Premium Golf Course: The Best Fairway Guide on the Island
Every scenic spot on Hawaii Garden Island is amazing
Bill Irwin
Hawaii is always a great choice for golf tours, but no major island offers amazing factors as much as Kauai. Called Garden IslandKauai is one of the best islands in the United States. It has a fascinating magic, its jaw-dropping cliffs, lush tropical scenery and laid-back Aloha Spirit. Here Oceanfront Golf is just the beginning – you will also discover the island’s iconic views Pali: Strong, jungle-covered cliffs that rise sharply from the coastline. Kauai feels quieter, less commercial, and more closely linked to nature than Maui or Oahu.
This 25 x 33 mile island may have only seven courses, but the quality exceeds the quantity on Kauai day. Two outstanding figures – Hokula and Princeville Maki Golf Club’s Ocean Course – are always the best in Hawaii. Poipu Bay Golf Course adds PGA Tour history and hosts the PGA Grand Slam for more than a decade. The rest of the lineup may fly under radar, but each offers its own unique charm and local characters. Plus, with the wide range of price points in Kauai, there is a golf experience that suits any budget.
Before we break the golf courses on Kauai, here’s what you should know: This island is a golf paradise year-round, but falls are clutch–there are low prices, lower prices, fewer crowds, and the weather is still dialed in. Each part of Kauai has its own atmosphere (the microclimate is real), but April to October is the sunny North Shore, especially the North Shore. Just beware of the rain in winter. Do you want a sunny and dry winter? The Poipu on the South Bank is a lock. Yes, the eastern and western sides of the island remain cold all year round.
One head: Book early! During peak seasons (holidays and winters), uninterrupted flights to Lihue Airport (LIH) are filled quickly, and if you wait too long, a car rental can be scarce. Good news? Once you enter Island Time, most courses are relatively close, and it takes just over an hour to drive from Princeville on the North Shore to Poipu on the South Shore. No matter where you stay, jumping between layouts is perfectly feasible.
Seven golf courses in Kauai:
Beautiful stars
Princeville Makai Golf Club
Over the years, Princeville’s now closed Prince Course (located above Hanalei Bay near the iconic Bali headland, is a poster kid for Kauai’s world-class golf. While this famous jungle-like layout no longer works, its older sibling Princeville Makai Golf Club is still strong and arguably more fun than Prince Course. It’s also Golf Digest List of 100 US public courses in the United States.
The Makai course opened in 1971 and was remodeled by Robert Trent Jones Jr. The course was remodeled in 2010 and includes six seaside holes, dramatic cliff panoramas, as well as uninterrupted postcard views of Hanale Bay, the Bali Sea, and the island’s rugged peaks. The third pole 7 runs from high crash waves to the cliff hanging green, is a legal barrel-line hole. Not far from third place, a dramatic dropping rod 3 cut into the jungle.
Makai is more toyed for the average golfer than the more punished Princes course. Recent renovations have improved bunkers, turf and drainage, and the practice facilities are very good. There is also a scenic rear ride where you can soak. Yes, it’s one of Hawaii’s most expensive public layouts, but almost everyone who comes together agrees: it’s worth it.
Hokura’s Ocean Course
Another strong contender for Kauai’s most scenic island is the Ocean Course in Hokura, located near Karapaki Beach near the island’s southeast coastline, just minutes from Lier Airport. This signature design by Jack Nicklaus formerly known as the Kauai Lagoons offers the longest beach golf ball in Hawaii, with half a mile of pure seaside drama.
Hokuala plays like two nine stories. The front side head is inland, bypassing the dense jungle and woods of mango and guava trees. It’s tight, technical, full of sneaky drops that love to eat golf. The last nine? Total coastal happiness. It embraces the Pacific Ocean and brings real fireworks. Highlights include the stunning Cliffside Par-3 pole 14 and the driveable, risk-boosting 16th day, which is along the lighthouse skirt.
The 2017 redesign (partially the rebranding of the course) promotes conditioning and playability. While Hohayia is one of the more expensive teeing times in Kauai, you can usually get a deal based on the season or time of day. Either way, this is a golf experience you don’t want to miss.
Pope Bay Golf Course
Robert Trent Jones Jr. When you play here, you are actually walking in the footsteps of legend. It has six waterfront holes and postcard conditions, hosting the PGA Grand Slam golf Grand Slam for more than a decade. Greg Norman, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson each won the game, while Tiger Woods beat the trophy seven times, including five straight times from 1998 to 2002.
Boxed by palm trees and cooled by swirling trade winds, Poipu Bay offers an unforgettable experience. The environment includes archaeological sites in Hawaii and cliff extensions beside cliffs, swaying visual dramas near the wreck beach. Both nines ended strong, but the back nine raised the stakes through the height change and risk-reward holes of the cliff. 4 strokes and 4 strokes are both gorgeous and strategic, and the 17th stroke is pure adrenaline. When the wind rises, the course may perform longer than it seems.
