Hualalai
The first time a traveler experiences the Kohala Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, it can come as a bit of a surprise. Instead of lush greenery in a tropical setting, the drive to some of the finest resorts in the Hawaiian Islands is through rugged, arid and seemingly inhospitable lava unsoftened by time and trade winds. For those who look a little further, this stretch of Hawaii Island is truly unforgettable – rainfall is scarce, the sun is almost always shining, and ocean views are ever-present.
It also has some of the best golf in all of Hawaii.
Surrounded and sheltered by the massive volcanoes of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai, the Kohala Coast has white sand beaches, black lava shorelines, and sunsets right out of a postcard.
This stretch of coastline just north of Kona also has lava tubes and historical sites galore, but many itinerant golfers recognize it as the epicenter of Hawaii’s resort golf scene. Here’s a closer look:
Mauna Lani
Mauna Lani is the most expansive golf property on the Big Island and the standard-bearer for resort golf along the Kohala Coast.
With two 18-hole championship courses and a newer nine-hole short course, Mauna Lani stands alone on the island with 45 holes of golf — each offering a distinct experience.
The South Course is the resort’s signature and one of the most photographed layouts in Hawaii, especially as the routing hits the Pacific Ocean. Once the host of the Senior Skins Game, the South features wide fairways lined by lava that have dramatic ocean and island views. The most memorable hole — by far — is the signature par-3 15th, where players face a full carry over crashing waves to a green perched on a lava peninsula. Equal parts beauty, thrill and intimidation, this is a hole that demands plenty of photographs and perhaps a reload (or two) off the tee.
The North Course provides a striking contrast. More secluded and strategic, it winds through gnarly forests of kiawe trees and rugged lava corridors, demanding thoughtful shot placement. There is wonderful drama and intimacy to many of the holes, the most noteworthy being the par-3 17th with a green set in a natural lava bowl. The flag can be tucked behind mounds of lava rock and hidden from view off the tee — yet in full stadium-like view for those standing on the 18th tee box high above.
Completing the lineup is Wikiwiki, a nine-hole short course built on a former driving range that’s designed for fun, flexibility, and social golf. With holes ranging roughly from 50 to 65 yards, it’s a perfect complement to the full-length offerings — ideal for families, twilight rounds, or just a few holes with a putter, wedge and Mai Tai before dinner.
The golf experience is tied to one of the island’s premier luxury resorts, reimagined in recent years and now part of the Auberge Resorts Collection. The hotel has 292 modern and elegant guest rooms, 85% of which feature ocean views, and all of which have private lanais. The dining (including the CanoeHouse, which is quite simply one of the finest restaurants in all of Hawaii), spa offerings, and ocean experiences (snorkeling, sailing, sunrise paddle, etc.) further help elevate Mauna Lani beyond a traditional golf stay.
Mauna Lani
Mauna Kea
Just north of Mauna Lani, Mauna Kea was the Big Island’s first resort course. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the scenic layout plays across rolling terrain that slopes toward the ocean and is often credited for putting the Kohala Coast on the global golf map.
There’s a timeless feel at Mauna Kea, which is better than ever after a recent course renovation (having reopened in late 2024) that coincided with the resort’s 60th anniversary and was part of a larger $200 million upgrade to the property. There are seaside cliffs and undulating greens, but the unquestioned showstopper — not unlike the 15th at Mauna Lani South — is the par-3 third hole. This behemoth is quite simply one of the most unforgettable one-shotters in the game, with a full carry over the ocean and waves that crash against the lava rock coastline below the green.
The Mauna Kea Resort itself features the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, the Mauna Kea Residences (with private villas and vacation homes), and the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort across its 1,839-acre property. All 252 rooms at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel were redesigned as part of the recent renovation.
The Hapuna Golf Course, redesigned by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, plays higher above the coastline, delivering sweeping views and a breezier feel. The contemporary-style resort itself sits above the island’s biggest white sand beach, offering a relaxed and elevated stay-and-play combination.
Mauna Kea
Waikoloa
The Waikoloa Beach Resort delivers variety and scale — whether it’s the two luxury resort hotels or the three 9-hole golf courses (Beach, Kings and Lakes).
The Beach Course plays down to the ocean, as the name suggests, with its 9-hole loop highlighted by the par-5 sixth hole that has a green ringed by palm trees and backed by the Pacific Ocean. The design of the Kings’ Nine brings somewhat of a Scottish-links feel to Hawaii, with pot bunkers, native grasses, wide fairways and wider views of Mauna Kea (the volcano). The Lakes Nine winds through the heart of the resort and takes its name from the bodies of water that come into play on five of the nine holes.
In addition to the golf, this 1,350-acre master planned beach resort provides direct access to shopping, dining and island adventures. The Hilton Waikoloa Village has a four-acre ocean-fed lagoon and guests can travel by hotel tram or boat along tropical gardens and waterways. The Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, meanwhile, has 297 newly renovated rooms and is within easy walking distance of a host of land and ocean activities — golf included. There is also a variety of fairway and beach villas within Waikoloa that are perfect for family getaways.
Waikoloa
Hualalai
The Four Seasons Hualalai is consistently ranked among the world’s top luxury resorts, and it’s easy to see why the senior tour returns to the Big Island each year in January to play at Hualalai’s stunningly scenic resort course. Jack Nicklaus designed the layout — a lush oasis of green fairways that wind through black lava fields. The rough and jagged lava rock is unforgiving to wayward golf balls but friendly bounces back into the fairway are more common than one might expect.
The property recently added the Hualalai Golf Hale to help guests, members and residents within the Hualalai community with state-of-the-art technology and instruction.
From its luxurious oceanfront guest rooms and suites to luxury villas, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is unparalleled when it comes to Big Island accommodations. There are also pools, the spa and terrific dining options like ‘Ulu, Beach Tree, and the new NOIO sushi lounge.
Great golf is just one of the incredible amenities at Hualalai, and like several of the other courses along the Kohala Coast, the resort course boasts a memorable par 3 along the water. The penultimate hole plays to a putting surface ringed by jet black lava, with a popular walking path just behind the green and the blue ocean as a backdrop. It’s not uncommon to have onlookers watching your tee shot on this photogenic hole.
Hualalai also has a spectacular members-only private course, Ke’olu, for those lucky enough to snag a tee time. The lava-lined layout was designed by the late Tom Weiskopf, who took full advantage of undulating terrain with 220 feet of elevation change, not to mention natural features such as lava tubes, blisters, caves and arches.
Hualalai
Private play
It’s not surprising that the same elements that make the Kohala Coast irresistible to resort golf — namely weather, setting, scenery and solitude — have yielded some of the most exclusive private clubs in the state. In addition to Hualalai’s Ke’olu, esteemed properties like Kohanaiki, Kukio, and Nanea are all located along or near this stretch of coastline, offering members privacy and pristine conditions, some with a residential component and some without.
While those courses might be inaccessible to most, their presence underscores what many resort golfers have discovered: the glorious Kohala Coast is home to the best golf on the Big Island, and perhaps in all of Hawaii.