Golf in Hawaii
Overview
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This page explains golf in Hawaii. The sorter handles the local question by city or ZIP.
Golf in Hawaii
Hawaii maintains several municipal golf courses with resident senior rates, including Waiahu Golf Course on Oahu where super senior residents pay as little as $12 for 18 holes, and Wailua Municipal Golf Course on Kauai with a Super Senior Resident monthly pass for $35.
Published local price
City and County of Honolulu municipal golf courses (Ala Wai, Ewa Villages, Pali, Ted Makalena, West Loch): resident Golf ID card holder adult 18-hole weekday $28, weekend $32; senior (65+) with Golf ID weekday $23, weekend $32; non-cardholders pay $86 for 18 holes
honolulu.gov · as of 2023Where to go
Golf score
34th of 51 states for retirement golf
Golf score blends year-round playability (34%), playable access (16%), affordability (16%), course pedigree (12%), and statewide course density (22%).
Courses
A sample of marquee courses across Hawaii, with where to play and how to book.
Sweeping fairways on the West Maui slopes with ocean views from nearly every hole · Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw
This is the course the pros open the PGA Tour season on each January, set high on the West Maui hillside above the ocean. Rates run premium, but the views and the room to swing are like nowhere else.
Opened 1991 · $$$$ · Slope 144
Natural lava rock walls and big splashed bunkers on Maui's sunny south coast · Robert Trent Jones Jr.
The toughest of the three Wailea courses, with ocean views and the kind of elevation changes that make club selection interesting. You can move up a tee and still enjoy the whole experience.
Opened 1994 · $$$$ · Slope 138
The famous over-the-ocean par-3 third hole carrying a churning Pacific inlet · Robert Trent Jones Sr.
A Kohala Coast classic carved from black lava in the 1960s, with one of the most photographed par 3s in the game. The greens are big and rolling, so give yourself the right tee and enjoy the scenery.
Opened 1964 · $$$$ · Slope 136
The cliffside par-3 15th plays across crashing waves, often called Hawaii's most photographed hole
Another Kohala Coast favorite where black lava frames the fairways and the ocean-side 15th steals the show. In winter you may even spot whales from the tee.
Opened 1981 · $$$$ · Slope 127
Open windswept front nine, then back through ironwood pines near the wetlands · Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay
On Oahu's North Shore, this one gives you two very different nines: breezy and open out front, then sheltered among the pines coming home. It is a cart course, so you can relax and take in the coast.
$$$ · Slope 143
Three flat interchangeable nines on the Ewa plain with water on most holes · Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay
About forty minutes from Waikiki, this is a friendly, flatter walk than the cliffside resorts, with three nines you can mix and match. Water comes into play often, so bring a few extra balls.
Opened 1992 · $$$ · Slope 136
Links-style coastal layout that hosted the PGA Grand Slam through Tiger's prime · Robert Trent Jones Jr.
On Kauai's sunny south shore, this was home to the season-ending Grand Slam of Golf for years. The trade winds and ocean holes keep it interesting without overwhelming you.
Opened 1991 · $$$$ · Slope 128
Photo: tdlucas5000 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Three clifftop holes use the Pacific as a hazard, including a forced carry over the sea · Jack Nicklaus
On quiet Lanai, this Nicklaus course sits right on the cliffs with the ocean very much in play. It is a special-occasion round, the kind you plan a trip around.
Opened 1993 · $$$$ · Slope 132
We've mapped 13 courses across Hawaii so far.
What Hawaii costs
Cost of living
110
BEA index, U.S. = 100
State income tax
~3.5% state income-tax planning rate
Social Security
Not taxed
How people start
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
Many courses post a reduced weekday senior rate and a season pass. The difference between pay-per-round and a pass is the number that usually drives the yearly cost.
In warm states the season runs most of the year; in cold ones it is a few months. The yearly cost is rounds-per-year times rate, plus cart and equipment.
Towns in Hawaii
The City and County of Honolulu operates several municipal golf courses including Ala Wai Golf Course near Waikiki, one of the busiest municipal courses in the United States, and Pali Golf Course in the Ko'olau foothills. Senior residents of Oahu can access reduced rates through the Department of Parks and Recreation's senior golf programs.
City and County of Honolulu, Department of Parks and RecreationCommon questions
Hawaii maintains several municipal golf courses with resident senior rates, including Waiahu Golf Course on Oahu where super senior residents pay as little as $12 for 18 holes, and Wailua Municipal Golf Course on Kauai with a Super Senior Resident monthly pass for $35. Towns like Honolulu have their own local options.
Hawaii has a cost-of-living index near 110 (U.S. = 100), about a 3.5% state income-tax planning rate, and does not tax Social Security. The full state guide breaks down property tax, sales tax, and long-term-care costs, each sourced.
Sources
The life your money is for