When you think about golf in Hawai’i, images of ancient volcanoes, blue ocean water, black-lava landscapes, white-sand beaches & bunkers, and meticulously manicured green grass quickly come to mind. The Hualālai Golf Club is one of the many jewels on the crown worn by the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. It is widely regarded as the premier resort in Hawai’i, ranking as the #1 Hotel and #1 Resort in the U.S.A. by “U.S. News & World Report” for consecutive years. It’s the only Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond Resort on the Island of Hawai’i.
I was blessed to experience a few “bites of the Resort’s delicacies” during my recent trip to the Island of Hawai’i. Dinner at the “Miller and Lux” provided the appetizer and entrée, while 18 holes of golf was my dessert. The service and ambiance of the restaurant was only surpassed by the presentation, panache and pleasure delivered by the food. The restaurant features high-quality steaks, a robust raw bar, fresh seafood, and farm-direct vegetables. Hand-selected wines and creative cocktail choices completed the blissful experience.
Playing a golf course that is home to a professional tournament is always an escalated experience. The “Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualālai” has been held at the Hualālai Golf Course in Hawai’i for 30 years. The prestigious PGA Tour Champions season-opening event celebrated its 30th anniversary in January 2026. My age would qualify me for the PGA Tour Champions, but my golf skills, not as much. Although I did have one of my best rounds in quite some time. More on that later.
How often do you get greeted by a Starter, who’s been at the Club for more than 30 years, and a Director of Golf on staff for more than 20? Starter – Brown Bear (affectionately named as a friendly counterpart to Jack Nicklaus/Golden Bear, who designed the Hualālai Golf Club), and Brendan Moynahan, along with the Pro Shop Staff, were casual, comfortable and professional representatives, which further enhanced our experience.
Anytime I shoot a sub-80 round, I’m more than excited to share my story. They don’t come around as frequently as they used to, and in this environment, it’s like an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top.
My round started with scenic views of the surrounding volcanoes, perfect conditions, and back-to-back bogeys. My delight quickly turned to trepidation. I “settled the ship” with a par on the next four holes, with the highlight being a “sandy’ on the 6th hole. A relatively short par 4, but a unique hidden dogleg right, with a sand trap on the left-side of the green deep enough to bury a truck.
My only additional hiccup on the front nine was the par 5, 7th hole. A black-lava wall cuts across the fairway, and bunkers frame the elevated green. I encountered both, unfortunately resulting in a double-bogey. I finished the front with two more pars, and a total of 40.
The back nine has a little different personality than the front nine, or maybe it’s that I played much better that made me feel like it was “friendlier”. Pars on 10 and 11, followed by a bogey on the 12th, placed me at 5 over through 12 holes.
Golf’s “don’t wake me up” moments happened on the 13th hole (Par 4), 14th (Par 5), and 15th (Par 4). A 30-foot birdie putt on the 13th, followed by an incredible approach shot on the 14th, which resulted in a 6-foot birdie, was then capped off with a, from the fringe – breaking 3-feet, 10 footer for birdie, on the 15th. All of which quickly put me 2 under on the back nine. A par on the 16th hole brought reality back into focus.
The 17th hole at Hualālai Golf Club is the “Signature Hole”. A relatively short par 3, with tees ranging from 126-164 yards, with an elevated tee box that dramatically prepares you for the horizon in front of you. A wide green framed by sand-traps, lava, and behind it – the ocean. After a successful lag-putt from 25 feet, I left the 17th with a par.
The 18th is a par 4, dogleg left, with bunkers that start on the left of the fairway and dot the landscape all the way to the front left-side of the green. I hit a decent drive, but left myself with a lengthy second shot, over multiple sand traps. Since sand is my kryptonite, and one of my golf buddies wasn’t there to tease me about being a wimp, I hit my approach shot short, to the right of the green. Followed by a decent wedge shot, I had a 10 footer, right to left, for par. As I raised my putter in triumph, the ball “rimmed out”, and left me for a tap-in bogey. Disappointed, but I still reveled in the one-under 35 on the back, paired with the front 40, for a very pleasing 75.
My trip to Hawaii was a “lifer” experience. I played four rounds of golf, stood on the edge of an active volcano (Kilauea), enjoyed the Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Gardens (with over 2,000 species of tropical plants), and taste-tested a micro-brewery in Hilo. It was a pleasure to learn about the unique cultural attributes of our 50th State.
If my story compels you to find out more information about the resort, and the awesome amenities of the property, including the fantastic golf – call 808-325-8244, email golf.operations.kon.dst@fourseasons.com, or visit www.hualalairesort.com.
