Updated on November 10, 2026
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What is the best golf course in Hawaii? Nanea Golf Club, in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, is ranked No. 1 by Golf Digest and GOLF.com, but it is a private, invitation-only club. The highest-ranked course open to the public is Manele, on the island of Lanai (ranked No. 1 among public courses by Golfweek), ahead of the Plantation Course at Kapalua, on Maui, where the PGA Tour season kicks off each year. The Big Island is home to seven of the fifteen courses on the list, Kauai has four, Maui has two, and Lanai and Oahu have one each.
The 15 best golf courses in Hawaii: the ranking
15 courses shown.
| Rank | Course | Location | Golf Digest | GOLF.com | Golfweek public | Golfweek private |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanea Golf Club | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Island (Big Island) | 1 | 1 | — | 1 |
| 2 | Manele Golf Course (Four Seasons Lanai) | Lanai City, Lanai Island | 2 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 3 | Kapalua — The Plantation Course | Kapalua (Lahaina), Maui | 3 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 4 | Mauna Kea Golf Course | Kohala Coast (Kamuela), Hawaii Island (Big Island) | 5 | 4 | 3 | — |
| 5 | Kukio Golf & Beach Club | Ka'upulehu (North Kona), the Island of Hawaii (Big Island) | 4 | 7 | — | — |
| 6 | The Club at Hokulia | Kealakekua (Kona), the island of Hawaii (Big Island) | 6 | 6 | — | 4 |
| 7 | The Club at Kukui'ula | Koloa (Poipu), Kauai | 7 | 5 | — | 3 |
| 8 | Princeville Makai Golf Club | Princeville, Kauai Island | 8 | 8 | 4 | — |
| 9 | Hualalai Golf Course (Four Seasons Hualalai) | Ka'upulehu (Kona), the island of Hawaii (Big Island) | 11 | 9 | 5 | — |
| 10 | Poipu Bay Golf Course | Koloa, Kauai Island | 12 | 10 | 9 | — |
| 11 | Ocean Course at Hokuala | Lihue, Kauai Island | 13 | — | 8 | — |
| 12 | Wailea Golf Club — Gold Course | Wailea (Kihei), Maui | 14 | — | 7 | — |
| 13 | Mauna Lani — North Course | Kohala Coast (Kamuela), Hawaii Island (Big Island) | 17 | — | 6 | — |
| 14 | Waialae Country Club | Honolulu, Oahu Island | 9 | — | — | — |
| 15 | Kohanaiki Golf & Ocean Club | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Island (Big Island) | 10 | — | — | 2 |
Consensus ranking = average of the rankings from Golf Digest (May 2025), GOLF.com (December 2024), and Golfweek (public courses, July 2024). Golfweek’s ranking among private clubs is provided for informational purposes only. “—”: Course not included in the ranking. Click on a column header to sort.
Where are the best golf courses in Hawaii?
Click on a number to view the golf course, then click on its name to read its profile. Base map © OpenStreetMap.
How We Ranked Hawaii's Golf Courses
We came across three rankings: the one from Golf Digest (Top 20, May 2025), that of GOLF.com (Top 10, December 2024) and Golfweek’s ranking of public courses (Top 15, July 2024). The consensus ranking is the average of the three; a course not included in the rankings is assigned rank 30 by Golf Digest, 20 by GOLF.com, and 25 by Golfweek. Private clubs, which are ranked separately by Golfweek, are counted only on Golf Digest and GOLF.com; their Golfweek private ranking is shown for informational purposes. In the event of a tie, the Golf Digest ranking is used to break the tie. Green fees: rates published by the golf courses, as of November 10, 2026. This ranking is reviewed annually.
The Rankings in Detail
Architects and years of opening: official websites of the courses and the ranking lists cited, accessed on November 10, 2026; no information is provided when the source does not specify it. Photos under a free license via Wikimedia Commons.
1. Nanea Golf Club 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 1 · GOLF.com 1 · Golfweek public — · Private Golfweek 1
A links-style course on a lava flow, private club (membership by invitation only). Architect: David McLay Kidd; opened in 2003. Ranked No. 1 in Hawaii by Golf Digest (May 2025) and GOLF.com; ranked 59th on Golf Digest’s list of the 100 Greatest Courses in the U.S. Designed for Charles Schwab and George Roberts; membership by invitation only.
2. Manele Golf Course (Four Seasons Lanai) 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 2 · GOLF.com 3 · Golfweek public 1 · Private Golfweek —
A resort course perched atop cliffs, open to the public. Designer: Jack Nicklaus. Former name: The Challenge at Manele; three holes overlooking coves, including the par-3 12th and the par-4 17th. Ranked No. 1 among public courses in Hawaii by Golfweek (2024).
3. Kapalua — The Plantation Course 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 3 · GOLF.com 2 · Golfweek public 2 · Private Golfweek —
A resort course on the slopes of a volcano, open to the public. Architects: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The first course designed jointly by Coore and Crenshaw; a 663-yard downhill par-5 18th hole. Host of the PGA Tour’s season-opening tournament (The Sentry); renovated from February through November 2019. Published green fee: $475 (standard rate) or $445 (Kapalua resort guests), excluding tax, from December 15, 2025, to December 13, 2026 — Golf Rates.
