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KONA, Hawaii — Walking the beach at sunset. Teeing off in the trade winds as the palm trees sway. Watching a whale breach while seated at dinner.
These are just a few of the special moments people can experience at Hualalai on Hawaii (which some still call the 'big island'). There are two sides to this unique resort community, both of them luxurious and exclusive.
Guests of the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai are spoiled with an oceanfront golf resort where a gorgeous Jack Nicklaus course hosts the season-opening tournament for the PGA Tour Champions, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
Beyond the resort are the lucky and fortunate few who own property within the 865-acre community. The post-pandemic real estate boom to escape crowded places led to an impressive surge of sales. These residents, who live in custom homes and villas divided into intimate neighborhoods, can join the Hualalai Club available only for property owners. This membership offers access to not only the Nicklaus course but the Ke’Olu Course, an uber-private Tom Weiskopf design perched on higher ground, plus all the amenities of a five-star resort.
With the PGA Tour's cancellation of The Sentry on Maui, Hualalai gets to hog the spotlight when it comes to Hawaiian oceanfront golf broadcast back to the mainland. The Mitsubishi Electric Championship is set for Jan. 22-24 on Golf Channel.
Although the sunny winter weather is a big draw, the truth is there's never a bad time to be hanging out at Hualalai. The Kona-Kohala Coast boasts one of the best year-round climates anywhere in the world. A steady stream of 70- and 80-degree days will have you dreaming of staying as long, and as often, as possible.
Staying at Four Seasons Hualalai Resort
As every golfer knows, Hawaii is loaded with great golf resorts on every island (check out our guide here). The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai sets a higher standard with several one-of-a-kind amenities. Everything - from the tennis courts to the 200-plus rooms - is first class, but two extras really stand out. True to its locale, one is on land; the other involves water.
The Hualalai Golf Hale ('House' in Hawaiian) is a 3,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art instruction and practice facility located at the driving range. It serves as a sort of pre- and post-round comfort station where golfers can fill up on complimentary drinks and snacks. There are multiple simulators available for clinics, private lessons or just for fun. The entire space can be rented for private parties and events. It also hosts a bi-weekly clinic for chipping, pitching and sand play. Every club in America would love to have their own version.
Even cooler still is the King’s Pond and Kumu Kai Marine Center, a 1.8-million-gallon, outdoor aquarium carved from natural lava rock. Guests, young and old, can snorkel in an intimate and safe setting among more than 1,000 tropical fish. Swiming with my wife alongside eagle rays and vibrantly colored fish without having to pay for a boat ride or battle big waves felt like an incredible privilege. The resort's team of marine naturalists lead daily feedings and hands-on touch-tank experiences. With seven other pools, plus the beach, relaxing has never been easier on vacation.
The dining scene is just as elevated. We ate breakfast at the Beach Tree Restaurant, which features an Italian menu in the evening, just steps from the ocean.
The Residents’ Beach House serves as a clubhouse beyond the Waiakauhi Pond and 18th tee box of the Hualalai Golf Course. Casual outdoor dining for lunch includes fresh fish, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, daily specials and the chance to whale watch or sip on a Big Daddy Mai Tai.
When the torches light up at night, the magic of the Hawaii is revealed. ULU delivers an ocean-to-table experience where 75 percent of its ingredients for Hawaiian flavors with an Asian twist are sourced from local farmers and fishermen. Ordering the tableside poke will feel like a Food Network competition to prepare the freshest, tastiest raw fish you've ever had. A high-end steakhouse and sushi lounge cater to other appetites.
Playing the Hualalai Golf Course
The difference-maker for Hualalai's golf courses is all that cool-looking black lava rock. The lava fields of Ka‘upulehu flowed down centuries ago from one of America's only active volcanoes, setting the stage for Nicklaus and Weiskopf to create dynamic holes winding over obstacles and through chutes.
Nicklaus especially leaned into these hazards, although they barely bother the pros. Black rock outcroppings are most prominent on the par-4 second hole and the par-5 seventh. Don't bother retrieving your ball should it end up in there. The rocks are razor sharp. One false step or loose rock could lead to a nasty cut.
The climax comes as the routing reaches the shore for the final three holes. The 16th introduces nice views. A crosswind tends to make the short 155-yard 17th hole that much tougher to pick a line and club. The 18th tee might as well be on the beach. Just don't let your ball find the sand, too. A collection of bunkers lines the entire left side of this risk-reward par 4.
While I was playing golf (rounds cost $380 in high season), my wife was at the spa getting a Lomi Lomi massage. I'm sure this game plan works for many couples visiting the resort. Everybody reunites afterward in the best mood.
Membership has its privileges
Touring the exclusive neighborhood with Rob Kildow, principal broker and director of sales at Hualalai Realty for two decades, and playing the Ke’Olu Course gave me a small taste of club membership at Hualalai. Weiskopf never disappoints when it comes to creating playable, fun courses for all skill levels. The extended ocean views are simply a bonus. The course operates out of its own private pro shop away from the resort. The Hualalai Realty website reveals prices ranging from $4.2 million for a villa flat to upwards of $11+ million for a custom home. Kildow not only sells this lifestyle. He lives it. He bought a villa in 2001, mixing work with play in the best possible way.
