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An Island-by-Island Guide to the Best Golf Trips in Hawaii
Golf
by
Ashley Burns
Feb 9, 2026
Beyond its natural landscapes, storied history, distinctive culture, and beaches considered some of the best in the world, Hawai’i stands out for the versatility and range of experiences it offers visitors. Trips can be shaped around romance, adventure, culinary activities, or crossing said stretches of sandy beach off one’s dream list. To experience the range of activities available on the islands, you’d need a true wealth of vacation time.
This is especially true when it comes to golf, as there are more than 70 courses spread across the Aloha State’s islands – including some private clubs most golfers would sell their souls to play.
That’s obviously a steep price, so for most travelers, planning an island-by-island approach that focuses on the best public and resort options will be the most practical and rewarding way to experience Hawaii’s golf scene. It also lets you carry that tropical golf mindset home with you, with a natural starting point for planning a return trip. Fortunately, you can golf any time of year in Hawai’i, though you’ll generally want to opt for the earliest possible tee time to avoid the peak heat and humidity that usually arrives by late morning. Coastal courses, naturally, will offer slightly breezier (and sometimes more pleasant) weather, if you’re not a 6 AM type of golfer.
Trip 1: Always appealing, tried-and-true O‘ahu
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Famous landmarks, iconic Jurassic Park filming locations, and magnificent beaches are among the many reasons why O‘ahu is the most visited of Hawaii’s islands, but the golf scene deserves some of that credit, too. Affectionately known as “The Gathering Place” for its diversity of people and cultures, O‘ahu boasts more courses than its neighboring islands. That includes some private tracks worth the price of admission if you can get past the gates, and renowned public designs from the sport’s best architects.As well-known as Diamond Head or Waikiki Beach, at least within the golf community, is Royal Hawaiian Golf Club. It’s a wonderfully challenging Perry and Pete Dye course opened in 1993 and redesigned by Greg Norman around 2012, leaning on the surrounding mountains as a downright unbelievable backdrop. Golfers who want to play where the pros do should also book a round at the Ko Olina Golf Club (the former home of the LPGA’s Lotte Championship) and the Kapolei Golf Club, which has hosted tournaments for the LPGA and Champions Tour.
An ideal “stay and play” choice is Turtle Bay, offering visitors a variety of resort and rental accommodations, and the crown jewel of any O‘ahu golf trip: the award-winning Arnold Palmer Golf Course. If you’re feeling the urge to play yet another round, consider the nearby Ewa Beach Country Club, which incorporates the island’s history from the very first hole. Golfers tee off over an ancient kūlanakauhale, or fishing village.
Trip 2 Exploring Maui’s championship allure
Royal Kaamapali course, Maui. Photo:
While not as popular as O‘ahu, there’s a case to be made for Maui as the best place to visit for first-time visitors. At the very least, it’s a terrific choice for golfers as it’s home to Kapalua, with two 18-hole championship courses: Bay and Plantation. While the latter is best known as the home of the PGA Tournament of Champions (a.k.a. The Sentry), Bay has hosted more professional championships than most courses in the state (though not more than other courses on Maui; that honor goes to Waialae Country Club on O‘ahu). It also blesses golfers with forgiving fairways that use declines and curves to help get the most distance from tee shots, with exceptional views of Oneloa and Kapalua Beach Bays.
Plantation also has exceptional views of Honolua Bay and Honokahua Bay. However, it’s considerably longer and uses the slopes of the West Maui Mountains to present skilled golfers with bigger challenges.
Roughly an hour south of Kapalua is the equally (or perhaps even more) fulfilling Wailea Golf Club, which is home to a pair of Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designs: the acclaimed and challenging Gold Course, once home to the Champions Skins Game, and the more relaxing Wailea Emerald, highlighted by views of Po‘olenalena Beach and the ocean beyond. If you’re up for adding a third, head just a few minutes north to Wailea Blue. It’s an Arthur Jack Snyder-designed course that showcases Maui’s interior beauty with incredible views of Haleakalā (the East Maui Volcano).
But make sure you leave some time for a course without which no Hawai’i golf trip would be complete: Royal Kā‘anapali. It’s home to a Par 4 18th that Arnold Palmer called one of the best finishing holes he ever played.
Trip 3: Exploring the Big Island
Photo: Mauna Kea Golf and Racquet Club
For many travelers, the Big Island’s most important names are Mauna Kea, Hāpuna, and Punalu’u – three world-class beaches found on the island. But when it comes to this destination’s golf offerings, other names matter most: Palmer, Nicklaus, Jones, and Fazio. These legends have all left their marks on the Big Island’s golf scene, so when visitors aren’t hiking beneath volcanoes and swimming with manta rays, they can walk or ride in the cart paths of golf’s G.O.A.T.s.
