Golf on Kauaʻi: Every Course on the Island, Honestly Reviewed

The Short Answer

Kauaʻi has seven golf courses spanning four distinct parts of the island. Two consistently rank among the best in Hawaii. Two more deliver a real tournament pedigree. The rest offer everything from budget rounds for under $15 to a private club experience tied directly to real estate ownership. If you are visiting or considering a move to the island, knowing what is on the course menu matters before you book a tee time or a home.

We live and work here. Below is what we actually know about each course, written for anyone who wants the real picture and not just the brochure.

How Many Golf Courses Does Kauaʻi Have?

Seven courses at seven locations. That sounds modest until you look at what they deliver. The island is small, roughly 25 by 33 miles, so no matter where you are staying, you are never far from a round. Here is a quick orientation by location:

North Shore (Princeville): Princeville Makai Golf Club
East Side (Kapaʻa): Wailua Golf Course | (Līhuʻe): The Ocean Course at Hōkūala, Puakea Golf Course
South Shore (Kōloa / Poipu): Poipu Bay Golf Course, Kiahuna Golf Club, The Club at Kukuiʻula [private residential club with access available to Hawaii residents, lodge guests, and limited public tee times]
Upcountry (Kalāheo): Kukuiolono Golf Course

The Complete Kauaʻi Golf Course Directory

Each entry below follows the same format: what the course is, what to expect, how far it sits from Līhuʻe Airport, what it is good for, and one honest note from us.

Princeville Makai Golf Club | Princeville, North Shore
Type: Resort / Public
Holes: 18
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr. (1971, renovated 2010)
Distance from Līhuʻe Airport: Approximately 45 to 50 minutes

The only golf course on Kauaʻi’s North Shore, Princeville Makai, sits on a plateau above Hanalei Bay with six oceanfront holes and views of Bali Hai behind Hanalei. This was Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s first solo design, and the 2010 renovation improved the bunkers, turf, and drainage without losing the character of the first layout. Golf Digest has called it one of the Top 100 Greatest Public Courses in America. The signature 7th hole plays from high above crashing waves to a cliff-hugging green and is the kind of hole people describe for years after they play it. Green fees are among the highest on the island, typically $250 and up. Still, the combination of scenery and conditioning makes it one of the two strongest candidates for the best single round on Kauaʻi.

Good For: Bucket list rounds, golfers staying on the North Shore, buyers considering Princeville who want to know the community feel before purchasing

Worth Knowing: The drive from Poipu takes roughly 90 minutes. If you are based on the South Shore, build your whole day around it. The post-round lanai overlooking the bay is not optional.
Wailua Golf Course | Kapaʻa, East Side
Type: Municipal / Public
Holes: 18
Designer: Originally 9 holes in the 1930s, expanded to 18
Distance from Līhuʻe Airport: Approximately 10 to 15 minutes

Wailua is where locals play. This county-run municipal course on the East Side just south of Lydgate State Park delivers oceanfront holes and honest golf at prices that feel almost anachronistic by Kauaʻi resort standards. Golf Digest has listed it among Hawaii’s best 15 courses. The course is well maintained for a municipal operation, and the staff is known for being genuinely friendly. Reservations are required now, and walk-ons are no longer accepted, so plan ahead. Green fees are a fraction of the resort options.

Good For: Budget-conscious golfers, locals, visitors who want to play where the island community actually plays, anyone who values no-frills authentic over resort polish

Worth Knowing: This is the course where Kauaʻi kids learn the game and where island golfers keep their handicap honest. Playing Wailua gives you a different feel for the island than the resort tracks. That matters if you are thinking about living here.
The Ocean Course at Hōkūala | Līhuʻe
Type: Resort / Public
Holes: 18
Designer: Jack Nicklaus Signature
Distance from Līhuʻe Airport (LIH): Approximately 5 minutes

If you are going to play one resort course on Kauaʻi, most serious golfers will point you here. The Ocean Course at Hōkūala holds the distinction of offering the longest continuous stretch of oceanside golf in Hawaii, more than half a mile hugging the Pacific. The Jack Nicklaus Signature layout was redesigned in 2017 as part of the Hōkūala resort rebranding, and the difference shows in the course’s conditioning and playability—the front nine works inland through groves of mango and guava with tight, technical holes. The back nine opens up dramatically along the coast, culminating in a finishing green set inside a 40-acre freshwater lagoon. The 14th and 16th holes along the cliffs are the ones people talk about afterward. Ranked as Hawaii’s Best Golf Course by World Golf Awards.

