern end, emerald fairways run through black lava flows and open up to fantastic vistas of the Pacific Ocean on the youngest and still growing Big Island. Golf in Hawaii continues to grow and mature like the islands, varying in character and style. Most courses have panoramic views of the ocean and breathtaking island scenery. Some were built in conjunction with luxury-class resorts and residential communities, offering virtually anything you’d want
to find in an ultimate golf vacation. At some places, green fees can cost more than $150. But, they also offer quick massages to ease your tense muscles, signature cocktails to quench your thirst and concierges that do everything but hit the toughest shots for you! Unlike the mainland, some of Hawaii’s best golf is found on public courses. They cost much less, are just as scenic and challenge your every shot! In fact, all but two of the 17 courses that host PGA, LPGA or Champion Tour events in Hawaii are public courses. Following are some of the best courses on the different islands.
OAHU
Golf packages are available with a variety of hotels in Waikiki and may also include round-trip transportation from your hotel. The luxurious Halekulani, located on five prime oceanfront acres on Waikiki Beach, is an excellent selection. It offers preferred tee times at several nearby courses and is convenient to Honolulu’s high-energy nightlife, multi-ethnic cuisine and upscale shopping. If you prefer a value-packed hotel, the Waikiki Parc Hotel (sister property to the Halekulani) is a casually
elegant choice. Just steps away from the beach, it caters
to both business and leisure guests with affordable rates that include a full American buffet breakfast and complimentary parking.
More golf courses are offered on Oahu than any other Hawaiian island. At last count, there were 37 courses. Eight are for military personnel, nine are private clubs and the remaining 20 are available to the public. Here is a sampling of the public courses you will find on Oahu:
Ko Olina Affiliated with the adjacent J.W. Marriott Ihilani Resort, Ko Olina is situated at the southwestern tip of Oahu. This course is challenging and fun with lakes, rolling terrain and waterfalls, and is well known for hosting the Ladies’ Hawaiian Open for several years. Be careful not to hit your drive too long or you’ll end up in the lake or in one of the seven splashing pools that cascade down along the fairways.
Turtle Bay Resort Proceeding north on the H-2 freeway will feel like you are driving in slow motion
during peak hour traffic, as the average speed dwindles down to 20 mph. But it is actually quite
delightful as you approach artsy towns and quaint cafés. Driving past palm trees, white-sand beaches and surfers trying their luck on the big waves of the famous Bonzai Pipeline, you’ll see the Hawaii you’ve imagined—a sunny, laid-back tropical paradise with open blue horizons. Here you’ll find the Turtle Bay Resort, the only resort on Oahu that offers two 18-hole championship courses: The George Fazio Course and Arnold Palmer Course, which is home to the Turtle Bay Championship—an official PGA Senior Tour event. While you’re golfing, you may see turtles sunbathing on the rocks or mongooses darting through the fairways. Set on 880 seaside acres, the Turtle Bay Resort (recipient of the Condé Nast Hot List Award) was recently renovated to the tune of $60 million. It boasts five miles of white-sand beach and five secluded bays on the famed North Shore. It is approximately an hour drive from Waikiki. A minimum three-night stay at the resort is highly recommended,
allowing you sufficient time to play
the two courses,
explore the resort and the North Shore. Enjoy dramatic ocean views from every guest room, or choose a luxurious beachfront cottage with concierge service. Preferred rates and tee times are available for hotel guests, as well as tournament play.
Pearl Country Club In operation since 1967,
Pearl Country Club is located on the gentle slopes of the Koolau mountain range and challenges all golfers with its varied terrain. The club overlooks Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Missouri and the Waianae mountain range. Open year round to the public, Pearl Country Club is only a 20-minute drive from Waikiki.
Waikele Golf Club Located 30 minutes west of Waikiki, the Waikele Golf Club offers a Ted Robinson-
designed golf course with strategically placed bunkers and intricate pin placements keeping players of all skill levels on their toes. Surrounding the course are sweeping views from the Koolau Mountains to Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor.