Consider starting at Hualalai Golf Course, a Jack Nicklaus design so beautiful and otherworldly that you might feel like you stepped into a Golden Tee machine, with black lava rock framing the lush greens and fairways. It’s a private course available only to guests at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, where a variety of instructional opportunities creates an unbeatable setting for improving your game.
For more accessible golf options, head north on the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway to Waikoloa Beach Resort, home to an exceptional trio of nine-hole experiences. The Beach, Lakes, and Kings’ nines are carved into the Big Island’s lava coast and each delivers a different experience. Beach and Lakes were named for the various bodies of water near the courses, while Kings’ Nine is a Scottish links-style concept set against the marvelous Mauna Kea.
Once you’ve checked off all three, head inland to The Village Course at Waikoloa, another Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design. Its wide-open fairways will have even the highest handicap golfers grinning from ear to ear.
Photo: Volcano Golf Course
However, Jones, Jr. didn’t get to have all the fun on the Big Island. Robert Trent Jones, Sr., was originally responsible for the incredible work at the Mauna Kea Golf Course (though his son handled the renovations). Here, golfers can also spot the endangered nēnē, Hawaii’s state bird. And if playing 36 holes in one day isn’t too much to handle, Arnold Palmer’s Hāpuna Golf Course is just minutes away.
Of course, no trip to the Big Island is complete without experiencing visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Fortunately, the park is less than one mile from a course that stands out for its thrilling location. The aptly named Volcano Golf Course is a blessing for short hitters, set against the active Kīlauea crater, more than 4,000 feet above sea level. While the views alone are worth the trip, this elevation will add plenty of yardage to tee shots, allowing average golfers to channel their inner Bryson DeChambeau for the round.
Trip 4: Golfing across the unrivaled beauty of Kauaʻi
The Ocean Course at Hokuala. Photo: Golf Hokuala
With natural marvels like Waimea Canyon, Secret Falls, and the magical Nāpali Coast, the Garden Isle is a dream for nature lovers and a destination that should be explored over days – ideally, weeks. So perhaps it’s fitting that you can count Kauai’s golf offerings on two hands, as even the most avid and obsessed players will want to set time aside for other ways to experience the island’s natural beauty.
Poipu Beach is a mainstay on “best beaches” lists for its family-friendly stretch of sand home to monk seals and green sea turtles. It should come as no surprise, then, that Poipu Bay Golf Course takes advantage of this natural beauty and delivers one of the best golf experiences anywhere on the planet. After all, it was once home to the PGA Tour’s Grand Slam of Golf.
Just like its sister islands, Kauaʻi has been blessed with courses designed by the game’s greatest visionaries. The Ocean Course at Hōkūala is a Nicklaus signature course that takes players through mango and guava groves. After a stop at the 19th, head north for an hour on the Kūhiō Highway for views of Wailua River State Park, Kealia Forest Reserve, and Anahola Beach Park before arriving at Princeville Makai Golf Club, where a round includes breathtaking views of Bali Hai (Mt. Makana) and Hanalei Bay.
Trip 5: Little Lānaʻi packs a big punch
Photo: Four Seasons Lanai
Often overlooked in favor of O‘ahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi, and Kauaʻi, is the lesser-traveled Lānaʻi. When it comes to golf, you’ll never hear the word “variety” here, but you will find two courses on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of design, care, and maintenance. Both should be played in order to understand what golf means to the Pineapple Isle.
Nicklaus might have outdone himself with the Manele Golf Course at Four Seasons Resort Lanai, which is among the top-ranked public offerings in the entire state. Its three cliffside holes and a bevy of obstacles and hazards, including small canyons and the remnants of old lava fields, are the reasons why it has landed on “Best Of” lists from major golf publications for more than 30 years. After playing here, it would even be understandable if you didn’t want to lug your clubs anywhere else — especially with the spoils of the “Member for a Week” all-inclusive package.
However, there’s a unique course in Lānaʻi City that probably won’t take your breath away, but it belongs on any passionate golfer’s bucket list as it’s a rare experience (and the pride of locals). Cavendish Golf Course is free to everyone, has no tee times, and for many decades, was maintained by the people who regularly play it. Just show up, as all it requires is patience for your fellow golfers and a love of the game. At the very least, it’s a great way to meet the locals and learn more about Lānaʻi. It’s not on Googlemaps, but you’ll find it near the Four Seasons (search for “the Lodge at Koele). 
