Great Hawaii Golf Courses

Yards: 4768-6841
Slope: 114-130
Rated one of the "best new courses" by Golf Magazine and Digest, as well as "one of North America's most women-friendly" by Golf for Women, the Wailea Emerald is akin to a lush, tropical playground. But don't be fooled by the Emerald's pleasant appearance. It's a superbly designed course created for pure golf enjoyment, regardless of one's handicap. Measuring 6,825 yards from the back, the Emerald features four to six tee boxes on every hole, allowing players to tailor the course to their playing level. Rates for the Emerald Course are $185, but they offer a discounted rate of $145 if you're staying at a Wailea resort.

Yards: 5627-7411
Slope: 129-140
Looking for a challenge? The par 73, 7,411-yard Plantation Course is the course of the champions, site of the PGA TOUR Mercedes Championships each January featuring an elite field of previous year's PGA TOUR winners. The field has included such golf greats as Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Davis Love III and more. The grand scale of the course designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore unfurls across natural geographic formations and pineapple plantation fields that take your breath away. The rates for this course are $225, $140 for guests staying in the Kapalua area and $90 for twilight.

Yards: 5346-7309
Slope: 127-145
Golf Digest has named The Prince Course the Number One golf course in the State of Hawaii. It is also included in their prestigious list of "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses." The Prince is one of Hawaii's most challenging golf courses, with a USGA course rating of 75.3 and a 145 slope. But fear not. Five different tees on each hole allow you to set your own challenge. Named after Prince Albert, the only son of King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma, The Prince is Robert Trent Jones, Jr.'s masterpiece. Looking as if it had emerged full-blown from nature, it chugs uphill, jumps ravines and careens downhill like a roller-coaster. The rates are $175 standard, $150 if you're staying in Princeville and $130 if you're staying at the Princeville Resort.

Yards: 6023-6959
Slope: 129-132
The par 72, 7,123 yards of the Poipu Bay Resort sit on 210 oceanfront acres meandering along rugged a coastline featuring 85 bunkers, five water hazards and wildly varying trade winds. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., this course sits on the sunny southern side of Kauai and offers spectacular views and meticulous grooming. The course is backed by lush emerald mountains and sculpted from a rolling plateau eight stories above the Pacific Ocean. Fees are $185 for the general public and $125 for guests staying at the Hyatt.

Yards: 5856-7077
Slope: 129-139
Designed by William F. Bell to accent the stunning natural landscape of Makaha Valley, the Makaha Resort and Golf Club’s course was acclaimed for its beauty as much as its rigor by Golf Digest, and was named the island's best course by Honolulu Magazine. The 18-hole, 7,077-yard, par 72 course calls for a variety of shots and just about every club in your bag. With a USGA rating of 73.2, it challenges professionals and amateurs alike. Those with a sense of history will delight knowing that Hawaii's royalty used Makaha Valley for their recreation. The peacocks seen and heard throughout the valley were a gift from King Kalakaua to the owner of the historic Makaha Valley Ranch more than 100 years ago.

Yards: 5102-7310
Slope: 129-152
Carved out of a magnificent tropical rain forest on the windward side of the 2,000-foot Ko'olau Ridge mountain range, Ko'olau encompasses three distinct climate zones and features winding ravines, extreme elevation changes, and breathtaking views of cascading waterfalls. Situated on eastern Oahu, the rugged landscape of this tropical jungle course uses ravines as the target for holes and boasts lush vegetation and huge sand bunkers. Considered the toughest course in the nation from the back tees with a slope rating of 162, Ko'olau's spectacular setting will inspire you from beginning to end.

Yards: 5277-6737
Slope: 121-138
Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Mauna Kea Golf Course remains the standard by which all other island courses are judged. This legendary masterpiece offers golfers the perfect challenge to match their level of play. Covering 230 acres of beautiful landscape, the 18-hole, 72-par championship course presents dramatic changes in elevation, large undulating greens, and 120 well-placed bunkers. There are incredible panoramic sweeps of sea and land, featuring snow-capped Mauna Kea, rugged lava beds, and the sparkling blue Pacific. One of the most spectacular features is the famous Third Hole - where surging inlet water races to meet the rocky shoreline, affording one of the most breathtaking views in golf today. Rates here are $195 for the general public and $130 for guests staying at the resort.

Yards: 5673-6661
Slope: 119-130
The Waimea Country Club isn't your typical Hawaiian resort golf course, but it's one of the best on the island. Built on pasturelands and surrounded by cattle ranches, the course is wide open and picturesque. You may feel more like you're in Scotland rather than Hawaii. The course is well manicured with some breathtaking views. Add to that the rate of only $75 and the Waimea Country Club becomes one of the best golf bargains on the island.