Best golf courses in Hawaii.

Kapalua, HI

The Plantation Course at Kapalua on Maui was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 1991, on hillside land above the Pacific that had been a pineapple plantation. The site falls steeply toward the ocean, and the design uses that slope on nearly every hole. Fairways are extremely wide and the ground contours feed the ball, so tee shots run out well past where they land. Ravines cross several holes, the trade wind blows almost constantly from behind on the closing stretch, and the greens are large with generous entry points. The par-5 18th drops sharply downhill and can be reached with two ordinary swings when the wind cooperates. Kapalua hosts The Sentry, the PGA Tour's opening tournament of the calendar year, each January. The course is open to resort guests and the public.

Kohala Coast, HI

Mauna Kea on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii opened in 1964 as a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design commissioned by Laurance Rockefeller. It was built directly on hardened lava, which had to be crushed and covered with soil before grass would grow. The par-3 third is the hole the course is known for, playing from a cliff tee across an ocean inlet to a green on the far side, with no bailout. Elsewhere the golf is long, exposed to trade winds, and framed by white sand bunkers against black rock. Rees Jones completed a renovation in 2008, rebuilding greens and bunkers while keeping his father's routing. The course is open to resort guests and public play.

Koloa, HI

Poipu Bay Golf Course sits on the south shore of Kauai in Poipu, Hawaii. Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed it and the course opened in 1991, playing to a par 72 across cliffside ground above the Pacific. The holes run over old sugar-plantation land that falls toward the ocean, with several played along the cliff edge and ancient stone walls and archaeological sites left in place through the property. Trade winds are the main defence, and they change club selection hole to hole. Poipu Bay hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 through 2006. It is open to resort guests and public play.

Lanai City, HI

Manele Golf Course opened in 1993 as a Jack Nicklaus design, built on lava outcroppings above Hulopoe Bay on Lanai, the smallest of Hawaii's inhabited islands. Three holes sit on the cliffs and use the Pacific as a hazard. The par-3 12th is the one people remember. It plays about 200 yards from a cliff tee across an ocean cove, with roughly a 180-yard carry to reach land. Tee shots over gorges and ravines show up elsewhere too, and five sets of tees let higher handicaps enjoy it. Play is for Four Seasons Resort Lanai guests. The resort does not sell tee times to day visitors.

Princeville, HI

Princeville Makai on the north shore of Kauai opened in 1971 as a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, one of his earliest solo projects. The course sits on cliffs above Hanalei Bay with the mountains behind it. The Ocean holes are the ones people remember, including the par-3 seventh, which plays across a cove from a cliff tee. The rest of the routing moves through woodland and open lawn, with trade winds and firm Bermuda greens providing most of the difficulty. A renovation completed in 2009 rebuilt the greens, bunkers and irrigation. The course is open to resort guests and public play.

Ka'upulehu, HI

Hualalai Golf Club on the Kona coast of Hawaii opened in 1996 as a Jack Nicklaus design built across old lava flows at Ka'upulehu. The black rock is left exposed against the fairways, which gives the course its look. The golf is generous through the shoulders and tightens near the greens, with trade winds doing most of the defending. The routing reaches the ocean late, and the par-3 17th plays toward the water with the beach behind the green. The course hosts the PGA Tour Champions season opener each January. Play is limited to guests of the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and club members.

Wailea, HI

1,500 varieties of tropical flora frame RTJ Jr.'s lush South Maui resort layout.

Wailea, HI

Wailea Blue is an 18-hole, par 71 resort golf course in Wailea, Maui, Hawaii, part of Wailea Golf Club. Designed by Arthur Jack Snyder and opened in 1972, it is the original of the resort's three courses, playing 6,545 yards from the championship tees with a 71.6 rating and 129 slope. The course winds through the Wailea resort with coral sand bunkers, coconut palms, and views of the Pacific Ocean and Mt. Haleakala.

Last verified 2026-09-17

Kahuku, HI

Arnold Palmer's North Shore classic: ocean views and tropical terrain on Oahu's famous Kahuku peninsula.

Lahaina, HI

The Royal Kaanapali Course is one of two resort courses at Kaanapali Golf Resort on Maui's west shore, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1962, one of only two RTJ Sr. designs in Hawaii. The par-71 layout plays about 6,700 yards through the Kaanapali resort corridor with views of the Pacific and the neighboring islands of Lanai and Molokai. It hosted the Champions Tour's Kaanapali Classic for many years and remains the more celebrated of the resort's two courses. Tee times are open to the public through the resort.

Kapolei, HI

Kapolei Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-72 public course in Kapolei on Oahu, designed by Ted Robinson and opened in 1995 on 190 acres of former sugar plantation land. The course plays 7,001 yards from the back tees with a 74.3 rating and 136 slope, with Bermuda fairways, seashore paspalum greens, five lakes and more than eighty bunkers. Elevated greens and generous fairways give golfers room to manage the water and bunkering. The club is a short drive from Ko Olina and has a driving range, restaurant and event space.

