As I write this blog back home in New Jersey the outside temperature is 23 degrees Fahrenheit. In Hawaii with an average temperatures at sea level generally range from highs of 84–88 °F (29–31 °C) during the summer months to 79–83 °F (26–28 °C) during the winter months, golf can be played year round pending there’s no hurricane or heavy rain.
Hawaii was not on my radar of high-priority golf destinations but after watching the The Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua, we decided to make a two-week trip. All said we visited five islands and played eight rounds.
Turtle Bay – Palmer Course in Oahu
Cost: $175
Empty Nester’s Guide (ENG) Rating 4.4/5.0
Opening in 1992, the Arnold Palmer Course, designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, was rated one of Golf Magazine’s “Top 10 New Courses” in America and ranked 4th among Golf Digest’s “Best New Resort Courses in America” the year it opened. The Palmer-Seay layout features two very distinct experiences.
The front nine will challenge golfers with a Scottish Links style layout, while the back nine has a more tropical setting as it meanders through a tropical jungle and forest of ironwoods. The course forms a horseshoe around the Punaho’olapa marsh, an unspoiled 100-acre wetlands and bird sanctuary. Water comes into play on 14 of the Palmer holes. The 17th, the signature hole offers panoramic Pacific ocean views from the green while the hole is dotted with nine bunkers, which makes it as challenging as it is scenic.
The par-72 Arnold Palmer Golf Course measures 6,225 yards from the resort tees. When played from the Palmer (black) tees, this 7,218-yard seaside course presents a stiff challenge to even the best players in the world. Sand traps are plentiful, with more than 70 menacing the fairways and protecting the greens. However, there are five sets of tees on each hole that provide an enjoyable experience for golfers of any ability. We hope you enjoy your round and your experience at Turtle Bay Resort.
Ko’olau in Oahu
Cost: $139
Empty Nester’s Guide (ENG) Rating 3.8/5.0
The view of the mountains and the topography of the course create an amazing view. However the condition of the course was awful! Rarely will I ever say a course is in terrible condition but between the crabgrass fairways and puddles in almost every bunker, this course was almost unplayable.
Poipu in Kauai
Cost $225
Empty Nester’s Guide (ENG) Rating 4.7/5.0
Sprawled between lush mountains and rugged ocean cliffs on Kauai’s sunny South Shore, Poipu Bay Golf Course boasts 18 championship holes with seashore paspalum greens that are as visually stunning as they are challenging. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., Poipu Bay is one of the most highly acclaimed resort courses in the Pacific. From 1994 to 2006, the course played host to the annual PGA Grand Slam of Golf, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the golf world. A round at Poipu Bay Golf Course affords you the opportunity to experience the sheer pleasures and daunting challenges of a course recognized as one of America’s finest and to “play where champions play.”
Princeville Makai in Kauai
Cost: $225
Empty Nester’s Guide (ENG) Rating 4.6/5.0
The renowned Princeville Makai Golf Club at Princeville Resort is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, which opened in 1971 and was redesigned in 2009. The Makai Course winds it way around serene lakes, native woodlands and the spectacular coastline with views of Bali Hai and Hanalei Bay. The course plays to a par 72 with six different sets of tees that can be stretched to more than 7,200 yards from the tips.
The Ocean Course at Hokuala
Cost: $225
Empty Nester’s Guide (ENG) Rating 4.6/5.0
The Ocean Course, recently named “Hawaii’s Best Golf Course” in the 2018 World Golf Awards, boasts the longest stretch of oceanfront on all of Hawaii. Winding its way through mango and papaya groves to dramatic seaside cliffs, it’s little wonder that the list of accolades for this Jack Nicklaus Signature track is as long as its string of holes that hug the Pacific. Discover all the ways to expereince oceanfront golf like no other.
Mauna Kea Golf Course in Kona
Cost: $235
Empty Nester’s Guide (ENG) Rating 4.8/5.0
Modern improvements to Mauna Kea Golf Course by the original designer’s son, Rees Jones, have kept the original character intact while opening up challenging, memorable play on the Big Island of Hawai’i to all player levels.
Grass: High-efficiency ultra-dwarf Tifeagle Bermuda Grass on the greens. Tifway 419 hybrid Bermuda Grass on the tees, fairways and roughs.
Environment: State-of-the-art irrigation, bunker liners and advanced drainage techniques.
Kapalua Plantation Course in Maui
Cost: $395 retail/$255 guest rate
Empty Nester’s Guide (ENG) Rating 4.9/5.0
Consistently ranked as the #1 golf course in Hawaii, playing The Plantation Course is sure to be on every golfer’s bucket list. Designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, the course was designed on a grand scale in keeping with its location on the slopes of the West Maui Mountains and offers dramatic ocean views from virtually every hole. Its lengthy 7,596 yard par 73 layout challenges the pros but it’s wide fairways and generous greens make it very playable for the average golfer. With dramatic elevation changes, this course offers plenty of downhill tee shots. You’ll feel like one of the pros when – with the aid of the aggressive slope of the 18th fairway – you will enjoy hitting one of the longest drives of your life.
The Plantation Course is the site of the PGA TOUR’s Sentry Tournament of Champions each January featuring an elite field of previous year’s PGA TOUR winners. The field has included golf greats such as Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, Ernie Els, Davis Love III and many more. The course record is set at 62 and tied between K.J. Choi (2003), Graeme McDowell (2011), Chris Kirk (2015), Jason Day (2015) and Xander Schauffele in his final round in winning the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions.
The Challenge at Manele in Lanai
Cost: $495 retail/$275 Hawaii resident rate
Empty Nester’s Guide (ENG) Rating 5.0/5.0
Built on lava outcroppings, the Jack Nicklaus-signature course features three holes perched on cliffs, enlisting the Pacific Ocean as a water hazard. The five-tee concept challenges the best golfers – tee shots over natural gorges and ravines must be precise – and novice players will enjoy practicing their swing amid spectacular vistas. Course access is exclusively available to Resort guests.
I have played some of the top 100 courses in the world in recent years, but without a doubt this course is in my top five. Between the condition of the fairways/greens and the scenery of some of the holes playing over ocean cliffs, I found myself in golf heaven.
