It's pretty tough to have a bad time on a golf course in Hawaii. But some courses deliver a memorable experience more than others. We looked at the ratings and reviews golfers wrote on Golf Advisor in 2015 to find the top-rated courses in the islands. You'll see a few of the most prestigious resort courses are living up to their billing with regular golfers, while a few lesser-known, daily-fee courses snuck into the top 10 as well.
Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island golf courses all scored courses in the top 10. Late architect Robin Nelson, who lived in Hawaii and is well known for building some of the best hidden gems in the islands, scored three course designs in this year's top ten. You can click on each course to view detailed ratings and reviews.
Top 10 courses in Hawaii
Lihue, Kauai
Architect: Robin Nelson
Wailuku, Maui
Architect: Robin Nelson
Kohala Coast, Big Island
Architect: Robert Trent Jones Sr., Rees Jones
Ewa Beach, Oahu
Architect: Robin Nelson
Kahuku, Oahu
Architect: Arnold Palmer
Kohala Coast, Big Island
Architect: Arnold Palmer
Kapolei, Oahu
Architect: Ted Robinson Sr.
Wailea, Maui
Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Lahaina, Maui
Architect: Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw
Wailuku, Maui
Architect: Ted Robinson Sr.
I'm surprised that Ko'Olina did not finish high in the best of the best in Hawaii. Ko'Olina Golf Club is in a resort setting and has an international following. I suspect the voting for great courses like Kapolei and Ewa Beach was skewed by locals based on price and accessibility! Ko'Olina was short changed on this rating survey and a wonderful golf experience has been overlooked, in my opinion!