A Mix of the Best and Most Underrated Public Golf Courses in Hawaii

As October 4 is National Golf Lover's Day, we look to one of the world's best-golfing destinations: the beautiful islands of Hawaii. If you're golfing in Hawaii, there are some famous public courses you should know about. If you've been there, done that, then perhaps one of the underrated courses are a better fit.

Considered to be one of the top courses in all of Hawaii, the Mauna Kea Golf Course dazzles in both its beauty and challenge of play. "Overall, in terms of shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, and esthetics, I still believe that Mauna Kea is the best overall course in Hawaii," Golf Digest wrote. Though many courses in Hawaii have oceanside holes, few gain signature status like Mauna Kea's par-3 third.

Located just 6 miles from downtown Kailua-Kona, the Kona Country Club offers convenience, a course that doesn't require a long drive to reach (which, on the Big Island, is often a luxury). It still has the challenging play and ocean views you expect from the top-tier courses, but as it remains under the radar for tourists, its vibe is low key and the course attracts a lot of local players.

The Plantation Course at Kapalua came in No. 2 on Golf Digest's list of Hawaii's best courses, and since the No. 1 spot was a private course, it's fair to say the publication considers it the top public course in the state. But that doesn't mean the course is content - in fact, it's striving to move forward. Earlier this year, it shut down for a nine-month, $10 million renovation that should be wrapped up by year's end. Even if you've played the Plantation Course before, you'll want to check out its new and presumably improved look in 2020.

Down south on Maui, the Wailea Golf Club offers play on three courses - Gold, Emerald, and Blue, in no specific order. The Emerald Course, featured here, was ranked as high as No. 3 at one point in a Golf Advisor Hawaii course ranking back in 2015 and has also received a lot of attention for its women-friendly reputation. But any course competing against the likes of Kapalua, and two other on-site courses, is bound to be overlooked now and then. Aside from the beautiful vantage points and friendly fairways, the Emerald Course has a rare novelty - two of its holes, 10 and 17, share a green.

Sure, the ocean views we've come to love from Hawaii courses are great, but what makes Koolau Golf Club special is that it dazzles without the help of the water. We challenge you to find a more impressive mountain terrain in the islands, the ridges of the old Koolau volcano littered with sharp ridges and, sometimes, dramatic waterfalls. It's typically cooler on Oahu's windward side, offering more comfortable play, and the quality of the course itself has never been in question - it's consistently talked about as one of Oahu's best courses.

Here's another mountain-side gem on Oahu, this one on the other side of the island, in the western Waianae range. Makaha Valley Country Club has a good reputation but remains underrated because of where it's located, about 45 minutes from Honolulu on the isolated, dry west side (most people want to be on the North Shore or on the windward side, where it's lush and green). The course is for sure worth the trip, designed by William Bell and offering perhaps the best combination of scenery and local vibes on the island of Oahu.

Being the best course on Lanai - which only has two courses - might not seem like a big accomplishment, but make no mistake, the Manele Golf Course is the real deal, coming in at No. 6 on Golf Digest's Best of Hawaii 2019 list. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, it resides attached to the Four Seasons, which means it is not only well designed, but well maintained and cared for. If you're staying on Maui, inquire about the ferry and play packages offered by the course.

With only two courses on Lanai, that doesn't leave us much choice for that underrated course, eh? But don't roll your eyes just yet. In fact, the Cavendish Public Golf Course might be one of the most interesting courses in the islands, not for everything it is, but for everything it isn't. There's no website or social media page attached to it, and finding a comprehensive collection of pictures of the course is a bit of a challenge. But the 9-hole course is free - completely free - to play. You'll want to read up on this one and make a point to play if you are in search of a quirky experience.

The Makai Golf Course in Princeville is an oceanside spectacle, honoring its name to its full translation (Makai in Hawaiian means "toward the sea"). It was renovated in 2010 by Robert Trent Jones Jr to the tune of $6 million and has since enjoyed a top spot not only in Hawaii golf circles but also on the world stage. With six oceanside holes and ridiculous views of Hanalei Bay and the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast, the course remains the top public option on Kauai.

Though it has received a couple of awards in the last year or two, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Ocean Course at Hokuala is still underrated in my book, especially since Kauai is just now taking off as a travel destination and that the new hype is a result of a recent renovation that saw it reopen in spring of 2017 with a different look and a new brand. Formerly known as Kauai Lagoons, the course was reduced from 27 to 18 holes and became a part of Timbers Kauai Ocean Club & Residences. In 2018, Forbes heralded its string of coastal holes and called the Ocean Course at Hokuala a "rising star."