Last verified 2026-09-17

Ewa Beach, HI

Ewa Beach Golf Club sits at the far end of the Ewa Plain on Oahu, about 40 minutes from Waikiki. Robin Nelson designed it and it opened in 1992 as the first course in Hawaii planted with seashore paspalum, which keeps it green in one of the driest parts of the island. The front nine is cut through a kiawe forest and punishes crooked drives, and the first tee sits beside a reconstructed ancient Hawaiian village site. It plays to par 72 and is open to the public.

Kohala Coast, HI

The North Course at Mauna Lani is an 18-hole, par-72 course on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii Island, designed by Homer Flint and opened in 1981. It plays 6,913 yards from the back tees to a rating of 74.4 and slope of 136. The routing runs through a kiawe forest and past a 230-acre protected archaeological area near the northern boundary. The par-3 17th, roughly 140 yards, plays from an elevated tee to a green set in a natural lava amphitheater. The course was built on lava with imported topsoil and is the companion to Mauna Lani's South Course.

Kapolei, HI

Ko Olina Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-72 course in Kapolei, Hawaii, designed by Ted Robinson and opened in 1990 as part of the Ko Olina Resort on the southwest shore of Oahu. The layout features water on several holes, multi-tiered greens, and wide landing areas. From the back tees it plays 6,815 yards with a course rating of 73.6 and a slope of 138. The course is part of a resort complex and is open to both resort guests and the public.

Waipahu, HI

Waikele Country Club is a public daily-fee course in Waipahu on Oahu, designed by Ted Robinson and opened in 1993. The par-72 layout plays about 6,770 yards and markets itself as one of Oahu's premier public courses, with water features, bunkering, and views toward Pearl Harbor and the Waianae Range. Tee times are open to the public with online booking.

Lihue, HI

Jack Nicklaus oceanside design on Kauai's dramatic coastline

Kohala Coast, HI

Hapuna Golf Course occupies high ground above the Kohala Coast on Hawaii Island, part of the Mauna Kea Resort. Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay designed the par-72, 6,875-yard course, which opened in 1992 across a lava-strewn, desert-style landscape well removed from the shoreline. The layout climbs and descends through native kiawe and volcanic terrain, with exaggerated bunkering and wide fairways typical of Palmer's resort work. Ocean and mountain views open up across several holes as the course rises above the coast. It operates as a resort course open to hotel guests and the public.

Kohala Coast, HI

Kohala Coast lava flows and the iconic ocean par-3 15th: the Big Island's most dramatic resort layout.

Wailea, HI

Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s South Maui showcase: lava terrain, ocean views, and 7,078 yards.

Lahaina, HI

Arnold Palmer's original Kapalua layout: coastal resort golf with Pacific views on every hole.

Lahaina, HI

The Kaanapali Kai Course is one of two courses at Kaanapali Golf Courses in Lahaina, Maui, set below the West Maui Mountains along the historic Kaanapali resort corridor. Originally built by Arthur Jack Snyder and later reworked by Robin Nelson, the par-70 layout runs roughly 6,400 yards and favors strategy and shot placement over sheer length. Lava rock outcroppings, natural drainage canals and native flowering plants line the fairways, with the Pacific and Molokai visible from several holes. It operates as a public resort course.

Kahului, HI

The Dunes at Maui Lani is a public, 18-hole course in Kahului, Hawaii, built on naturally occurring sand dune terrain, unusual for the Hawaiian Islands. Architect Robin Nelson designed the course, which opened in 1999, using minimal earth-moving and instead shaping holes around the existing dunes, kiawe trees and rock outcrops. The layout plays in the style of an Irish links course, with partial blind shots, significant elevation change and firm, undulating greens, and the constant trade winds common to Maui make low, running shots important to scoring. At roughly 6,800 yards from the back tees, it is often described as the only true links-style course on the island. The course hosts the annual Maui Open and remains open daily to public play.

Kamuela, HI

Makani Golf Club is a public daily-fee course in the upcountry Waimea (Kamuela) area of the Big Island, formerly known as Big Island Country Club. The 18-hole layout sits at elevation on the slopes between Mauna Kea and the Kohala mountains, with cooler temperatures and wide views. Tee times and published rates are open to the public.

Lihue, HI

Puakea Golf Course occupies more than 200 acres of former sugar cane plantation land near Lihue on the island of Kauai. Designed by architect Robin Nelson, the course rises and falls through deep ravines and lava rock formations, with pali and ocean views from much of the property. The 18-hole, par-72 layout stretches to roughly 6,954 yards and mixes rolling mounds, strategic bunkering, and water features across varied terrain, giving each hole a distinct look. Foliage from the site's plantation history borders many fairways. Puakea operates as a public daily-fee course open to visitors and Kauai residents alike, with a kamaaina rate for locals, club rentals, and a pro shop. Collared shirts and covered footwear are required, and tee times can be booked online.