7 of the best golf courses in Hawaii

Golf destinations don’t come much dreamier than Hawaii. The island state is around 2,000 miles from the U.S. mainland in the Pacific Ocean, boasting four main islands to choose from.

There are eight in total leaving over 70 golf courses at your fingertips, although only four will regularly spring to visitors’ minds.

Big Island, Maui, Kauai, and Oahu are the largest and most popular, all offering breathtaking scenery and, most importantly, championship quality courses.

Don’t be surprised to find cliffside fairways sloping through ancient lava fields, or waterfalls swooping down past the greens.

It’s as relaxing as it is breathtaking, while the calibre of golf course leaves little to be desired, making Hawaii a haven for all level of golfers, including the game’s elite.

Each year, the PGA Tour kicks off its brand-new season in Kapalua at The Sentry, so we’ve been inspired to show you just how good the golf on this island is.

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7 of the best golf courses in Hawaii

Kapalua Resort – Plantation Course

Where else better to start than the home of the first PGA Tour event of the season. The perfect way to kick off the new year, the Plantation Course at Kapalua brings golf back into the spotlight.

Designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, the course sticks tightly to its location on the slopes of the West Maui Mountains, overlooking the ocean on almost every hole.

Golf greats regularly get to tee it up here, and with drastic elevation changes and lush, wide fairways, this is the definition of a bucket-list golf course.

Waialae Country Club

The Sony Open is next on the agenda for PGA Tour players, staged each year at Waialae Country Club. It is one of only 40 country clubs to host a sanctioned PGA Tour event, prestigious indeed.

Established in 1927, the course has matured into some of the finest golf land in the world, with fairways lined by stands of coconut, monkey pod and kiawe trees.

No fewer than 83 bunkers guard the course, ensuring you won’t ever feel far from the beach, while the main attraction are two palm trees which form a W behind the 16th green.

Royal Hawaiian Golf Club

The Greg Norman-designed Royal Hawaiian nestles in between Mount Olomana and the Ko’olau Mountains, offering an awe-inspiring experience within Oahu.

Located 20 minutes from Waikīkī, it sits in a tropical valley so lush it is labelled Hawaii’s own ‘Jurassic Park’.

Ocean Course at Hōkūala

Signature hole after signature hole.

Earning the nod as one of the world’s most beautiful golf courses, it really is ocean by name and ocean by nature.

It features more oceanfront holes than any other golf course in Hawaii, winding through mango and guava groves to ensure a golf experience you will never forget.

Mauna Lani

Home to the North Course and the South Course, Mauna Lani is one of a few resorts on the world-renowned Kohala Coast.

The iconic North Course enjoys 18 holes amidst Kiawe canopies, while its partner was home to the PGA’s famed Senior Skins game between 1990 and 2000.

Both courses embody the classic Hawaiian golf experience, while the nine-hole Wikiwiki Course is a perfect family option.

Mānele Golf Course

One of Jack Nicklaus’s crowning masterpieces, the 18-hole Mānele Golf Course is among the best-ranked golf courses in the world.

Found on the intimate island of Lānaʻi at Four Seasons Resort, it boasts three holes built into seaside cliffs and roams across natural lava sprouts.

Tee shots over ravines and gorges will challenge the best players, high above the crashing surf of Hulopoe Bay.

Nanea Golf Club

Last, but by no means least, Nanea is an exclusive golf club on the Big Island, bringing together vastly different climate zones and terrains.

Regarded as Hawaii’s best course, it opened in 2003 and possesses the natural flair of fine links golf courses, with a touch of tropical tease.