Good For: Serious golfers wanting the best single round on the island, visitors staying near Kalapaki Bay or the Royal Sonesta, buyers looking at Hōkūala resort property

Worth Knowing: The proximity to the airport is genuinely useful. If you have an afternoon before a flight or just landed and want to play the same day, Hōkūala makes that easy. Green fees run from $200 to $310, depending on timing. Book ahead.
Puakea Golf Course | Līhuʻe, East Side
Type: Public
Holes: 9 (Sports Illustrated Top 10 nine-hole course in the USA)
Distance from Līhuʻe Airport: Approximately 10 minutes

Puakea sits at the base of Mount Haupu and plays through deep ravines and mountain-fed streams with views of both the ocean and Kauaʻi’s interior. Sports Illustrated named it one of the top 10 nine-hole golf courses in the United States. The course is genuinely scenic in a way that feels different from the oceanfront tracks. The fairway grass and greens have drawn consistent praise from regulars. The Puakea Grill inside the clubhouse has its own following and is considered among the better dining values on the island.

Good For: Players who want a quick round with serious scenery, East Side visitors, and anyone who underestimates nine holes

Worth Knowing: The bunkers have been a known weakness, and renovation has been discussed. Check current conditions before you go. The grill makes a stop worthwhile regardless of how the round goes.
Poipu Bay Golf Course | Kōloa, South Shore
Type: Resort / Public
Holes: 18
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Distance from Līhuʻe Airport: Approximately 25 to 30 minutes

This is the course with the PGA pedigree. Poipu Bay hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 through 2006, and Tiger Woods won it there seven times, including five in a row. The Robert Trent Jones Jr. design sits on a rolling plateau above the Pacific on the sunny South Shore, framed by Haupu Mountain on one side and the ocean on the other. Six oceanfront holes offer the drama. Ancient Hawaiian heiau and stone walls are woven throughout the course and treated with respect in the design. The back nine raises the stakes with elevation changes and cliffside stretches near Shipwreck Beach. Recent improvements to greens and bunkers have kept the conditioning sharp. If you want to walk fairways where the legends played, this is the course.

Good For: Golfers staying in Poipu, history buffs who want the tournament context, buyers looking at Poipu and Kōloa who want a course close by

Worth Knowing: Wildlife on and around the course is real. Humpback whales in winter, green sea turtles, Hawaiian monk seals, and Nene geese are genuine distractions here. A bad swing feels easier to forgive with that view.
Kiahuna Golf Club | Poipu, South Shore
Type: Public
Holes: 18
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Distance from Līhuʻe Airport: Approximately 25 minutes

Kiahuna is Poipu’s more accessible option, sitting right in the heart of the resort area near the Grand Hyatt Kauai. Also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., this 18-hole course winds through lush tropical landscape, lava rock formations, and the remains of an ancient Hawaiian village, which Jones intentionally and respectfully incorporated into the design. The course plays at a more relaxed pace than Poipu Bay and generally runs in the $100-$115 range, making it a legitimate value compared to the resort courses. The fairways are wide enough for golfers of varying skill levels, and the mountain and ocean views are constant.

Good For: Families or mixed-skill groups, repeat visitors who want a low-pressure round, golfers staying in Poipu who want something close and affordable

Worth Knowing: Kiahuna is often the overlooked course in Poipu because Poipu Bay gets the marquee attention. That works in your favor. Tee times are more available, and the vibe is genuinely relaxed.
The Club at Kukuiʻula | Kōloa, South Shore
Type: Private (Hawaii residents, lodge guests, and limited public tee times)
Holes: 18
Designer: Tom Weiskopf
Distance from Līhuʻe Airport: Approximately 25 minutes

This one operates differently from every other course on the list. The Club at Kukuiʻula is a private residential community where golf membership comes with property ownership, but it is not completely closed to outsiders. Hawaii residents can play during designated tee times, lodge guests staying at the property can book rounds for around $315, and a limited number of public tee times are available as well. Tom Weiskopf designed the 7,028-yard par-72 course through coffee fields, meadows, and rolling hillsides with panoramic ocean views on nearly every hole. Golf Digest called it one of the best courses in Hawaii. The 14th hole, a par-4 with dramatic ocean views and occasional spinner dolphins in the water below, is considered Weiskopf’s signature achievement on the course.

