Golf course architect Bill Coore remembers an interesting exchange he had with a course superintendent during the early stages of designing the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort.
The man was native Hawaiian and had never been to the United States mainland, which struck Coore at the time as being somewhat odd.
“He looked at me and just stood there in one spot,” said Coore, who along with partner Ben Crenshaw designed the award-winning Maui layout in 1991. “He then started looking up at the mountains behind us, and there was a rain shower. A huge, vivid rainbow appeared. And he just stood in one spot and kept turning and turning and turning, until he looked at the ocean with the waves crashing onto the beach. He kept turning until he finally was looking back at the rainbow above the mountain. And then he looked at me and just said ‘Why?’”
Few places on earth have as much breathtaking beauty and unforgettable scenery as the Hawaiian Islands — from active volcanoes to pineapple plantations — making it one of the top 10 bucket lists for golfers on the mainland and beyond.
There are more than 70 golf courses spread out over the six main Hawaiian Islands, with the Big Island and Maui offering the best options for first-timers. And island hopping can be accomplished with ease, with the longest flight being a mere 40 minutes.
“What’s not to love about Hawaii,” says Troon golf executive Kris Strauss, noting that his company manages 10 courses spread out over four islands. Strauss, who has been with Troon for 25 years, grew up in Hawaii on the island of Oahu before going to college at Arizona State and landing in Scottsdale.
“There are beaches, sun, culture,” Strauss says. “You’ll experience a tropical, exotic destination and you don’t have to leave the country and you don’t need a passport.”
It’s about a six-hour flight from the West Coast to the islands, and add another 4-6 hours if you’re traveling from the East Coast, making such a golf trip an “investment,” according to travel specialist Billy Dunham with Atlanta-based Premier Golf.
“I would definitely treat it a lot like going to Europe, especially if you’re on the East Coast because it is a long way to go,” Dunham says. “Hawaii is more one of those places that you should go on vacation and maybe play some golf and not necessarily take a golf vacation.”
With a shorter flight from Japan and South Korea, there is often a large Asain golfing presence on the islands.
“The flight from Japan to Hawaii is no different than maybe us flying to say Oregon from the East Coast,” Dunham says. “So they often make a weekend trip out of it or maybe a five-day trip because for them playing golf in Hawaii is so much easier.”
The result of the limited opportunities to play golf in Japan has forced prices higher on the premium layouts in Hawaii, costing upwards of $300 a round, or more.
“Hawaii tee times are more prevalent and there is a lot more courses, so the resorts and better courses are getting that higher dollar amount from the Japanese golfer easily,” Dunham says. “It’s cheaper for them to buy a flight and come play in Hawaii than it is for them to get a round in Japan or Korea.”
Once in Hawaii, it’s clear sailing as golfers can take advantage of some sun, long days and endless scenery.
“It stays light pretty much 12 to 13 hours a day so you can golf and then there is a bunch of things to do after,” Dunham says.
In addition, one of the great features about a lot of Hawaiian golf is the elevation change and still being on the ocean at the same time.
“You don’t see that a lot,” Dunham says. “If you look somewhere like say Bandon Dunes, they have four courses that overlook the Pacific Ocean but there’s not a lot of that drastic elevation change. And the black lava rock that you get to see in most of the courses in Hawaii that are on the coast is just incredible to look at. The vistas are stunning compared to what you see on the West Coast of the U.S. There really are some dramatic views in Hawaii.”
Strauss says not all Hawaiian golf is expensive.
“There’s a great variety of golf courses — everything from the ones you see on TV to some really awesome municipal golf courses and military courses,” Strauss says. “It’s kind of fun to just figure out where the locals play and play a few of those hidden gems as well along the way.”
One location that has received attention over the years is Princeville along the northern shores of Kauai, and in particular the Makai Golf Course, which Strauss calls “one of the most epic spots in the world.”
It does rain a lot in Princeville, to the tune of 78 inches a year. But Strauss has a weather tip for those from the mainland golfing in Hawaii for the first time.
“If I’m at a Princeville and it looks like it’s going to be a rain day, that’s when I drive to the South shore, so you can really chase the sun on any island for that matter. The leeward side of the islands usually get the most sun.”
If you’re saving up for a golf vacation that has a little bit of everything to offer, Strauss says one should consider a Hawaii destination in the near future.
“When somebody asks me about golfing in Hawaii I think what everybody else probably thinks – great weather and great scenery,” Coore says.