Poipu Bay Golf Course is located next to the Grand Hyatt Regency Kauai and is known for its outstanding turf conditions. Paspalum turf feels great under your feet, and a GPS-equipped cart helps to make a strategy. Poipu Bay brings a luxurious golf experience with a luxurious price tag with great weather, stylish amenities and laid-back Island Energy.
Hidden gems
Wiluya City Golf Course
It may not have the glitz of Kauai resorts, but the Wiluya Municipal Golf Course will definitely attract you – and may even shock you. How good is it? Good enough to have hosted the USGA’s US Amateur Public Link Championship three times.
Wailua always ranks in the top 20 courses in Hawaii and is in the top 1% of the city-wide tracks in the U.S. golf Executive Editor Jason Scott Deegan once called it “Dollars for USD, the best golf course I’ve ever played.”
The course dates back to the 1930s and was originally created by Toyota Shirai, which expanded to 18 holes in 1961. It officially features four sea holes, but almost every fairway offers some combination of ocean, surf, beach or mountain backdrop. The 5-shot opener is a certified performance stopper and arguably one of the best first holes anywhere. The complete layout is praised for its diversity, challenges and unfiltered natural beauty.
There is no decoration here. The Wailua Golf Course is laid back, unrestrained, modest, and local. Just three miles from Leal Airport, it’s the perfect place for island guests to start a golf trip or stop before heading home.
Puakea Golf Course
Puakea Golf Course is just 10 minutes from the ocean courses at Lihue Airport and Hokuala, and its atmosphere is very different from that of its Tonier Neighbor. This Robin Nelson design is located at the bottom of Haupu Mountain, spanning a former sugar plantation through deep trenches, volcanic cliffs and lush tropical leaves. Expected views to enjoy mountain views – occasional glimpse of the ocean.
Dramatic rear nine holes through severe jungle terrain – so much that it triggered (wrong) rumors Jurassic Park The scene is shot here. The most memorable hole may be the 3rd stroke 6: the balcony-induced dripping shot out on the water, green and tilted for trouble.
Puakea offers many elevation changes, and although trade winds can still test you, it is usually calmer than Hokuala due to Haupu’s protection. The route is strong, with different hole designs and always interesting shot values.
Island original
Kiahuna Golf Club
Kiahuna Golf Club is a protected habitat for the rare Kauai Cave Wolf Spider. You will also pass through lava walls, irrigation from the plantation era, remnants of one of the oldest Portuguese houses on the island and a relic of an ancient house. Haiya (Hawaii’s sacred website).
This 70-pole layout is famous for its rolling terrain, narrow fairways and small vegetables. It is walkable, exposed to ocean breezes and welcomes all skill levels. Bonus Advantage: The birds here are the next level – you may find nēnē (Hawaii’s endangered state bird), as well as black night herons, Hawaiian stilts and Moors.
With a relaxing island atmosphere, Kiahuna is slower than the Kauai resort and a good serving time worthwhile, a solid addition to any golf trip. Its combination of history, nature and thoughtful design makes it memorable.
Kukuiolono Golf Course
If you are eager to taste authentic Kauai and have zero fantasy about playing one of the main layouts of the island, Kukuiolono is where you are. This quirky nine-hole gem exists in a world – removed from the commercial polish store of resort scenes and other golf products in Kauai.
Opened in 1928 by designer Toyo Shirai, Kukuiolono is the oldest course on the island. Its regulatory long hole is located on the hillside in the town of Kalaheo and can present a real challenge in windy days. Wide fairways, walkable terrain and minimal danger, are also ideal for beginners, families and leisurely rounds.
Kukuiolono may be modest and simple (at best) around the edges, but the view doesn’t. You will enjoy panoramic views of the ocean, mountains and the fantastic southern and western coasts of Kauai. Sometimes the scenery is breathtaking.
That said, Kukuiolono is as casual, relaxed, unpolished and cheap as golf. As of this writing, the $16 walk green fee covers full-day playback (the cart is extra). Bring cash – No credit card, no serving time, and no dress code. Just show up and go. Don’t be shocked if someone plays barefoot.
Kukuiolono is located in a park that includes a charming Japanese garden, Hawaiian lava rock artifacts, and a cliff-top viewpoint with some of the island’s most incredible views. On a lucky day, you may even find a whale range.
No, Kukuiolono is not a great course, or even a well-preserved course. But this may just give you one of the island’s most memorable Hawaiian golf experiences.
The last Kauai aloha
Whether you’re chasing the sea views, dramatic cliff pole 3 poles, or relaxing with barefoot locals, the golf scene in Kauai is OK. The island regards its guests as rare beauty, diversity and personality, all wrapped up in lush landscapes and rich culture. Throughout Hawaii, Garden Island may just be the most meaningful golf escape. Just don’t forget to book your serve time and rent a car.
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