Royal Hawaiian GC
A view from Royal Hawaiian Golf Club.
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Rating Index Rating
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3.9
681 Reviews (681)
5 Stars
321
4 Stars
186
3 Stars
88
2 Stars
52
1 Stars
34
Conditions
3.3
Value
3.6
Layout
4.4
Friendliness
4.4
Pace
4.0
Amenities
3.1
72.5%
Recommend this course
552 out of 681 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.8
13 Reviews (13)
5 Stars
4
4 Stars
6
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
1
Conditions
2.7
Value
3.2
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.0
Amenities
2.7
StaffFriendliness
4.7
69.2%
Recommend this course
9 out of 13 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.0
59 Reviews (59)
5 Stars
30
4 Stars
12
3 Stars
7
2 Stars
6
1 Stars
4
Conditions
3.3
Value
3.6
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.2
Amenities
3.3
StaffFriendliness
4.6
72.9%
Recommend this course
43 out of 59 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Semi-Private
Style Links
Par 72
Length 6609 yards
Slope 138
Rating 73.1

Nestled at the base of the Ko'olau Mountains in Oahu, Royal Hawaiian Golf Club enjoys a stunning tropical setting framed by ancient jungle trees that climb to more than 100 feet tall. The father-and-son team of Pete and Perry Dye designed the course. There are many telltale signs that this is a Dye course, from the many elevation changes to the varied bunker styles that are utilized throughout. The round begins with stunning views as you plunge downhill into the Maunawili Valley. There are more trees and narrower fairways on the front nine, contrasting nicely with the wide-open back nine. Royal Hawaiian Golf Club's back plays towards the mouth of the valley, offering a view of the mountains and sparkling blue Pacific waters in the distance. It's not an overly punishing golf course but locals and visitors alike have called it the toughest and most scenic course you'll find on Oahu.

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Course Details

Year Built 1993
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Platinum Paspalum Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Pete Dye (1993) Perry Dye (1993)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No

Food & Beverage

Bar, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse

Accolades

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Reviews

3.9
681 Reviews (681)

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

The course is secondary to the views

This is by far the most picturesque golf course I've ever played. Every hole has breath taking views that make you forget where you are as you stare in wonder.

The course is exceptionally challenging if you don't hit it straight. Bring extra balls. The layout is cut out of jungle and the mountainside.

Bring a camera!!! Take pictures. Enjoy the incredible scenery!!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 11
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

All about the tee shot

I played for the 1st time on vacation this week. Fortunately I had a very good driving round. I can say that if you struggle off the tee, bring a lot of balls! Beautiful course I’m returning tomorrow for a 2nd round. I booked 6:40 both days (first tee time), and played as a single - loved it! 2:40 min and greens crew moved aside to let me play through. The staff was outstanding and very friendly from check in at pro shop to starter! Great job, Mahalo!

John C

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Response from on 07/11/2025:
Thank you for the awesome review! We're so glad to hear you had a great experience and look forward to having you back again.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Beautiful course and views

Overall amazing golf course with incredible views. Wished there was a cart girl or more refreshments available during my round but hard to complain on such a beautiful course. Definitely recommend if you are vacationing in the area.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Response from on 07/09/2025:
We really appreciate the five-star rating! It’s great to know you enjoyed your visit — we’ll keep working to make every experience just as good.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Bucket list course for views alone

Recent ratings made us skeptical of the conditions but we found them to be better than expected. The front 9 is extremely challenging but is one of the coolest layouts you’ll ever experience. The back 9 offers some cool views as well but is much more manageable for a novice/beginner.

Like all the reviews state, you’ll need plenty of balls. The staff were tremendous. Greens were fast but not impossible. We were paired with a solo who was playing rentals. The rental sets are Qi10 irons /driver/hybrid. The front 9 is cart path only so it does make for a slightly longer than normal round but we finished in 4:20.

TLDR: if you have the opportunity, this course is definitely worth it.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Response from on 07/09/2025:
Thank you for the awesome review! We're so glad to hear you had a great experience and look forward to having you back again.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Beautiful scenery. First time playing the course, little disappointed on the front 9, cart path only, tight course with a lot of blind spots making it difficult to find your ball in the higher grass.

Back 9 much better, open cart path made it easier to play.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Slow greens and poorly kept fairways

Definitely worth playing once…..

We would not play again until the greens are fixed (speed was too slow and pitch marks were awful) The fairways need to be in better shape, unfortunately we were disappointed with course conditions.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 21
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

The course lives up to it's name "jurassic Park"

THE most unusual course I have ever played. I felt like I was a participant in a board game within a jungle, with a crazy challenge in store for me around the next approaching tee box. Definitely not a walking course as tee boxes are far apart from each other. Go for the adventure and immerse yourself with the exotic surrounds

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Great Course

This course was amazing. Photo’s on every Hole. The only thing I can say. Bathroom on the course did not have water. No driving range. No cart girl.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Absolutely Stunning

Absolutely stunning, we were waiting on a velociraptor to come out of the jungle and eat us! The course was out of this world and the staff was great! Expect to take a little longer to play a round because you simply don’t want to rush this!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Response from on 06/13/2025:
Thanks for the glowing feedback! It’s always a pleasure hearing that guests had a fantastic time. Hope to see you again soon!
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Golf in the Jungle!

One of the coolest experiences of my golfing life. You just don’t see the scenery like this anywhere in the world. Everyone goes to play the more coastal courses. This course is inland and located in a rainforest. It was special for sure!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

My Favorite course in Hawaii!

An overall great course for the money. The staff is always very friendly. Just make sure to bring a lot of golf balls.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

A Spiritual Experience

I did not come to this golf course expecting to break par. What I was looking for was a new experience to add to my golf journey, and it exceeded expectations. From the second I passed through the gates all the way up to my departure, the staff was extremely helpful and pleasant. I was told prior that the course was more for "views than conditions", but other than the greens that were healing and a few brown spots on fairways, the conditions were as good as you can expect from a golf course in this location. I lost a dozen golf balls on the front 9, and happily went back and bought more. The fairways are tight, the rough is rough, but stop and look around every once in a while. Based on some recent reviews, I notice that there are too many people playing this game for the wrong reason.

This is a very, very special place. Mahalo to the entire staff and community for allowing me the privilege to add this to the very top of my golf list

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Call first

This course is tough. Jurassic Park yes. Scenic yes. Problem was no notice that it was cart path only. Arrive and find out it was cart path only. Don’t do it if it is cart path only.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 3
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Unforgettable experience 10/10

What an incredible experience with some of the best views you could ask for and a tough layout. Disregard the negative reviews, they’re most likely from golfers who shoot a 8 on a par 5 and mark down a birdie.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 37
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Beautiful vistas but that’s all.

It’s hard to beat the views here at Royal Hawaiian. The greens were punched 5 weeks ago and still probably need another 3-5 to be decent. They’re super bumpy and slow. The attendant said they probably roll at a 7 on the stump meter but that’s probably generous.

If you’re looking for a lush, immaculate golf course you should look elsewhere in Hawaii. If you can overlook the conditions(thin fairways, crabgrass everywhere) then you’ll have a good time.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
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