Puakea Golf Course

Best back 9 in Golf . Great test , very well designed holes.

A good value if you don't book an early tee time at full price. Look for discounts. They have an agronomic problem on many greens that leaves them mottled and hard for true putts. Otherwise the course is quite playable and offers good challenges.

This is the second time my husband and I have played this course. It is one of our favorites to hit when we take the 14 day cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaiian Islands and back. It is easily accessible and close to the cruise ship by taxi and the staff has always been exceptionally friendly on the course, pro shop and restaurant. They even gladly call a taxi for you to get back to the ship. Hope to play there again; it is a great value.

Puakea was a very pleasant surprise. It starts next door to the Costco and the facilities are less than inspiring. But after the first hole, the quality of the course and the gorgeous views begin to win you over. The 6th and 13th are dramatic par 3's that would star anywhere. Good pace of play, mostly excellent fairways and bunkers and decent greens except the two where they are trying out experimental grass. If you are looking for a bargain on Kauai, this is a much better course than the over-rated Wailua Muni. No ocean views and the wind can be daunting, but well worth the $59 I paid.

a windy day but it was fun as the course was empty.

A great golf course. Enough obstacles to challenge anyone. Pace of play was slow.
Beverage cart appeared often. Beautiful terrain.

Great course. My wife and I enjoyed playing and the staff was very friendly. The starter was very nice and had our rental clubs all ready to go with some good tips about the course. Hole 6 was a great par 3 hole!

We like Puakea, it is a fun course and the staff is really nice. The food (sandwich, to go) was good and priced right. We could have gotten the same rate without Golf Now...
They don't have any over-length clubs and that was a bit of a problem for me. I'll rent elsewhere next visit, but Puakea will be on my must play list.

Nice course but the greens are not in the best of shape and slow.

this course has some tough holes with narrow fairways,and long uphill holes.lots of nice scenery also.

My wife and I really enjoy this course. The holes are interesting and fair with lots of challenges. The designers did a great job of using the topography, creating water features and working round the ravines. The bunkering is good. the course condition is not the greatest but is quite adequate. This year the grass on the tees is in trouble but the greens are OK if a little slow. Usually the speed of play is good and it is rarely crowded. The staff are helpful and very friendly. Great short game practice area and grass tees on the range.

This course is a real gem, with interesting holes, meandering through some jungle yet close to the mountains and yet almost overlooking the harbor. On one hole we seemed near enough to a cruise ship funnel to be able to hit a wedge into it. Only complaint is the greens were very slow. Noontime greens fee was a good value.

Good, challenging course for me (bogey shooter). In very good condition--fairways, traps, water, greens. With Golf Advisor discounted rate, very good value compared to other Kauai courses.

We were cruising and made a tee time for 2 people ferm the ship. We were late. No problem. Very relaxed atmosphere oa busy Saturday. Good rental equipment and fair price for balls and tees. Well laid out course for all handicap levels.

The course is well laid out without any shared borders on fairways, unlike the muni course on the island. Length is reasonable and winter green conditions were a bit off from their best. Local regulars are quite helpful on placement so buddy up at the first. Price point is very fair among the choices on Kauai.

We were treated by the staff very well, we were paired with a couple of good guys and had a great time. I would recommend this course to anyone.

I have played this course every yr for the past 5-6 ys during Jan/Feb. Quite easy to get a low price tee time on golfnow.com. and now the only course in Kauai where that is possible. Pace of play is reasonable taking a little more than 4 hrs. I did not find the staff with the usual customer friendly that I have seen in the past. Fairways are fine, but some of the greens have a variety of grass growing making putting difficult. Still it remains one of the best deals in Kauai.

We found this course on Golf Now and not by local ads. The staff met us in the lot and walked us through everything. Great Staff! The funny thing was he said, don't judge us by the first 2 holes (because they backed up to Costco and a strip mall), Once we played the first two holes the course opened into a beauty of nature and course design. It was a fantastic day of golf and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the Princeville course we played the next day. Only this course was $125 less! Thank you Golf Now!

Don't let the first impression of the Puakea Golf Course fool you. Beyond the trailer clubhouse and the flat holes behind the local Costco hides a tropical paradise.
Puakea opened as a 10-hole course in 1997 after a hurricane halted construction. It was rescued when AOL founder Steve Case purchased the land in 2000. Original architect Robin Nelson was brought back to complete all 18 holes, which opened in 2003.
The 6,954-yard layout remains a local favorite for its scenery and affordability. Green fees are a steal once golfers get outside of the housing development of the first five new holes and into the jungle for the original routing. Great views of Mt. Ha'upu come later in the round.
The sixth hole requires a heart-stopping 176-yard downhill shot over water. The two par 3s on the back nine -- the 228-yard 13th hole and the tiny 134-yard 16th hole -- are a study in contrast.
Puakea can be a little rough around the edges compared to the higher end resort courses on the island. The traps might be unkept and the greens slow, although they're minor annoyances considering the price. The clubhouse doesn't look like much, either, but the food inside is much-improved and a pretty good choice for lunch.

Puakea is a great option on Kauai for those who want a great Hawaii golf experience but without the resort price tag. The opening holes aren't much, but holes start getting really interesting midway thru the front nine and by the 11th hole you're playing a world class Hawaiian golf course. It's also a great place to hit balls and work on your game with full facilities.