Beyond the Resorts – The Local's Choice

Beyond the Resorts – The Local's Choice

While the Kohala Coast resorts get most of the fame, some of the most authentic and enjoyable golf on the Big Island is found away from the five-star hotels. These are the courses that locals love—offering incredible views, challenging layouts, and fantastic value.

For any visitor looking to experience the true spirit of Big Island golf, or for anyone on a tighter budget, these courses are absolute must-plays. This is where you'll find some of the island's best-kept secrets.

Kona Country Club: Oceanfront Golf Without the Resort Price

Kona Country Club is the answer to the question, "Where can I play along the ocean without breaking the bank?" Located just south of Kailua-Kona in Keauhou, this course delivers the best of both worlds: spectacular oceanfront holes that rival the top resorts, but at a much more accessible price point.

The course, designed by William Bell in 1966, has been recognized by Golf Digest as a Top 100 course and is a local favorite. A major renovation that concluded around 2016 brought the Ocean Course into fantastic condition, with updated bunkers, repaved cart paths, and pristine fairways.

The club used to have a second "Mountain Course," but that has since closed, allowing all focus and resources to be poured into making the Ocean Course a premier experience.

The Oceanfront Experience

The course truly shines on its holes that play directly alongside the Pacific. The par-3 3rd and par-3 12th are stunning signature holes that require nerve-wracking shots with the ocean looming large.

But the most unique feature on the entire island might be on the par-4 13th. Right next to the green is a natural blowhole, or "puka" in Hawaiian. On days with high surf, waves crash into the lava tube below and send a spectacular spray of ocean water high into the air. It's a natural hazard you won't find anywhere else.

And like at Mauna Lani, keep your eyes peeled for humpback whales during the winter season (November-March).

Waikoloa Village Golf Club: The RTJ Jr. Upland Gem

For the savvy golfer, Waikoloa Village is a strategic play. This is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design—the same architect who recently renovated Mauna Kea—so the quality of the layout is top-notch.

The course is located "up the hill" from the Waikoloa Beach Resort area, at an elevation of about 1,500 feet. This higher elevation provides two key benefits: a cooler, breezier climate and significantly lower green fees than the resort courses down on the coast. It's a fantastic value.

The layout is not a pushover. Reviewers describe it as a proper challenge, not a "super forgiving resort course," with generous fairways that encourage aggressive tee shots but well-guarded, undulating greens that test your approach play. And you don't sacrifice scenery—the course offers incredible views of the ocean and five of the island's volcanoes.

The Bunker Secret

Here's an insider secret that can make or break a hole if you're not prepared. The bunkers are not filled with the soft, white sand you'd expect in Hawaii. Instead, they contain a type of coarse, fine gravel. This material plays completely differently from sand.

A standard explosion shot where you hit behind the ball will likely result in your club bouncing off the surface. This is a perfect example of a course's unique personality, a quirk that gives it local character and presents a fun, unexpected challenge.

Volcano Golf & Country Club: The World's Most Unique Round

Now for something completely different. Forget every image you have of Hawaiian golf. At Volcano Golf & Country Club, there are no palm trees, no ocean views, and no lava rock-lined fairways.

Instead, you get to play a round of golf in one of the most unique and surreal settings on the planet: at 4,000 feet of elevation, on the rim of the active Kīlauea volcano. Located just one mile from the entrance to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, this historic course (established in 1921) offers an experience you can't get anywhere else.

The atmosphere is otherworldly. The air is cool and crisp, a welcome relief from the coastal heat. The course is surrounded by native ʻōhiʻa trees with their vibrant red lehua blossoms, and you'll share the fairways with nēnē, the protected Hawaiian goose, which is our state bird.

From the course, you get panoramic views of the colossal Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes in the distance.

The Playing Experience

The course itself, a Jack Snyder design, is a par-72 layout that is relatively flat but features charming rolling slopes and elevated tees and greens that add to the challenge. It's known for being peaceful, rarely crowded, and incredibly affordable—often called one of Hawaii's best-kept secrets.

While the conditions might not be as immaculately manicured as the Kohala Coast resorts, players rave about the fun, enjoyable layout where the stunning scenery is the undisputed star. It's a place where the joy of the game is amplified by the sheer wonder of the location.