Golf on Big Island of Hawaii

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The Big Island of Hawaii earned its moniker by having more than double the land mass of all the other Hawaiian Islands combined along with the most diverse topography and climate. While much of the island is dedicated to farming, large cattle ranches and an active lava flow from a constantly erupting volcano, Mother Nature, in concert with some imaginative golf course designers, has managed to provide more than 20 options for golfers to practice their passion while visiting Hawaii Island as it is properly known. The area of Hawaii Island known as the Kohala Coast finds some of the finest resorts in the Hawaiian archipelago. Such dynamic offerings as the Jack Nicklaus designed Hualalai Golf Course, where the PGA Champion’s Tour stages an annual event, combines a strident test of golf with unmatched vistas. Next door, the equally challenging and impressive private Ke’olu Course can only be played by those invited by a member. The championship Francis L’i Brown courses of the Mauna Lani Resort, 36 holes of a quintessential Hawaiian Island golfing experience and the Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed course at Mauna Kea Resort, deposited in a lava flow like an emerald set in onyx, are tried and true magnets for golf enthusiasts from all over the world. The Hapuna Golf Club, also part of the Mauna Kea offerings, is an Arnold Palmer designed links style layout with emphasis on the traditional agronomy found in the British Isles. The two courses of the Waikoloa Beach Resort designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. includes the Beach Course, strategically laid out with insidious bunkers and water hazards but imminently playable along with the Kings Course, a Tom Weiskopf design that challenges golfers with drivable Par 4’s in just the right wind conditions. The Ocean Course 18 hole routing and the Alii Mountain Course of the Kona Country Club, perched on a bluff overlooking picturesque Keauhou Bay, tests players with demanding shot values and the distraction of incredible panoramas. The semi-private Waikoloa Village Golf Club presents a parkland style course, another of RT Jones, Jr. many Hawaiian masterpieces. Hawaii Island has its share of traditions and experiencing the 9 hole course at Hamakua Country Club, built on the site of a surviving plantation, has become just that for many returning visitors. With a reputation as a course like no other, the fun includes 4 crisscrossing fairways and a laid back character. Nearby in the upcountry is found the Waimea Country Club carved between stands of pine, eucalyptus and ironwood trees. Its lush appearance is due in no small part to the reality that the site receives more than its fair share of rainfall, albeit mostly in the afternoon. Volcano Golf and Country Club boasts the highest elevation of any track in Hawaii. Located about an hour from Hilo, the thin air on the mountainside provides for shots that carry approximately one club further than the oceanside courses. Playing the course can be part of an excursion to experience Hawaii Volcanoes National Park making for an enjoyable day or two. Rounding out the offerings in the vicinity of Hilo is the Hilo Municipal Golf Course, an over 60 year old routing that was built on the remnants of an abandoned sugar plantation. The abundant plant life that envelopes the course makes it a can’t-miss opportunity for golfers visiting the Hilo region hoping for a truly authentic Hawaiian golf experience. Hamakua Country Club and Hilo Muni are the most affordable courses on the Big Island. A visit to Hawaii Island, “The Big Island”, can provide memories that will last a lifetime and golfers who choose to exercise their passion for the game at some of the island’s magnificent courses will no doubt come home with their fair share of stories to tell. Add the dream to Golf on the Big Island of Hawaii to your list and start planning which of the worthy courses you will play.

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