Laurence C Lambrecht
Laurence C Lambrecht
Laurence C Lambrecht
Laurence C Lambrecht
Laurence C Lambrecht
Laurence C Lambrecht
Jon Cavalier
Nanea Golf Club
Kailua Kona, HI • Private
Nanea Golf Club
72-2921 Kaupulehu Road
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
United States
Overview
In the early 1960s, Robert Trent Jones built the first course on Hawaii’s Big Island for a very wealthy owner (Laurance Rockefeller), grinding up the site’s volcanic rock to use as “sand” on which to grow grass. Forty years later and just 22 miles away, architect David McLay Kidd also built a course on volcanic rock for very wealthy owners (Charles Schwab and George Roberts), but rather than transform the lava topography, he routed his holes among the black outcroppings and through the site’s meadows of native grasses. Located on a high, exposed plateau beneath Mt. Hualalai, the holes ramble and roll into topsy-turvy greens, each with a sterling view of the Pacific Ocean three and a half miles in the distance.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 2023-2024.
Previous ranking: 49th (highest).
2025-'26 ranking: 59th.
Best in State: Ranked first 2013 to current.
2025-'26 ranking: 1st.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Simply one of the most stunning places on earth to play golf. Set on the side of a mountain overlooking the Pacific, Nanea is a truly incredible feat of engineering and design. DMK did an amazing job of routing a course that flows exceptionally well and takes advantage of the ocean views. (As well as the views of the architecturally fitting clubhouse.) The Paspalum is perfect, hard to find better turf anywhere. The holes are wide, but the punishments are immediate when you miss a fairway. Lost balls are common and even if found, you may not want to hit off the rocks. The course is strategic and provides lots of options around the greens. The hill effect is real, the greens are very tough to read the first time. It's not overly difficult, you are here to have a great day and that is guaranteed. One of the great experiences in all of golf."
Read More2025
Review
“Simply one of the most stunning places on earth to play golf. Set on the side of a mountain overlooking the Pacific, Nanea is a truly incredible feat of engineering and design. DMK did an amazing job of routing a course that flows exceptionally well and takes advantage of the ocean views. (As well as the views of the architecturally fitting clubhouse.) The Paspalum is perfect, hard to find better turf anywhere. The holes are wide, but the punishments are immediate when you miss a fairway. Lost balls are common and even if found, you may not want to hit off the rocks. The course is strategic and provides lots of options around the greens. The hill effect is real, the greens are very tough to read the first time. It's not overly difficult, you are here to have a great day and that is guaranteed. One of the great experiences in all of golf."
Read More2025
Review
“Roaming across the side of Hualālai three miles above Kailua Kona, Nanea presents one the world's most unique golf experiences. Opening holes fall away from the clubhouse, so the player is greeted with spectacular views of a'a lava flows covered in fountain grass, with Mauna Kea and the Pacific Ocean in the background. Paspalum playing surfaces are firm and the player faces a decision point on most shots throughout the round. Centerline bunkers are used creatively and natural features, including a cinder cone behind the eighth green, are used flawlessly. The course never feels as if it plays up and down a mountainside, but it climbs significantly, especially on the back nine, so that the player is rewarded with an unforgettable downhill finisher. The combination of downhill opening and finishing holes is a special aspect of a wonderful routing, which makes every hole feel different than its counterparts. Nanea is a special golf course on a special piece of property that any player would be lucky to see."
Read More2025
Review
“Roaming across the side of Hualālai three miles above Kailua Kona, Nanea presents on the world's most unique golf experiences. Opening holes fall away from the clubhouse, so the player is greeted with spectacular views of a'a lava flows covered in fountain grass, with Mauna Kea and the Pacific Ocean in the background. Paspalum playing surfaces are firm and the player faces decisions on most shots throughout the round. Centerline bunkers are used creatively and natural features, including a cinder cone behind the eighth green, are used flawlessly. The course never feels as if it plays up and down a mountainside, but it climbs significantly, especially on the back nine, so that the player is rewarded with an unforgettable downhill finisher. The combination of downhill opening and finishing holes is a special aspect of a wonderful routing, which makes every hole feel different than its counterparts. Nanea is a special golf course on a special piece of property that any player would be lucky to see."
Read More2025
Review
“views are as good as you will see anywhere in golf"
Read More2024
Review
“Nanea is a true treat, and one of the vibiest and most exclusive places to play golf in the World. On the ground this is an amazing golf course, full of engaging shots and wild greens that provide a true test, especially given the ever-present wind. The course also fits the wildest of players with tremendous width throughout. Each hole is postcard-worthy, as the course sits at roughly 500 feet above sea level with 50 mile views of the Kohala Coast to the Northwest. The fun is not just for the golf round, as the outdoor shower and clubhouse vista marks Nanea as perhaps the best place for a post-round shower and beer in America."
Read More2023
Review
“Aesthetics is one of the areas where Nanea scores amongst the top courses in the world. The ocean views are unmatched and playing on the slopes of a dormant volcano on fields of black lava is also quite unique. But Kidd has gone beyond just laying a golf course across the slopes of the mountain. A number of natural features (such as the large lava mound behind 8 and the trees on 16) are nicely incorporated into the design and the entire course takes advantage of the sight lines to the ocean and beyond (mostly the island of Maui). He has created a very strategic course that requires the golfer to understand the levels and routing of each hole in order to maximize their chance of playing well. The bunkering in particular give each hole a certain depth and defines the lines of play in a way that does not come across as forced, but rather enticing and welcoming. But while beautiful in their construction, the bunkers also are true hazards in every sense of the word and the prudent play is always to play away from them."
Read More2022
Review
“Kidd has done a marvelous job of engaging with the land in a way the looks and feels very natural (if there were such a thing as a "natural" golf course built on a lava field!). Each of the holes is quite distinctive and I was able to remember every hole well after the round. The movements up, down and across the slopes have a great flow and rhythm to them and there is rarely much repetition in terms of direction of the holes relative to the mountain or ocean. The bunkering is fantastic in that it not only frames many of the holes, but defines aggressive vs. safe lines of play. But there are also holes that have very little bunkering so as not to be overly demanding on every single hole. He makes use of many different ways to challenge to player - slope variety (up, down, sideways), bunker variety (shape and placement), green contours and many bumps and knolls on fairways that create a variety of lies and stances."
Read More2022
Review
“What an absolute treat to experience this fantastic course with a tremendous vibe. It's a shame so few people will get to see it. A par 73 is unique, but Kidd had better holes for an extra par 4 on the front instead of a second par 3. Most of the greens are of the infinity type, where balls look like they would go off the world if hit too hard. You see the pacific ocean on every hole. The course played hard and fast and the greens rolled very true. The greenside bunkering made for great green complexes."
Read More2022
Review
“There are many Hawaiian courses with great views. Nanea also has great golf holes -- tough to get on but well worth the effort!"
Read More2021
