Puakea Golf Course

The greens were very slow and it took a while to get used to them. Because they were so slow, any break in the put was accentuated. The bunkers needed help as many were muddy and appeared not to be raked recently. The fairways were in average to good shape and generous width to most of the fairways. Playing from the tips can require some course management. Play in the early morning as the late morning and mid afternoon winds will exercise your club selection and shot making skills.

Overall I was very disappointed by this course. After reading the reviews, I expected a nice course, but instead found the worst greens I have played all year any where in the US. No speed consistency from green to green and some greens where inconsistent from foot to foot with different grasses growing on several greens. If you are used to playing muni courses this course might be enjoyable to you, but if you play any course that is kept in quality playing condition, you will regret playing here. The other strange thing was there was nobody there. Locals must know how bad of shape the course is in. My opinion, don't waste a day in beautiful Kauai by spending any time at this course.

This is a real challenge particularly in the wind. The views are worth it.

Really good golf course near downtown Lihue. Best 18 hole value on Kauai. Interesting course with some tough holes. Great views of the surrounding mountains. Course condition was very good. Good friendly service.

Challenging terrain, with beautiful scenery. Extremely friendly staff. The addition of GPS would be nice.

We were greeted to the course by a very friendly staff. The starter, a man named Richard, was extremely helpful and gave us numerous tips on the course. The course was in beautiful condition, but beware, stay in the fairways. The rough wasn't very long, but the Bermuda grass really catches the club! It had some amazing views of the mountains. A very challenging course and well worth the money. Highly recommend it to anybody in Kauai.

The views on this course were excellent, the course is in great condition and we enjoyed playing here. Golf in Hawaii is better than anything I've ever experienced.

This course was a lot of fun to play. The course was in excellent condition. The greens are a bit slow but consitent. Hole #6 is an experience. 180 yards with a 300 foot drop over a lake to the green. Bunkers are suprisingly soft. Not much of a clubhouse but everything else is first rate.

My threesome had an 11:24 tee time and if it wasn't for a slow foursome in front of us, we probably would have finished in about 3.5 hours. The course is very well maintained with a great view on almost every hole. The greens played extremely slow and took a few holes to get used to, but they stayed consistent throughout the round. I would recommend this to anyone on the island looking to play a round on a beautiful course for about half the price of many other courses on the island. Will play again!!

For a course so close to the Marriott, we found it both reasonable and interesting. It is definitely not Kauai Lagoons, but then the fees weren't comparable either.

Although some holes are next to Costco, etc., this is a welcome surprise. It's a moderately challenging layout, with some unexpected deep terrain on a couple of holes. With a mountain ridge line as backdrop, it's every bit as nice as the more pricey courses. There are quite a few holes that require your camera as well as your most accurate shots.

We played in the early afternoon. No one in front or behind us! Can't do that on the mainland anywhere.

I play Pukea every time I return to Kauai. The course is beautiful and the price is fair. Everyone working at the course is super friendly and helpful.

It's not a Hawaii beach course, but it is a very beautiful course with views of the mountains and lots of water. It's very well maintained, and the pace of place was very quick. Not crowded at all. For the money, it's a great find.

Puakea has been my favorite course for value over the past 5-7 years. However, I see evidence of decline in service . For example, they no longer have a cart with food and drinks out on the course.
The course is in good condition but not quite as good as past years.
Try Kiahuna as a comparable course with slightly better greens and some very interesting holes.
I still like Puakea and consider Puakea and Kiahuna as the two best values on Kauai!

Fair priced but busy city course near the airport..some very tough holes but they are clearly laid out...greens were spotty and fairways not up to other courses that I have golfed in Hawaii..always an area of usually strong winds

By tracking GolfNow deals it's possible to play Puakea for about half of the best rates available at the Nicklaus-designed Kauai Lagoons course but it's certainly at least half the golf value and experience. A pleasant place to play that can be a challenge when the tradewinds are fierce. Feels like there are a few too many short, quirky holes which seems odd since they seem to have a lot of property at their access. Very strong grain in the greens that has to be taken into consideration on almost every putt. Minimal pro shop and grill in the same 'temporary' building I've seen at Puakea for years.

I have played this course numerous times over the years and its the best value on Kauai. Beautiful surroundings. Great driving range and practice facility too.

I play this course multiple times every time I come to Kauai. I was a bit hesitant this time because Golf Now noted aerification. I called the clubhouse about it and she said that aerated several weeks ago and they are perfect. With a Golf Now Hot Deals tee time I figured I couldn't lose. To my surprise the course played very well. The greens were not "perfect" , but very playable.

I played this course twice on my recent visit to Kauai. Take a few moments to observe the many beautiful views while playing this course. The greens were in excellent condition and ran true. The course has very nice practice areas that include driving range, chipping area as well as a good size practice green.