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Hawaii’s Best: Go Golf Kauai’s Courses by Dakota Diaz
by Dakota Diaz
HAWAII’S BEST Golf Magazine Ranks Kaua‘i’s Wailua And Puakea Golf Courses Among
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Poipu Bay Golf Course
KAUA‘I, HAWAI‘I – Kaua‘i’s Wailua Golf Course and Puakea Golf Course have been ranked among the “Top 100 Value Courses You Can Play in the U.S.” by GOLF Magazine. Wailua, ranked No. 78, and Puakea, ranked No. 81, are the only two courses in the state of Hawaii on the Top 100 Value Courses list. GOLF Magazine defines a “value course” as one a golfer can play for $150 or less, in many cases much less.
With green fees ranging between $48 to $60 for out-of-state visitors, Wailua Golf Course is one of the best bargains in all of golf. The 18-hole ocean-side course, located on Kaua‘i’s Coconut Coast, was completed in 1961 and was designed by Toyo Shirai. In June of this year, GOLF ranked Wailua No. 26 on their ranking of America’s best municipal courses, saying “Wailua exudes a laidback atmosphere paired with some sneaky bite…”
Puakea Golf Course is expected to reopen for public play in midNovember after being closed due to limited play during the Covid-19 pandemic. Set on more than 200 acres of a former sugar cane plantation, Puakea is built amid volcanic cliffs, massive ravines, giant sinkholes and lush tropical foliage. The Robin Nelson-designed course features Jurassic Period-like views of nearby mountains and glimpses of the nearby Pacific Ocean. Visitor green fees range between $64 and $119.
In addition to the outstanding value courses listed by GOLF Magazine, Kaua‘i also features a selection of dazzling resort courses. Princeville Makai Golf Club, Poipu Bay Golf Club and the Ocean Course at Hokuala are all ranked among the top resort courses in the U.S.
“We are so pleased with the GOLF Magazine ‘value courses’ ranking because it illustrates the variety of courses we have here on Kaua‘i,” said Sue Kanoho, Executive Director of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau. “Visitors can enjoy a bucket-list resort course one day, and then play a top value course the next – it’s part of what makes Kaua‘i the perfect destination for golfers.”
Nicknamed the Garden Isle for its lush tropical foliage, waterfalls and ever-present Pacific Ocean scenery, Kaua‘i boasts numerous daily-fee and resort golf courses. The destination is perennially recognized for its beaches, award-winning golf courses, ideal playing weather and stunning natural beauty. For more information on Kaua‘i golf, visit www.gogolfkauai.com. For the latest information on Kaua‘i’s travel guidelines related to the Covid-19 pandemic, please go to: www.kauai.gov/covid-19.
HAWAII’S BEST Go Golf Kaua‘i Courses
The Ocean Course at Hokuala
The Ocean Course at Hokuala is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course that boasts the longest stretch of oceanfront holes in all of Hawaii. The picture-perfect course winds its way through papaya and guava groves to dramatic seaside cliffs. A 2016 renovation added sparkling white sand to all the bunkers, framing holes to be even more spectacular than before. Rated Hawaii’s Best Golf Course, 2018 and 2019 World Golf Awards, golfers can also surf the earth on Hokuala’s Golf Boards during their round.
Poipu Bay Golf Course
Poipu Bay Golf Course was designed by renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. and is set between lush mountains and rugged ocean bluffs. The course incorporates more than 30 acres of colorfully landscaped tropical plants and flowers along with stunning ocean frontage, making it one of Hawaii’s most beautiful courses. An amenity of the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa, Poipu Bay is annually ranked as one of Hawaii’s best courses. Poipu Bay hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 to 2006.
Princeville Makai Golf Club
Princeville Makai Golf Club opened in 1971 as the first solo effort of Robert Trent Jones, Jr. The course was completely renovated in 2009, introducing spectacular new Seashore Paspalum turf grass on all fairways and greens. The course has garnered countless honors for its excellence, including being named one of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses” by Golf Digest. Immaculate conditions and astounding views define the playing experience. Princeville Makai features surreal vistas of Mount Makana and Hanalei Bay, including the signature par-3, 7th hole that offers a 213-yard shot over scenic cliffs.
Puakea Golf Course
Designed by architect Robin Nelson, Puakea is a spectacular layout built along massive ravines and lush tropical undulating terrain, with the backdrop being used for the Jurassic Park series. Named one of the top courses in Hawaii by Sports Illustrated, Golf Advisor/GolfPass and Golfweek, the dramatic 18-hole golf course is also known for its highquality, “Kaua‘i -style” customer service. Puakea was rated “Best of Kaua‘i ” by Garden Island Newspaper from 2013 – 2019.
Wailua Golf Course
Wailua Golf Course offers classic, golden-era seaside golf holes just a few steps from the Pacific Ocean. First built as a 9-hole course in the 1930’s, and expanded to 18 holes in 1961, Wailua has hosted three USGA Amateur and three US Public Links Championships. This wonderful municipal layout was designed by Toyo Shirai and features stunning mountain views along the Coconut Coast. In 2021, GOLF Magazine named Wailua one of the “30 Best Municipal Golf Courses in America.”
