GolfPass Icon
Rating Index Rating
Tooltip Information Icon
2.7
602 Reviews (602)
5 Stars
334
4 Stars
209
3 Stars
46
2 Stars
10
1 Stars
3
Conditions
2.6
Value
1.9
Layout
4.2
Friendliness
4.1
Pace
1.9
Amenities
2.5
26.6%
Recommend this course
560 out of 602 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
0
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
0
Value
0
Layout
0
Friendliness
0
Pace
0
Amenities
0
0%
Recommend this course
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
0
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
0
Value
0
Layout
0
Friendliness
0
Pace
0
Amenities
0
0%
Recommend this course
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Style Links
Par 72
Length 6875 yards
Slope 136
Rating 73.3

Hapuna Golf Course stretches along the beautiful Kohala coastline before rising to over 700 feet above sea level. The snow-topped Mauna Kea volcano serves as a dramatic backdrop and there are seemingly endless views of the Pacific. Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay collaborated to create a visually stunning links course that utilizes the natural contours of the landscape and silky fescue grasses. The design team has received praise for not only the challenge of the design but also for how seamlessly it blends into the existing environment. Palmer incorporated several risk-reward opportunities, especially with the par 5s, the14th is a good example. There are many ways to play this hole, which features a large ravine on the right and a wide, but shallow green. Long hitters can reach the green in two but short hitters prefer two shots and a par 3.

Course Details

Year Built 1992
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Arnold Palmer (1992) Ed Seay (1992)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
GPS No
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Dress code Proper golf attire must be worn at all times

Food & Beverage

Bar, Restaurant

Lodging

Lodging Available

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Spa, Showers, Locker Rooms

Available Sports

Fitness

Accolades

The Best Way To Book Is With GolfPass+
waivedfees
10 rounds of waived fees
golf ball.svg
$120 in tee time credits
teetime protection.svg
Tee Time Protection
redeemtrophy
Redeem GolfPass points

Reviews

2.7
602 Reviews (602)

Reviewer Photos

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 42
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Blind shots, need some getting used to

The course itself is in great condition. However we were playing in a 20 mph plus wind. that made the play very very difficult. Also as a first-time player, there were way too many blind shots to negotiate. All in all, I would play the course again, but only on when there is no wind.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

very fair

staff let us go out as twosome so wife could be relaxed. beverage lady nice, but done by 6th hole. course good shape, greens were were best ive seen. 20 handicap..shot 89..41 on back 9.. no lounge open 5pm..still will book again, mahalo

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Excellent golf course

Very well manicured course with very pleasant and respectable staff. In comparison to other courses on the Island, Hapuna is close to our favorite.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Scenic and Challenging

My wife and I played this course for the first time.We found the course to be challenging,but fair.The views of the ocean are spectacular(but note this is NOT an Oceanside course)!
The staff was quite friendly but not overbearing(which we also appreciate).Practice facilities were very good and the locker rooms were a plus.The only negative is that the on-site café was closed.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great twilight deal. Gorgeous golf

For $95 at 1pm on golf now. I can't imagine a better value for the money. ive played a less expensive muni in the area but this is top tier quality for a few bucks more. The deep rough is waist high jungle style so you better be able to control it off the tee to play here or bring a lot of balls. I've played 5 rounds with the same ball and lost it here plus several more. The greens are in great shape, fast,.Roll true but break much much more than you think they will. be prepared to get a few 3 putts

It's a gorgeous course. Enjoy the scenic views.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
2.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Do not waste your money

Wanted to play golf in Hawaii and we chose this course but it could have been any course on the main land. And it was not very nice and to far out of the way. Spend the extra and go somewhere else

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

Hapuna golf

Great course great value when using glof now
I play mid morning the course was in great shape

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great course, challenging but playable

Played with my wife. Wonderful layout with great views. My wife found it very playable from the forward tees and I it was challenging enough for me from the back tees. Course and greens were both in excellent condition. With the green fees through GolfNow it was also a great value.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 10
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Better than bigget brother

A lot of folks think that Hapuna is the little brother to Mauna Kea. While they share the same terrain they are vastly different. I played the tips at both, and while Mauna Kea had some amazing views (hole #3), it wasn't as playable as Hapuna. I hope that more people give Hapuna a try!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Stunning vistas on a Palmer course

Gorgeous layout on the mountainside with western Pacific views. A bit unusually tight for a Palmer course, precise approaches required. Any shot a few yards off the fairway is a lost ball in tall pampas style grass, if anything course is under sloped at 131 from Tournament (blue) tees. Greens had been recently aerated & slow, but overall is a must on a Big Island visit, better value than Mauna Kea or Mauna Lani.

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

Hapuna at 1:00

Beautiful views, greens in poor condition hence low rate but worse than just aerated the grass on several greens almost nonexistent, fairways not bad, no GPS system so playing for first time a lot of guess work as several blind shots without knowing where to hit it or distances make sure study the course layout ahead of time and bring a distance meter. For the rate the views and most of the course well worth it. My wife rode with me and the rider fee was too high at $25 but she enjoyed herself and even drove the cart right up to the green one time a no-no but she doesn't play golf so I had a good laugh.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Nice resort course

Hapuna is very enjoyable to play with unique holes and plenty of hole variations. Can be a little slow as there is no marshall to monitor play. Staff was very friendly and accommodating.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Hapuna

Nice course with great views- Beverage cart lady asked us if we wanted anything on hole 1. We declined hoping to see her later which never happened
Place seemed understaffed other than a very happy d working cart gentleman

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Choose correct tees for your handicap

Enjoyed the course very much. Not what I consider s links design. Hills and valleys and a few blind tee shots but overall not very penal. Beautiful views and several terrific holes. A must play for golfers who with handicaps below 20

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Hapuna - good value on Golf now

It's n the coast so there are some great views of the ocean. I think it would be a tough walk, the greens and tees are a long walk. I love golf in Hawaii, you can't beat the weather, blue skies and blue water abound!! It was really windy the day I played so it was a tougher challenge - swing slow if you can!!

