Kauai: Golfing in Paradise

The island of Kauai may be one of the most spectacular places on earth. It is the most visually stunning place I have ever been. The island is known as The Garden Isle as it carries a wide range of topography from massive canyons to dramatic rainforests and cliffs. Waterfalls and rivers seemingly cascade every corner. The Napali Coast is one view most everyone knows from famous movies like Jurassic Park. The island itself is 25 miles in length from its longest point. It is Hawaii’s oldest island spanning back over five million years. Much of the island can only be accessed by foot. Kauai has no shortage of beaches — 28 in total. Kauai is a paradise in many regards. It’s an outdoor playground. You could spend a day hiking, horse back riding, snorkeling, surfing, kayaking or maybe even playing a round of golf.

The two primary sides of the island for visitors are the north and and the south shore. The west side of the island should absolutely be seen as it’s home to the Waimea Canyon; picture the grand canyon, but on a Hawaiian island. The west side can be done in an afternoon — don’t skip it. The south shore is where you fly in and home to many of the island’s hotels and resorts. It is relatively flat and has classic white sandy beaches. I would say it is much more touristy than the north shore and is more dense in population and development. The north shore is a complete 180 from the south shore; we thoroughly enjoyed the north shore. In fact we added an extra day there before we even explored the south side of the island. The north shore is filled with rugged mountains and breathtaking coastline. There are hotels and lodging, but it has a totally different tone and feel. The main area of the north shore is known as Princeville. The town of Princeville has a local island vibe and carries much character. Some of the restaurants in Princeville contained the freshest, most flavorful food I have ever had.

Stunning early morning views from one of the many Kaui beaches

I was very fortunate to be able to spend ten days on my honeymoon in Kauai; I am even more fortunate to have a wife who let me get out for a few rounds of golf while on the island. There are eight golf courses on the island. I had the opportunity to play three of them: Makai Princeville, and 9 holes respectively each at Kiahuana Golf Club and Poipu Bay .

Makai Princeville

My first round was at Makai Princeville which is on the north side of the island. The course was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1971 and was remodeled in 2010. It’s a well laid-out island course in a majestic place, so the greens fees will run you $250 or higher. The course has been on Golf Digest’s Top 100 greatest public courses list since 2013. I thought the course was overall very well done from a design standpoint. There were some more inland holes that wouldn’t wow the average golfer, but there are a number of holes with incredible ocean views. 6 of the 18 holes offer some form of ocean view. Several holes line up on large ledges and cliffs and provide panoramic views and sound of Hanalei Bay below. Hazards, including the ocean, come into play early and often along with a number of beachy bunkers. I only have two other Kauai courses to baseline against, but Makai Princeville was probably my favorite of the three I played. The course offers sunset tours every night via golf cart, which tells you all you need to know right there. Highlighting a few of the stand out holes from the round:

Par 3, 3rd, 181 Yards

This was an incredible hole to help set the tone for a round on a magical island. It is a golf hole that just screams paradise. The tee box is setup looking down on the hole with the north shore Kauai mountains and ocean in the backdrop. The hole itself plays short with the downhill slope adjustment. Sand and water surround three of the four sides of the green. It was nice to walk away with a par here, but I could have made an eight and been totally content with the view of the golf hole.

Awe-inspiring views of the north shore at Makai Princeville

7th Hole, Par 3, 212 Yards

The par three seventh offers maybe even more spectacular views than the par three third. The ocean beckons just to your right and the mountains echo back behind the hole. The difference between the third and seventh is difficulty. The par three seventh is a difficult golf hole. It plays over a huge ravine, requiring carry. Anything short or missed right is out of bounds. The ocean can come into play with a miss right — I can attest.

The seventh hole is one of my favorite views on the island of Kauai

12th Hole, Par 4. 450 yards

The par four twelfth is another great golf hole. From the tips, it plays 450 yards, and is the longest par four on the course. The hole has a large and open fairway which dogs to the left and offers panoramic ocean views of the hole. After the incredible views from three and seven, the view here may run just behind in rankings from the other outstanding par threes, but has a lot to offer.

Sweeping ocean views on the par four twelfth hole

Kiahuana Golf Club

Kiahuana was just a quick, and I mean quick, nine holes. The course was in very close proximity to the resort we were staying and I got out later in the day. This course certainly had the least character and memorable holes of the three courses I played, but it was golf in Kauai none the less. The most memorable moment on the course was when a classic Kauai rain storm appeared from nowhere. I was getting ready to tee off on a par three when the heavens opened up. It rained hard for probably less than five minutes and then was perfectly clear. As I was walking off the par three I was left with a memory of a view that surpassed any golf shot I hit that day.

Brief storms and brilliant raimbows are common place in Kauai

Poipu Bay

Poipu Bay sits at the south sunnier end of the island. It was the final course I had the experience to play in Kauai and ended up being a great one to end the trip. The course is relatively new, built in 1991 also by Robert T Jones Jr. Poipu Bay is probably most well known for hosting the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 to 2006. This tournament was as it sounds, a competition including the four major winners from the year. The two day, 36 hole event hosted some of the greatest golfers in the world. I have memories watching this event and always thought it was great for the sport.

Poipu Bay hosted the annual PGA Grand Slam of golf for a sixteen year period

Greens fees will run you between $200 and $255 depending on when you play. Similar to Makai Princeville, Poipu Bay has a well-constructed lay out and spectacular ocean views. The fairways and greens were both in excellent condition. The trade winds are a major factor on this course — I had never had wind like this during a round of goIf. The eighth hole was a 200 par 3. I normally hit a 5 iron 185, so I figured that would be a good adjustment for the wind. Was I wrong. I hit a well-struck shot, but it went about 50 yards long. I have not hit a 250-yard 5 iron since that day. I went out early, and it was very peaceful not having many golfers on the course. It appeared just based off the lack of divots in the fairway that the course had not had that much play or traffic, which I appreciated. I only played the back nine given the reputation of several of the holes. The back nine at Poipu Bay do not disappoint, but one hole was certainly the signature hole on the course.

The par 4 16th is probably one of the best holes in the Pacific. Course designer Robert T. Jones deemed this hole ‘ The Pebble Beach of the Pacific.’ Similar to the 7th hole at Makai Princeville, the views are second to none and it is a very difficult hole. From the tips, the 16th plays 501 yards, making it the longest par four on the course and one of the longest in the state.

Teeing off the 16th at Poipu Bay, which has drawn comparisons to the 18th hole design at Pebble Beach

The course is a moderate dog leg left. Like most of the back nine, the wind was a factor on this hole. A miss left could leave you in the rock ledges or the Pacific Ocean. The best view of the hole is really backwards looking from the green. It gives you great perspective of the jagged cliffs that line the hole. Similar to the 8th, I misread the tail wind and landed my approach shot long. Maybe the three-putt that ensued was due to the surreal view I was trying to take in while putting.

Incredible cliff views and hole overview of the 16th

In Summary

Kauai is an incredible island and place to golf. It is the only Hawaiian island I have had the opportunity to visit, but it certainly sets a very high standard from an overall vacation standpoint as well as quality of golf. From a golf standpoint, the island really has some incredible courses with some of the most captivating views I have ever seen while on a golf course. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the other Hawaiian islands and am hopeful to have a chance to get back to see the other islands and experience more Hawaiian golf. Until then I’ll live with all the incredible memories from the magical island of Kauai.