Best Golf Courses in Hawaii

By
Sue Lobo
-
1250

Oahu

  • Turtle Bay – The Arnold Palmer designed Turtle Bay course is ranked as the best on Oahu, home to the Hawaiian State Open. Situated on the North Shore.
  • Ko Olina Marriott Beach Club – Excellent resort with an 18-hole championship course situated west of the city past Waikiki.

Maui

  • Kapalua Resort – Two world-class courses. The Plantation Course is famous, as it hosted the first PGA Mercedes championship. Now the PGA season kicks off here every January. (For 2011, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions is set for Jan 3-9). It’s a tough course, windy and hilly.
  • Wailea Golf Club – The Gold, Emerald and Blue courses are superb. The Gold is a championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. I recommend the Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea which offers a golf package for playing these courses.

Lanai

  • Excellent big name courses which have hosted TV events. Good for serious golfers wanting to play the top 100 courses in North America.
  • The Challenge at Manele – Designed by Jack Nicklaus. Built on lava outcroppings, the course features three holes on cliffs which use the Pacific Ocean as a water hazard. The resort is the Four Seasons at Manele.
  • The Experience at Koele – Designed by Greg Norman and architect Ted Robinson. This championship course features a cooler climate than Manele, wooded slopes, manicured bunkers and terraced water hazards. The resort is the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele.

Kauai

  • Poipu Bay Golf Course – On the South Shore of Kauai, this course was home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 to 2006. It is an ocean-links style course where Nene Geese frequent the greens and you can watch whales spouting off shore. This is another of Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s designs and it is outstanding, as are the facilities of the adjacent Grand Hyatt Resort and Spa.
  • Princeville at Hanalei – A top rated championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. It is rather hard to get to however and is not one of my favorites.

The Big Island of Hawaii

  • Mauna Kea Golf Course – One of the world’s most spectacular courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. The famous third hole sits on a volcanic rock jutting out into the Pacific Ocean. This course is to Hawaii what the Teeth of the Dog is to the Caribbean. Memorable!

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Sue Lobo
Sue Lobo
https://www.atlastravelweb.com
Sue Lobo is a four-time Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist (2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026) and Senior Travel Advisor at Atlas Travel Center, one of the most decorated travel agencies in the United States. With more than 35 years of experience in the travel industry, Sue has planned, booked, and personally accompanied trips for thousands of clients — from first-time cruisers to seasoned luxury travelers who have circled the globe multiple times. Sue's areas of deep expertise include ocean and river cruising, European tours, group travel coordination, luxury travel, honeymoon planning, and family vacation design. She is a CLIA-certified cruise specialist and works within an agency that holds IATA and ARC accreditation and maintains an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Over her career, Sue has been involved in more than 30,000 bookings and has personally coordinated over 200 travel groups — from faith-based group cruises and HBCU alumni trips to women's retreats, family reunions, and corporate incentive travel. What sets Sue apart is not just the credentials — it is the firsthand experience behind them. Sue has personally traveled to more than 20 countries across three continents, including Cuba, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and throughout Europe. She has sailed on dozens of cruise ships across nearly every major line, walked the river cruise routes she recommends, and eaten at the restaurants she suggests to clients. Her recommendations come from personal experience, not brochures. In addition to advising clients, Sue writes extensively about travel for The Traveler's Atlas blog — covering everything from cruise line comparisons and overtourism trends to destination guides and practical travel tips. Her writing is grounded in the same expertise she brings to every client conversation: honest, specific, and built on decades of real-world travel experience. Sue is based in the United States and available to help travelers plan cruises, European tours, group trips, river cruises, honeymoons, family vacations, and more. To work with Sue, contact Atlas Travel Center at atlastravelweb.com.

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