Good For: Buyers seriously considering Kukuiʻula real estate, lodge guests doing a weekend stay to test the lifestyle, golfers who want to experience a private club course, and can book one of the available public tee times

Worth Knowing: If you are a buyer evaluating Kukuiʻula as a real estate investment, the golf course is part of the conversation. The community is built around it. We can walk you through what ownership looks like and what the market currently shows for available homes and homesites.
Kukuiolono Golf Course | Kalāheo, Upcountry
Type: Public (voluntary green fee donation)
Holes: 9
Distance from Līhuʻe Airport: Approximately 20 to 25 minutes

Kukuiolono is one of those places that doesn’t advertise but stays full on word of mouth. The ninth-oldest course in Hawaii, built in 1928, this hilltop nine-holer in Kalāheo was bequeathed to the public by Walter McBryde, a local sugar plantation owner, and has operated as a community course ever since. Green fees are essentially a voluntary donation in the range of $9 to $15, making it the most affordable golf on the island by a significant margin. The driving range, where range balls arrive in an old coffee can, overlooks the ocean and has been called one of the most scenic places in the world to warm up. A Japanese garden sits within the fairways near the 8th tee, and ancient Hawaiian rock structures appear near the 3rd green. The course plays tight with mountain and ocean views from every hole.

Good For: Anyone who wants a no-pretense round with extraordinary scenery, families introducing kids to golf, golfers who want to play where the island’s history is baked into the layout

Worth Knowing: This course is a 1928 public bequest from a sugar baron who wanted the land to belong to the people of Kauaʻi. That origin story is real, and it shows in the experience. Bring cash. Bring patience. Bring an appreciation for something that has no interest in impressing you and does anyway.

What Golf Courses Tell You About Kauaʻi Real Estate

For buyers looking at Kauaʻi, the golf course nearest a property is often a clue about what that community looks like. Here is what we see in practice:

Princeville buyers tend to be North Shore-committed. The remoteness is the point. Makai Golf Club is the anchor of that lifestyle.
Poipu and Kōloa buyers often weigh the South Shore’s year-round sunshine together with proximity to both Poipu Bay and Kiahuna. The Club at Kukuiʻula is in a category of its own. Buying there means joining the community, not just acquiring property.
East Side buyers get Wailua and Puakea close by and Hōkūala within easy reach. The East Side also tends to offer more price-accessible entry points into the Kauaʻi market.
Kalāheo and upcountry buyers get Kukuiolono in their backyard, solid value, and a very different pace from the resort corridor.

None of this is a ranking of neighborhoods. It is just context. Golf courses tend to anchor communities in ways that reveal a lot about who lives there and what daily life looks like.

Questions We Hear Most

Are all Kauaʻi golf courses open to the public?

Nearly all of them. The Club at Kukuiʻula operates primarily as a private residential community, with members getting full access tied to property ownership. That said, Hawaii residents can play during designated tee times, lodge guests can book rounds, and a limited number of public tee times are also available. It is not fully open, but it is not completely off limits either. Every other course on the island accepts public tee times without restriction.

What is the most expensive course on Kauaʻi?

Princeville Makai and The Ocean Course at Hōkūala regularly top the list, with green fees ranging from around $250 to $310 or more, depending on timing and season. The Club at Kukuiʻula charges lodge guests in the $315 range. Kukuiolono, at the other end, operates on a donation basis.

When is the best time of year to golf on Kauaʻi?

The honest answer is that Kauaʻi has playable weather most of the year. April through September tends to be drier, especially on the South Shore and East Side. The North Shore sees more rain year-round because of the mountains. Winter brings humpback whales visible from the oceanfront holes, which is its own kind of bonus.

Can I walk the courses, or is a cart required?

It depends on the course. Wailua and Kukuiolono are particularly walker-friendly. Most resort courses offer cart options, and some require them during peak hours. Call ahead or check the course website before you book.

We Know This Island

If you are exploring what owning property on a golf course would look like, we are happy to have that conversation.

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