Koolau Golf Course Created by architect Ted
Nugent and design consultant Jack Tuthill, windward Oahu’s Koolau is ranked among the top U.S. golf courses. It sits on the edge of a tropical rain forest at the foot of the Koolau mountain range, just over the Pali Highway from Honolulu. This course features large bunkers and deep, tangled ravines requiring long carries off the tee. Most holes play through the tropical forest where exotic
birds sing and orchids bloom in the rough. Enjoy the magnificent mountain views, but as a rule of thumb, the locals suggest you bring the same number of golf balls as your handicap. It is also important to know that playing on windward and leeward golf courses on Oahu varies because of the prevailing winds.
MOLOKAI
Kaluakoi Golf Course The only resort course
on Molokai is Kaluakoi Golf Course, set next to the luxurious Molokai Ranch Lodge and Beach Bungalows on the island’s dry leeward side. This recently reopened and
refurbished 18-hole, par-72 golf course designed by Ted Robinson is often overlooked, but is considered to be among the best oceanside courses in Hawaii—plus, you will find no waiting for the course. Wild animals such as axis deer, wild turkey, partridge, pheasants and native birds can often be seen on the 160 acres of manicured Bermuda grass.
KAUAI
Princeville Resort The spectacular resort area of Princeville at Hanalei has long been hailed as a golfing mecca. Robert Trent Jones, Jr., designed 45 of the most beautiful, tropical golf holes in the world. The Prince Course is built into the rolling uplands above the Pacific, with much of the natural lay of the land preserved. Looking for a challenging shot? As you approach the 13th hole, you’ll notice it becomes increasingly difficult with the jungle surrounding the fairway and the Anini Stream curling up around the back of the green to a waterfall cascading from a 30-foot lava tube.
The Princeville Makai Golf Course consists of three distinct nines—Woods, Lake and Ocean—all offering exciting golf and a dramatic view of the lush green north shore of Kauai.
As for the Princeville Resort, it isn’t just any resort...it graces an ocean bluff facing the Hanalei Bay, framed by sculpted mountains that plunge into the sapphire-blue
water. The lush landscaping and fragrant tropical flowers blend in perfect harmony with the golf courses. Each guest room features custom-designed furnishings, original artwork, lavish bathrooms, plus a unique “magic” window that brings the outdoors in, then switches to opaque for privacy. All the impeccably appointed rooms and suites boast spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Hanalei Bay.
The Kauai Marriott Resort and Kauai Lagoons Golf Club Featuring two courses
designed by Jack Nicklaus and the largest swimming pool in Hawaii, the Kauai Marriott Resort occupies 800 tropical acres overlooking Kalapaki Bay. The championship Kiele Course is the more demanding of the two. Measuring 7,000 yards from the back tees, Kiele has many bunkers and features shots across lakes, ocean and jungle ravines. Beware of the 16th hole. The fairway funnels dramatically as it drops toward a small green perched at the edge of a sea cliff. The Lagoons Course has a much more forgiving layout. It is built in a rolling, Scottish links-style with wide-open fairways and very little water.
Poipu Bay Golf Course This Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed course is situated next to the Hyatt Regency Kauai in Poipu on the south side of the island. The par-72, 18-hole championship seaside layout has been the site of the PGA Grand Slam. It is often referred to as the Pebble Beach of Hawaii because the closing holes play along a 100-foot sea cliff. The 16th fairway runs between the ocean on the left and a lake on the right, then slopes gently toward the sea. It offers some wonderful amenities, such as an on-course beverage cart, refreshing cold towels and an in-cart satellite navigation system that indicates your exact distance to the hole and pin placement.
LANAI
The Experience at Koele This course is affiliated with the very upscale Lodge at Koele. You’ll find the accommodations enchanting, with refined Hawaiian ambience and an engaging collect- ion of rare artwork. Situated at a 2,000-foot elevation, Koele
is often misty and cool and is like a fantasyland in the
mountains.
The Ted Robinson- and
Greg Norman-designed golf course offers a wonderful
combination of upland terrain and inspired landscape architecture with a range of play challenges. Secluded among towering Cook pines and banyan trees, it will undoubtedly take your breath away!
The Challenge at Manele Opened in 1993 and part of
the fabulous 249-room Manele Bay Hotel, The Challenge at Manele was ranked No. 1 among Hawaii resorts by the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List as one of the best places in
the world to stay.
Designed by Jack Nicklaus, The Challenge at Manele is built on several hundred acres of natural lava outcroppings and offers an exciting target-style game. It requires several precision shots from cliff to cliff—using the Pacific itself as a water hazard.
