Best golf courses near Kona, HI

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. 40 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 half miles in the distance.

The Club At Hokulia in Kealakekua is one of the best courses in Hawaii. Discover our experts reviews and where The Club At Hokulia ranks in our rankings

Though architecturally it might rank behind its neighbors on the Big Island, Nanea and Kuki’o, the experience at Kohanaiki is up there with any other in Hawaii. Built on a 450-acre site with opulent homes selling for as much as $30 million and as little as $3 million, this Rees Jones design features a thrilling stretch along the ocean from Nos. 12 to 16. Fairways are firm and fast and typically offer playable routes off the tee for a range of players, though challenging, fast greens with significant slopes offer a strategic test for the better player. Kohanaiki scores highly in the Fun category, and though comfort stations are not a part of our course rankings, having one of them after each nine—plus an on-site brewery, a wine-tasting room plus personal wine lockers for members and a whiskey room—makes this a top-notch experience for guests and members.

Open to club members and guests of the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the Hualalai course is one of two layouts at the resort, along with the private Ke’olu course. A past member of our 100 Greatest Public ranking, the Hualalai course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and annually hosts the first event of the season on the PGA Tour Champions. The par-72 plays along the shore and over rugged, charcoal-black lavascape, which along with the ocean vistas enhance the course’s aesthetics.