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap Don't know
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a year
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Honeymooning in Hawaii

Staff was friendly. Course was in great condition. Very nice TaylorMade rental clubs and FootJoy shoes. My wife was a rider as I played a little golf on our honeymoon, and we were paired with a very nice local named Barry. He knew the course very well, and encouraged my wife to take a couple shots as well. When the wind blows, shots get much more tough. Only negative was that we got stuck behind a 4-some that didn't offer to let us play through, which slowed us down some. Beautiful scenic views. Would play the course again in a heartbeat.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

What a disappointment

We waited every shot, every hole for a miserable five plus hours. The "No Mow' was totally ridiculous, extremely user unfriendly-offering no opportunity to find even a slightly errant shot let alone hack it out. What was most disgusting about the pace of play was not even once was there a marshal in evidence to move the 'turtles' along. Of the seven rounds I played this trip, this was the most unfavorable in spite of a beautiful natural layout that with proper manicuring could have been a memorable experience for the right reasons.

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Friendliness Fair
Pace Poor
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/22/2015

Aloha, my name is Josh Silliman and I am the Director of Golf at Mauna Kea Resort which includes Hapuna Beach Golf Course. I am very sorry to read of your experience at Hapuna Golf Course, as that is as poor of a review as we have ever received here. Our scores in GolfAdvisor, as well as our reviews at the resort regarding golf are usually in the outstanding range, so I am extremely concerned to have read your post.

I did go back and look at our play the day you were at Hapuna. We had a fairly large group on the course that day and they were the root of the slow play. What we obviously should have done is kept a better eye on them on the course – and I apologize for not having a ranger there to remedy the slow play. Pace of play has not usually an issue here at Hapuna, and we will ensure that group play is monitored more keenly going forward.

The no-mow grass that you referred to is fountain grass that is evident throughout the course and is among the first plants to appear after a lava flow. The fountain grass was brought here as an ornamental and is part of the “links-style” design of the course. With a lava-base for “soil” outside the rough, our naturalized areas that are not watered have little alternatives but for the fountain grasses. I am sorry that you got into them and were frustrated.

I tried to reach you via phone call, but received no answer. I would like to speak with you directly though to ensure I understand all your comments so that we are able to do whatever we can to improve the overall experience at our golf courses. Would you please contact me at jsilliman@maunakearesort.net – I would also like to ask you to give us another chance down the road to show you what most of our golfers get to experience every day. Thank you again for taking the time to write – we take all comments as opportunities to improve. Aloha, Josh

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great time

I got to the course early and was able to be 2nd off. Other than a bit of wind to make it more challenging I loved this course

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Fantastic ocean views from almost every hole.

The Hapuna staff is always very helpful and friendly. The golf shop has a good selection of merchandise. We appreciated the two water bottles per person in the cart cooler. The setting and views of the Kohala Coast just can't be beat. The course is challenging, but fun. Each hole is unique. A must play if you are in the area.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

One of the Best Courses on the Island

We stayed in the Waikoloa area and were delighted to play many times on the Hapuna Golf Course. We find the staff to be very friendly and helpful. The course is very well manicured and challenging. The views can not be beat with many holes looking out over the ocean. The green fee includes your time spent hitting balls (as many as you want!) at the driving range. Overall, we feel this is a MUST PLAY course when you are visiting the Big Island.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Nearby Courses
Kamuela, Hawaii
Resort
4.8783251232
581
Kohala Coast, Hawaii
Resort
4.3188854489
48
Waikoloa, Hawaii
Semi-Private
4.3818805362
832
Kohala Coast, Hawaii
Resort
3.9722222222
15
Kohala Coast, Hawaii
Resort
4.8034328101
137
Waikoloa, Hawaii
Resort
4.0476745813
123
Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Public
4.1676545747
818
Kaupulehu Kona, Hawaii
Resort/Private
4.0
1
Kapaau, Hawaii
Public
0.0
0
Kaupulehu Kona, Hawaii
Resort/Private
4.0277777778
7
Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Private
0.0
0
Golf Packages

Mauna Lani Auberge Stay & Play Package

FROM $687 (USD)
ISLAND OF HAWAII | Enjoy 4 nights' accommodations at Mauna Lani Auberge Collection and 3 rounds of golf at Mauna Lani North and South Courses & Wikiwiki 9-hole Short Course.
Royal Ka'anapali Golf Course

Ka'anapali Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at either The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali or the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and golf at Ka'anapali Kai Golf Course & Royal Ka'anapali Golf Course.

Ka'anapali Stay & Play Package

CLICK BELOW
MAUI | Enjoy lodging accommodations at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali or the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and golf at Ka'anapali Kai Golf Course & Royal Ka'anapali Golf Course.

Best of Maui Golf Package

FROM $797 (USD)
MAUI | Enjoy 4 nights' accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and 3 rounds of golf at the newly refined Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, and King Kamehameha Golf Club.
Kapalua Resort Plantation Course - Hole 18

Best of Maui Golf Package

FROM $797 (USD)
MAUI | Enjoy 4 nights' accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and 3 rounds of golf at the newly refined Kapalua Resort Plantation Course, the Royal Ka'anapali Course, and King Kamehameha Golf Club.
Now Reading
  • Home

  • Memberships

  • Library

  • Account