This magnificent links-style course measures 7,039 yards and includes natural gorges, preserved archaeological sites and three holes constructed on the 100-foot cliffs of Hulopo’e Bay.
THE BIG ISLAND
Mauna Kea Golf Course The Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed Mauna Kea Golf Course is part of the Mauna Kea Resort, located on the Kohala Coast of the
Big Island. Built in 1964 out of lava-rock wastelands, this championship course offers golfers incredible panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, undulating greens and the snow capped Mauna Kea. One of the most exciting
features is the famous third hole, which is one of the toughest in Hawaii. It plays from a cliff-side tee across
a blue inlet to a cliff-side green.
Hapuna Golf Course Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay designed the Hapuna Golf Course at Mauna Kea. They made every effort to preserve the natural Kiawe trees
and endangered Ilima plants, both of which thrive in
this sunny region and give the course its unique look. This challenging course is set next to the Hapuna Prince
Hotel, which has one of the longest white-sand beaches on the Big Island.
Hualalai Golf Course This course is situated at the Four Seasons Resort in Kona. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Hualalai Golf Course is
home to the Champions
MasterCard Championship. Measuring 7,100 yards, it
follows the contours of ancient lava flows, providing a
visual contrast to the green grass on top of the black lava.
MAUI
Speaking of great golf, Maui has a scorecard that will top some of the world’s best golf destinations. Ten award-winning courses line the island’s north, west and southern shorelines and each layout is just steps away from luxurious accommodations.
Kapalua Resort Described as a place for people who want to get away from it all, this remote resort is set in a pristine, natural environment. The upper elevations of the resort include the Pu’u Kukui Preserve, where some
of the rarest plants in the world grow; and the lower portions of the resort, Honolua and Mokule’ia Bays, are protected as a marine life conservation district. This is the resort every PGA Tour player most wants to visit because it hosts the winners-only Mercedes Championships every year. It houses three outstanding layouts: the Bay, the Village and the Plantation. Despite notorious Maui trade winds, these three courses are all fun and
different. Arnold Palmer designed The Village Course (known for its challenging elevation changes), and he collaborated with Francis Duane on the Bay Course, which is more easygoing and enjoyable. But the big Kahuna is The
Plantation Course, rated a 4.5-star course by Golf Digest. Architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed the
par-73, 7,263-yard Plantation on a grand scale using a
240-acre canvas of rolling hills and ravines with expansive fairways, greens and bunkers. The resort also features three clubhouses with full-
service pro shops and restaurants and the 23-acre Kapalua Golf Academy, the only one of its kind in Hawaii.
Wailea Resort Area The serene
resort area of Wailea
features several 18-hole championship courses. The Wailea Blue Course (Grand Lady of Wailea)
is situated on the lowest slopes of Mount Haleakala and was designed by Arthur Jack Snyder. This par-72 course offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the dormant volcano, Haleakala. Robert Trent Jones, Jr., designed the Wailea Gold Course (Wailea’s Rugged Beauty). This 7,070-yard layout is the home of the Championship Skins Game and the LPGA Skins Game. Robert Trent Jones, Jr., also designed
the Wailea Emerald Course (Wailea’s Tropical Playground). Stretching 6,825 yards from the back tees, it takes advantage of the resort’s majestic ocean and mountain views. The Wailea Golf Club is not part of one particular hotel property. It’s an amenity to several luxury-class resorts—the Four Seasons Resort Maui, the Fairmont Kea Lani,
the Grand Wailea Resort, Destination Resorts Hawaii,
Diamond Resort and the Marriott Wailea Resort—all within a five-minute drive.
Golf Tips
Clubs may be rented.
Golf carts are required when playing some of the courses (especially Maui).
The tropical sun can be very hot. Be sure to wear a hat and, a lot of sunscreen, bring bottled water and book your tee times earlier in the day.
In most cases, tee times may be made up to 90 days in advance, visit www.teetimeshawaii.com.
Due to some of the narrow, hilly fairways and Hawaii’s typical gusty trade winds, take a few extra clubs with you when approaching the greens.
Try not to let the breathtaking scenery or frolicking dolphins and humpback whales distract you from your game.