4. Mauna Kea Golf Course 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 5 · GOLF.com 4 · Golfweek public 3 · Private Golfweek —
A resort-style course set on lava, right by the ocean, open to the public. Architect: Robert Trent Jones Sr. (bunkers redesigned by Rees Jones). The par-3 3rd hole, overlooking an ocean cove, is one of the most photographed holes in the world. The first golf course on the Big Island, commissioned by Laurance Rockefeller.
5. Kukio Golf & Beach Club 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 4 · GOLF.com 7 · Golfweek public — · Private Golfweek —
Private residential club, Lava Coast. Architect: Tom Fazio; opened in 2003. Tom Fazio’s first course in Hawaii, featuring a short 10-hole course.
6. The Club at Hokulia 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 6 · GOLF.com 6 · Golfweek public — · Private Golfweek 4
Private residential club, set on the slopes overlooking the Pacific. Architect: Jack Nicklaus. One of the longest and most challenging courses in the islands.
7. The Club at Kukui'ula 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 7 · GOLF.com 5 · Golfweek public — · Private Golfweek 3
A private residential club on a former sugarcane plantation. Architect: Tom Weiskopf; opened in 2010. Views of the Pacific Ocean from nearly every hole, though the ocean does not come into play.
8. Princeville Makai Golf Club 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 8 · GOLF.com 8 · Golfweek public 4 · Private Golfweek —
A resort course set on a cliff overlooking Hanalei Bay, open to the public. Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr.; opened in 1971. Robert Trent Jones Jr.“s first solo course; re-turfed and had its bunkers rebuilt in 2009. Ranked among Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. Published green fee: Public rate (”rack rate”) $375, including a cart, GPS, and access to the driving range — Golf Rates.
9. Hualalai Golf Course (Four Seasons Hualalai) 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 11 · GOLF.com 9 · Golfweek public 5 · Private Golfweek —
A seaside resort course set on lava, reserved for members and guests of the Four Seasons. Designer: Jack Nicklaus; opened in 1996. Hosts the Mitsubishi Electric Championship (PGA Tour Champions) annually. Golf Digest classifies it as “private”; Golfweek lists it among courses accessible (through the resort).
10. Poipu Bay Golf Course 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 12 · GOLF.com 10 · Golfweek public 9 · Private Golfweek —
Oceanfront resort course, open to the public. Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr. Host of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 to 2006; record score of 59 Phil Mickelson in 2004. Ancient heiau (Hawaiian places of worship) and stone walls are seen on the course. Published green fee: $295 before noon, $245 after noon (from December 16, 2025, to December 15, 2026) — Golf Rates.
11. Ocean Course at Hokuala 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 13 · GOLF.com — · Golfweek public 8 · Private Golfweek —
A resort-style course set among the cliffs, open to the public. Architect: Jack Nicklaus. Formerly the Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, remodeled; holes 14 through 16 run along the ocean.
12. Wailea Golf Club — Gold Course 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 14 · GOLF.com — · Golfweek public 7 · Private Golfweek —
A rolling resort course with ocean views, open to the public. Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr. Host of the Champions Skins Game from 2001 to 2007. Published green fees: Gold or Emerald: $345 (“Maui Guest” rate), $235 in the afternoon — from November 1, 2026, to October 31, 2027 — Golf Rates.
13. Mauna Lani — North Course 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 17 · GOLF.com — · Golfweek public 6 · Private Golfweek —
A resort-style course set on a lava flow, open to the public. Architects: Homer Flint and Raymond Cain (original layout), Robin Nelson (designed the North course in the 1990s). The par-3 17th hole is played in a natural lava amphitheater.
14. Waialae Country Club 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 9 · GOLF.com — · Golfweek public — · Private Golfweek —
Private beachfront club. Architects: Seth Raynor and Charles Banks. The only course designed by Seth Raynor on the PGA Tour schedule (Sony Open in Hawaii). Host of the Hawaii Open since 1965.
15. Kohanaiki Golf & Ocean Club 🇺🇸
Rankings: Golf Digest 10 · GOLF.com — · Golfweek public — · Private Golfweek 2
Private residential club on the oceanfront. Architect: Rees Jones. Holes 12 through 16 run along the ocean. A few tee times are available to Hawaiian residents on certain days.
See also
Top 100 Golf Courses in the World
The Best Golf Courses Around Scottsdale
The 20 Best Golf Hotels in the World
The Countries with the Most Golf CoursesFrequently Asked Questions About Golf Courses in Hawaii
What is the best golf course in Hawaii?
Nanea Golf Club, on the Big Island, is ranked No. 1 by Golf Digest and GOLF.com; it is a private, invitation-only club. Among the courses open to the public, Manele (Lanai) and the Plantation Course at Kapalua (Maui) top the list.
Which major golf courses in Hawaii are open to the public?
Our selection includes: Manele (Lanai), Kapalua Plantation and Wailea Gold (Maui), Mauna Kea and Mauna Lani North (Big Island), Princeville Makai, Poipu Bay, and the Ocean Course at Hokuala (Kauai). Hualalai is reserved for members and guests of the Four Seasons; the others are private clubs.
How much does a green fee cost in Hawaii?
Golf courses that publish their rates charge between $235 (Wailea, afternoon) and $475 (Kapalua Plantation, standard rate) for 18 holes (rates as of November 10, 2026).